by Kelsey Segren, Sports Information Assistant

SPOKANE, Wash. – Four Pirates scored in double-digits as Whitworth took down the Linfield Wildcats 75-72 in Friday evening's Northwest Conference women's basketball contest.

Talia Brandner led the Pirates (10-7, 3-5 NWC) with 17 points and four steals. Sydney Abbott added 16 points and Quincy McDeid tallied 12. Courtney Gray scored 15 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.

The Wildcats (10-6, 4-3) trailed by one twice with under a minute remaining, but McDeid made all four free throw attempts down the stretch to help the Pirates hold on to the win and snap a three-game losing streak.

Whitworth shot 53.3% (8-15) from the floor and 42.9% (3-7) from three-point range in the first quarter to get out to an early 23-13 lead. McDeid's three-pointer opened an 8-0 run for the Pirates, who led 18-6 after the opening five minutes. McDeid sent in another three with 02:22 remaining in the period to bring the Pirates' lead back to 12.

The Pirates cooled down in the second, shooting only 28.6% (6-21) from the field and 20% (1-5) from beyond the arc. Jordyn Feinauer made a three for the Wildcats to cut their deficit to single digits (34-26) with a minute and a half left in the quarter. Whitworth entered halftime up 38-27.

The Pirates held Molly Danielson and Kory Oleson, the top two scorers in the NWC, to a combined five points in the first half. However, Oleson scored an impressive 26 points over the next two periods.

Linfield went on a 9-0 run over the span of three minutes to pull within one (42-41) with 04:23 remaining in the third. Oleson made a basket for the Wildcats to tie the game at 44-44 before Jordan Smith drained a three pointer to put the Pirates back up by three (47-44) with 02:32 left in the period. The Wildcats outscored the Pirates 25-16 in the quarter on 52.9% shooting from the field to enter the fourth down 54-52.

Neither team scored in the opening two minutes of the fourth until Cassidy Schutz sent in a three to give Linfield the 55-54 lead. The team's alternated baskets until a three by Brandner and a jumper from Morgan Winder gave the Bucs a 63-59 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the game. The Pirates led by five or fewer points the rest of the way.

Oleson made a three with 30 seconds remaining in the game to cut the Pirates' lead to one (71-70). McDeid made both of her free throws to give the Bucs a three-point advantage with just under 30 seconds left. Danielson made a basket for the Wildcats with 13 seconds left, but McDeid made another pair of free throws to bring the Bucs' lead back to three. Ragan Delaney's game-tying three-point attempt did not fall, and Whitworth came away with the 75-72 win.

Whitworth shot 38.5% (25-65) from the floor and 30% (6-20) from beyond the arc on the game and was outrebounded by a wide margin, 50-37.

Oleson and Danielson each recorded double-doubles for the Wildcats. Oleson scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Danielson finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds.

The Pirates open the second half of conference play on the west side as they take on Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran next weekend.