Linfield & The Daily Universe

Wildcats topple Blues for first win in Walla Walla since 2010 - Linfield University Athletics

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – In a hectic game that saw 12 points scored in the final minute, Linfield pulled off a thrilling 63-61 victory over Whitman on Saturday afternoon, marking its first win in Walla Walla since 2010. The game was a blow-for-blow battle, with the lead changing hands eight times throughout the contest. With the win, the Wildcats improve to 7-10 on the season and 4-4 in the Northwest Conference, while Whitman drops to 8-9 and 6-2 in conference play.

Strong leadership, fresh talent could carry Wildcats to top of NWC - Linfield University Athletics

The Linfield Wildcats are gearing up for an exciting 2024-25 swimming season, building on past successes and aiming for new heights. Both the men's and women's teams are ready to make waves in the Northwest Conference with a blend of seasoned veterans and promising newcomers, all under the guidance of 11th-year head coach Kyle Kimball. With a commitment to training and performance, the Wildcats are focused on maximizing their potential.

Wildcats fall to Western Oregon in four-set battle - Linfield University Athletics

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Linfield faced a tough challenge on the road against the Western Oregon Wolves on Tuesday evening, ultimately falling in four sets (15-25, 14-25, 25-15, 15-25) at the Physical Education Building.

Linfield showed resilience in the third set, bouncing back with an impressive 25-15 victory, but couldn't carry that momentum into the final set. Araeya Watanabe was a standout for the Wildcats, leading the team with 13 kills and hitting an impressive .500. Nora Myre added 9 kills and 12 digs.

Linfield softball eyes another deep postseason run in 2025 - Linfield University Athletics

Coming off a record-breaking 2024 season, Linfield softball enters the new campaign with championship aspirations, bolstered by an experienced core of returning players and a strong incoming class. The Wildcats, ranked the preseason No. 2 team in the nation, have high aspirations for their 2025 season and hope to repeat the success of their deep tournament run a year ago.

Linfield prepares for toughest test of season - Linfield University Athletics

Riding a two-game win streak, Linfield (13-2, 4-2 NWC) is coming off big wins over Lewis & Clark and Willamette. With a Washington road trip on the horizon, Casey Bunn-Wilson looks to continue the early-season momentum in what is Linfield's toughest test of the season. Whitworth (6-9, 3-3 NWC) has lost two straight against George Fox and Pacific but has a chance to draw some attention with a game against Whitman (14-1, 6-0 NWC) early in the week. The Blues hold a solid lead in the NWC standings having yet to lose a conference game.

How a devastating injury helped BYU's Arielle Mackey-Williams find her faith

“I’m really proud of our team and our coaches. We just couldn’t execute,” said Ari Mackey-Williams after BYU’s WCC semifinal loss to Gonzaga last season.

That loss started what would be a rollercoaster ride of an offseason for Mackey-Williams. BYU was entering the Big 12, head coach Amber Whiting was heading into her second year at the helm, and Ari was looking forward to a huge junior year.

Unfortunately, Ari wouldn’t have the opportunity to take the floor for the Cougars in their first seaso

Lauren Gustin's career night not enough as BYU falls to Kansas

Lauren Gustin’s career night not enough as BYU falls to Kansas

BYU’s matchup with Kansas earlier this season resulted in a 67-53 loss that featured a game delay because of a bat flying onto the court. While Saturday’s matchup didn’t feature a bat, BYU’s three-game winning streak came to an end as the Cougars fell to Kansas 70-62 despite a career-high 33 points from star forward Lauren Gustin.

Saturday’s game was a back-and-forth affair where BYU struggled to find its groove offensively. Outsid

BYU looking to make magic in the Big 12 tournament

BYU looking to make magic in the Big 12 tournament

At the start of the season, BYU women’s basketball was picked to finish 11th out of 14 in the Big 12. To say the Cougars entered the season with a chip on their shoulder would be an understatement.

“After we played a pretty bad game, I came into the locker room and I wrote ’11’ on the board,” recalled head coach, Amber Whiting. “That’s where you were picked to finish.”

Ultimately, the Cougars overcame those preseason predictions and were able

BYU uses scorching hot second-half to down TCU 87-75

BYU uses scorching hot second-half to down TCU 87-75

As the final buzzer sounded, the Horned Frogs from TCU left the court, looking defeated and hanging their heads. The sellout crowd at the Marriott Center was deafening as yells and cheers of approval and hysteria rained down on Mark Pope’s squad after a thrilling win.

“That was one of the most exciting wins I’ve witnessed while in Provo,” said avid BYU fan Landon Hagberg. “That’s a game I will never forget.”

To start the game, BYU was rolli

BYU overcomes halftime deficit, beats UCF for 3rd straight conference win

Entering the third quarter, Kailey Woolston was having an uncharacteristically quiet night. BYU was down by seven coming out of halftime and was struggling to stop the UCF offense that was able to grab 10 offensive rebounds in the first half.

The third quarter is when Kailey Woolston and Lauren Gustin decided that the Cougars were not going to miss their opportunity for a third straight conference win. Woolston dropped in 10 points, including two big-time three-pointers while reigning Big 12 Pl

Lauren Gustin, Amari Whiting honored with Big 12 Conference weekly awards

BYU entered the week preparing for a huge game against conference foe Baylor. The Cougars were coming off of three straight conference losses and a matchup with the No. 18 Bears was threatening to give BYU their second four-game losing streak this season.

Despite the pressure and stress of such a big matchup, the Cougars were able to dominate the Bears on Wednesday night 78-66 and earn their first top-25 win under head coach Amber Whiting. After the big win, BYU traveled to Cincinnati and gave

BYU secures first conference road win, beating Cincinnati for the second time this season

BYU secures first conference road win, beating Cincinnati for the second time this season

The BYU women’s basketball team entered halftime in Cincinnati with a three-point lead after a hard-fought first half that featured four ties and three lead changes.

The Cougars came out on fire in the third quarter, outscoring the Bearcats 19-9 in the period thanks to 8 points and 6 rebounds from senior forward, Lauren Gustin.

BYU was able to maintain that lead throughout the final quarter, and some clu

BYU's spectacular comeback falls short against No. 23 West Virginia

With 6:43 left in the fourth quarter, Lauren Gustin spun off of her defender into the paint and found a wide-open Emma Calvert at the three-point line. Without hesitation, Calvert put up a shot as the shot clock buzzer rings and nailed the triple to cut the West Virginia lead that got up to as much as 18 down to just four as crunch time approached.

BYU played an incredible second half. The Cougars outscored the Mountaineers 40-33 in the third and fourth quarters as they attempted to mount an im

Kailey Woolston's career-high not enough as BYU falls to Kansas

Kailey Woolston’s career-high not enough as BYU falls to Kansas

Wednesday night featured an exciting matchup between the Cougars and Jayhawks that contained two career-highs and a delay due to a bat flying around the arena. Ultimately, Kansas was able to come out on top 67-53.

BYU entered the fourth quarter down by 11, but was able to start a strong comeback thanks to some electric shooting from Kailey Woolston. With 6:45 left in the game, Lauren Davenport hit a step-back jump shot followed by

BYU women's basketball unable to overcome Utah's red-hot shooting in rivalry showdown

In a rivalry clash between BYU and Utah, BYU women’s basketball team faced a challenging defeat with a final score of 68-87. Despite putting up a valiant effort, Utah’s strong offensive game proved to be a formidable challenge for the Cougars.

BYU, coming off their first loss of the season to Wyoming, looked to star forward Lauren Gustin as she notched her sixth double-double of the young season, going for 17 points with 13 rebounds. Freshman Kailey Woolston poured in another 17 points to lead

BYU women's basketball excited for first season in the Big 12

BYU women’s basketball excited for first season in the Big 12

Wednesday marks the start of a new era for BYU women’s basketball when the Cougars play Westminster in an exhibition game at the Marriott Center to start off their inaugural Big 12 season.

BYU is coming off its first losing season since 2007, but head coach Amber Whiting is relishing the opportunity of being considered an underdog.

“I’m excited to see what we can do,” Whiting said. “I like where we are picked because I feel like be