Jan. 3, 2007

Krauel Leads Balanced Attack as Loggers Defeat Lutes, 108-96

Game Statistics

Josh Dressler - 31 points

Landon Heidenreich - 16 points, 12 assists

TACOMA, Wash. – Robert Krauel scored 26 points to lead a balance scoring attack as the visiting Puget Sound Loggers defeated the Pacific Lutheran Lutes, 108-96, in a Northwest Conference men’s basketball game played Wednesday night in Olson Auditorium.

Krauel, a 6-4 sophomore forward from Phoenix, Ariz., tallied 20 of his points in the second half as the defending conference champion Loggers improved their overall record to 10-1 and their Northwest Conference mark to 3-0. With the loss, Pacific Lutheran falls to 5-5 overall and 2-1 in the conference.

Pacific Lutheran started the game with a 10-2 burst, but the Loggers eventually took their first lead of the game, 21-20, at the 12:13 mark on a three-point field goal by Jason Foster. The Lutes battled back and regained the lead at 41-40 on a three-pointer by Landon Heidenreich with 5:15 left in the half, but once the Loggers regained the lead at 43-41 on a jumper by Antwan Williams, they never again trailed.

Leading 49-46 at the break, Puget Sound scored the first six points of the second half to take a 55-46 lead. Pacific Lutheran whittled the deficit to five points with 16:11 left to play, but it never got closer the rest of the way. The Loggers took their biggest lead, 91-75, on Ryan DeLong’s layup with 8:14 on the clock, and they led by at least seven points the rest of the way. Foster put an emphatic finish on the Puget Sound victory when he dunked the ball for the final two points with 10.6 seconds remaining.

PLU sophomore guard Josh Dressler took scoring honors with 31 points, including 18 in the first half. Heidenreich finished the game with 16 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds for the Lutes, who also got 15 points and eight rebounds from Jared Brandeberry, 13 points and nine rebounds from Scott McDaniels, and 12 points from Josh Vanlandingham. The Lutes made 51 percent of their field goal attempts and also grabbed 47 rebounds to just 29 for Puget Sound, but they turned the ball over 30 times.

Joining Krauel in double figures for the Loggers with 20 points was Williams, who hit 9-of-13 from the field in leading Puget Sound to 55 percent shooting. Foster added 19 points for UPS, followed by Taylor Marsh with 14, James Pinkney with 11 and DeLong with 10. Krauel led the Loggers in rebounding with eight.

Pacific Lutheran returns to action on Friday when it travels to Portland, Ore., to take on the Lewis & Clark Pioneers in a Northwest Conference game. Puget Sound plays again on Saturday night when it travels to Forest Grove, Ore., to battle Pacific.

- PLU -