McMINNVILLE, Ore. - A long road trip finally came to an end on Saturday for the University of Puget Sound women's basketball team. However, it didn't come without another challenge. The Loggers (12-3, 5-1) outlasted a stubborn Linfield team for a 69-62 victory in Ted Wilson Gymnasium on Saturday.
 
Freshman Taylor Jones was the emerging star of the night as she scored a career-high 15 points for the Loggers in the winning effort. Jones was 4-for-6 from three-point range and scored 12 of her points (all from three-pointers) in the first half.
 
"She's improving every game, stepping up and hitting some big shots," said head coach Loree Payne. "Taylor has been stepping up and hitting those threes over the past couple weeks so tonight wasn't anything that we haven't grown to expect from her."
 
With the Loggers up 31-28 in the closing minutes of the first half, Jones beat the buzzer for her fourth three-pointer of the half to give the Loggers a six point edge into halftime.
 
Despite numerous challenges from the Wildcats (8-6, 3-3 NWC), the Loggers never trailed in the second half. With 3:04 left in the game and the Loggers up 62-59, Jocelyn Riordan and Val Middleton scored on consecutive possessions to boost the Loggers lead to seven. Riordan finished with a team-high 19 points while Middleton finished with four points.
 
A late three from Gretchen Owens cut the lead to four but Kelsey McKinnis nailed a free throw followed by Jones icing the Wildcats comeback attempts with two more free throws. Owens scored a game-high 20 points for the Wildcats.
 
As a team, the Loggers shot 52.1 percent and 47.4 percent beyond the arc. The Wildcats did all they could to keep pace but shot 41.5 percent from the floor and just 23.1 percent in three-point attempts.
 
"This conference is a tough conference. You really have to come ready to play and have to bring it every night. Right now we are getting the big stops when need to and hitting the big shots when we need to."
 
The Loggers return home for the first time in nearly one month to host George Fox on Friday at 6 p.m. in a battle of first-place teams. Lewis & Clark, who is the third team in a tie for first, will also visit Memorial Fieldhouse on Saturday at 6 p.m.