It was a season for the ages for the Linfield men’s basketball team.
Whitman dealt the Wildcats a 85-70 loss in the Northwest Conference Tournament semifinals at Ted Wilson Gymnasium in late February, but it hardly dampened all that the team accomplished.
Linfield finished with a 20-6 record, the most successful season in almost two decades. The Wildcats earned a share of the NWC regular season championship, their first since 2001 and the 25th in program history.
On an individual basis, guard Dempsey Roggenbuck ’21 earned All-Northwest Conference first team honors after averaging a team-high 18 points per game.
He was also a D3hoops.com All-West Region third-team honoree, the first Linfield player to reap such recognition since 2011-12.
Forward Tanner Autencio ’20 (league-high 4.6 assists per game) and center Austin Hilton ’20 (team-high 6.9 rebounds per game) were selected to the All-Northwest Conference second team. Those two, as well as Grant Gibb ’20 and Aidan Phizackerley ’20, helped the Wildcats improve their record during each year of their time on campus.
“There are so many things to be grateful for with this team, but for our seniors, it was an amazing way for them to finish their careers here — setting records and creating historical heights for our program,” coach Shanan Rosenberg said. “I will always remember this team and all they have meant to me and Linfield College. I couldn’t be more proud.”
