Leopards hang tight but fall to Linfield

Leopards hang tight but fall to Linfield

By Joe Perrino, Sports Information Assistant.

 

LA VERNE, CA — The La Verne Leopards returned to The Tents Tuesday night looking to win back-to-back games for the first time this season, but fell to the Linfield Wildcats 84-67. 

Despite the loss, some Leopards took steps in the right direction.

Junior Seth Shaw finished the game with 16 points, shooting 8-14 from the field — by far his best game of the season. Additionally, senior Isaiah Knox added a season-high 13 points on 50% shooting — 21% higher than his season average. Senior John Malone II also picked up from where he left off last week with 21 points.

The Leopards kept the game close through the first thirty minutes — never trailing by more than seven until the 11:50 mark in the second half. 

La Verne entered half down five, 36-31, but the Leopards came out of the locker room looking poised for a second half push. Malone and Knox hit threes in consecutive possessions cutting the Wildcat lead to just two points.

After a free throw and bucket from Linfield, the Wildcats called a timeout leading 45-40, and never looked back. 

Linfield led wire-to-wire in the second half and pulled away at the end of the game with a strong inside presence led by graduate student Dempsey Roggenbuck — who shot 9-14 in the second half after a slow start, ending with 26 points.

The Leos move to 1-4 and the Wildcats jump to a 2-0 start.

La Verne returns to action when they face the Stags at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Dec. 3.