PORTLAND, Ore.—After a back-and-forth first three quarters, Linfield University outscored Lewis & Clark College women's basketball 21-5 in the fourth quarter to earn a 65-57 victory over the Pioneers on Friday night at Pamplin Gymnasium. 
 
THE BASICS
Linfield 65, Lewis & Clark 57
(Lewis & Clark 2-12, Northwest Conference 1-4) 
(Linfield 8-6, NWC 4-1) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Friday's game was dominated by runs with both teams wrestling for control. Lewis & Clark led for the majority of the second and third quarters and for the first half of the fourth, before the Wildcats went on an 11-3 run to close the game and earn the win. 
 
Reigning NWC Women's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week Karli Mukai almost doubled up all other players totals with a game-high 26 points. Mukai knocked down four 3-pointers and added a game-high five assists, to go along with two rebounds and two steals. 
 
Sophomore Piper Curry was the other Pioneer to finish in double-figures. She registered 13 points and five rebounds. Junior Charlotte Carroll tacked on eight points and five rebounds in 21 minutes and senior Gabby Beltran led the team with a game-high eight rebounds. 
 
Linfield's Jordan Worthington was the lone Wildcat in double-figures. Worthington posted 14 points on 7-9 shooting. 
 
Playing without two starters and a new-look starting lineup, Lewis & Clark kept the game close early on and used an 8-4 run to close the first quarter and take a 16-12 edge. 
 
Linfield managed to tie the game at 27 late in the second quarter, only for the Pioneers to close the half with a 5-0 flurry. Curry hit a pair of free throws with 24 seconds left and Mukai drained a 3-pointer with four seconds left before halftime. 
 
The third quarter saw the Pioneers extend their advantage to as many as 11 points on two occasions. Lewis & Clark extended their 5-0 third-quarter ending run to 11-straight points to begin the fourth. Carroll hit a pair of layups and Mukai added one of her own, to extend the advantage to 38-27 with 7:51 left in the third. 
 
Linfield would cut the deficit down to two three minutes later (43-41), only for the Pioneers to outscore Linfield 9-3 over the final 4:51 of the quarter (52-44).  Freshman Madelyn Sanchez drained a late baseline jumper to extend the lead to eight just before the end of the quarter. 
 
The fourth quarter would see the Pioneers go ice-cold. Lewis & Clark hit just two baskets and finished the stanza 2-15 from the field. Linfield started the fourth on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to one but Curry stemmed the tide with a jumper to make it 54-51 Pioneers with 6:08 to play. 
 
The visitors took the lead for good with a Paige LaFountain layup with 4:57 to play (55-54). Linfield extended their advantage to 60-54 with 50 seconds left. Mukai finally broke the run, when she drained a deep 3-pointer to make it a one-possession game. The Wildcats hit five of six free throws down the stretch to ice the game. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Mukai leads all NWC scorers with 22.8 points per game in five contest this year. She is also the conference leader with 17 threes during conference play. 
• Junior Natalie Elstone, who had played in and started every game this season, missed her first game of the season. 
• Linfield earned a 40-22 edge in points in the paint, including a 12-0 lead in the fourth quarter. 
• Freshmen Tatiana Rebanal and Sanchez each finished with five points apiece in the loss.  
• The Wildcats win snapped a 3-game Pioneers winning streak in the series.  

WHO'S NEXT 
 
Lewis & Clark will travel to Pacific Lutheran University on Saturday at 4 p.m. for another NWC matchup.