After a great fight by the Wildcats, the Whitman Blues still hold their perfect record. Linfield fought to an ending score of 86-74.

The basketball team traveled to Whitman yesterday for tonight’s games after just playing them on Sunday.

The Wildcats had 54 percent of the points on the field and the Blues held 42 percent of the points on the field. It is not often that the team with the lower points on the field come out on top.

“It felt great to go out and fight with my brothers,” senior Jordan Clark said.

Freshman Dempsey Roggenbuck led the Wildcats in points with 12 field goals, four three-pointers, three free throws and one offensive rebound. Junior Tyler Watts followed with five field goals, one three-pointer and three offensive rebounds.

Junior Liam O’Reilly and Clark both put up three field goals. Sophomore Austin Hilton had two field goals. Junior Troy Arce and senior Austin Murray both scored one field goal.

This was the second year in a row the Wildcats have made it to the playoffs. Last year was the first in seven years that the ’Cats have tasted the postseason. The ’Cats’ winning season last year earned head coach Shanan Rosenberg Northwest Conference Coach of the Year.

Clark was named a first team all-conference selection and Roggenbuck was awarded Northwest Conference Freshman of the Year.

The Blues led 38-36 after the first half. Whitman was able to get points on the board early it wasn’t until 17:13 on the clock the ’Cats contested with a layup from Roggenbuck from within the paint. The score was 8-2.

With 12:00 on the clock the ’Cats were finally able to even out the score 14-14 after the early lead by the Blues.

But the even score was short lived for the ’Cats. The Blues catapulted up to a seven-point lead but the Wildcats retaliated with a layup from Watts bringing the score to 23-18.

“We played as hard as we could and just didn’t come out on top,” Hilton said.

The Blues were able to keep catapulting their lead throughout the first half and spreading into the second with three-pointers. The Wildcats totaled five three-pointers with 14 attempted riviled to the Blues 11 three-pointers and 29 attempted.

“Our program has excelled so much! Proud of all my teammates,” Clark said about his teams play over the course of the season.

The Wildcats road has ended with the Blues this season but will be back with an even stronger fight next one.