PORTLAND, Ore. -- Last month, Lewis & Clark hit on 54 percent of its overall shots in a victory at Linfield. In the second meeting between the two on Tuesday, the Pioneers picked up right up where they left off, as Lewis & Clark made its first eight shots from the floor in a 78-56 win over the visiting Wildcats at Pamplin Sports Center.

The Pioneers were perfect from the floor for the first 4:40 of the game including three 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Linfield missed its first seven shots, as a pair of Austin Murray free throws accounted for all of the Wildcats' scoring until Austin Daniels made a layup with 13:29 remaining in the opening half.

Overall, Lewis & Clark was 53 percent from the field, and 60 percent from 3-point range, its highest mark of the season.

The hot shooting was unexpected given how the game started. The Pioneers accidentally listed Jonathan Boddie as a starter in the official book instead of Alex Jones, who had started all 20 games entering Tuesday, forcing Boddie to begin the game on the floor.

Perhaps the Pios should do it more often, as Boddie scored the game's first four points and had the first of his three blocks in the game all within the opening 90 seconds.

"It was a miscommunication in the beginning," said Boddie. "You got to attack hard from the start if you get the opportunity."

Lewis & Clark's victory is the team's second straight in decisive fashion after losing five in a row. On Saturday, the Pios won at George Fox 93-57, also shooting above 50 percent from the floor.

"We're just moving the ball a lot better and looking for the open guy," said Boddie, who finished Tuesday's game with 10 points, one of four players in double figures. "[Our goal is] to keep playing like we have been the last two games. Ball movement. Stout defense. I feel like we have the potential to beat teams like this every time."

The victories over George Fox and Linfield were cricital for Lewis & Clark's Northwest Conference tournament hopes. A conference championship participant last year, the Pioneers entered Tuesday's game three games behind Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran for the final two playoff spots.

Cannen Roberson (pictured right) and Jones led all scorers with 16 points apiece. Roberson was a perfect 6 of 6 from the floor, including three 3-pointers. Markel Leonard joined Boddie with 10 points, as the pair combined to make 10 of their 15 shots. Jason Luhnow put in eight points and had a team-best six rebounds, followed by four points and five rebounds from Carl Appleton. 11 different Pioneers players scored points.

Austin Murray led Linfield with 15 points.

Lewis & Clark held the Wildcats to single-digit scoring past the seven-minute mark of the opening half to lead 30-8. The Pios eventually built a game-best 38-point lead with just over 13 minutes remaining in the game.

The Pioneers never trailed.

Both teams committed 13 turnovers, but Lewis & Clark outscored Linfield 15-8 off the giveaways. The Pios also led in second chance points 9-2 after outrebounding the Wildcats 31-22.

Lewis & Clark gets a chance to improve its playoff chances by hosting Pacific Lutheran on Saturday at 6 p.m. Should the Pioneers win, they'll claim the season series against the Lutes after winning their first meeting with PLU 68-65 in Tacoma last month.

The Pioneers were swept by both Whitman and Whitworth, the conference's top two seeds, and split with Puget Sound. Lewis & Clark plays two of its final three games at home.

During the game on Saturday, the Lewis & Clark Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be raising money for Special Olympics Oregon as part of the NWC's Fundraiser of the Year competition.