Dec. 5, 2006

MEN’S BASKETBALL: PLU Men Off to Best Start in 16 Years

THIS WEEK: The Lutes will travel to Portland on Thursday, Dec. 7 to take on the NCAA Division I Portland State Vikings. Tip off is at 7:05 p.m. at PSU’s Stott Center. The following night, Dec. 8, PLU will travel north to play Northwest University in Kirkland. The game will begin at 7:30 p.m.

THE OPPONENTS: The Lutes are done with Northwest Conference games until Jan. 3 when the Puget Sound Loggers visit Olson Auditorium. Next up is a trip to Oregon to take on Portland State University. The Vikings play in the Big Sky Conference and host PLU with a 5-3 overall record for the season. PSU is coming off a 71-69 comeback victory on Saturday against Utah Valley State. Junior center Scott Morrison leads the Vikings in scoring with a 14.3 average, and he also averages 7.5 rebounds a game. The schools’ men’s basketball programs have met three times over the years with the Pacific Lutheran winning all three games. Pacific Lutheran beat Portland State, 54-42, during the 1959-60 season, and 78-55 during the 1961-62 campaign. The last time the Lutes and Vikings played was on Dec. 8, 1967, with then-Pacific Lutheran College taking a 100-97 victory. PLU follows the PSU game with a road trip to Kirkland, Wash., to play the Northwest Eagles. The Eagles have already played 11 games this season, are 8-3 overall and currently ranked No. 13 in the NAIA. Senior forward Aaron Sawyer, who averages 6.7 rebounds and 16.2 points a game, leads the Eagles. The Lutes lead the all-time series, 7-1, but Northwest beat the Lutes last season, 99-88, in Kirkland.

LUTES SWEEP CONFERENCE FOES: The last time a PLU men’s basketball team started 4-0 was in the 1990-91 season. This year’s squad has matched that mark as the Lutes improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Northwest Conference with victories over the Linfield Wildcats on Friday and the Willamette Bearcats on Saturday. Friday night was the home opener, as well as the Northwest Conference opener, for PLU. The Lutes felt right at home in Olson Auditorium as they trapped the Wildcats in a corner with an 85-79 victory. PLU scored the first basket and never looked back. The Lutes used a stifling and relentless defense early to build a 19-6 lead at the 10:19 mark. PLU went on to lead by as much as 21 points, 33-12, on a lay up by Josh Vanlandingham (Snohomish, Wash. / Everett CC), with 2:23 left in the half. At halftime PLU held a 37-23 lead. In the second half the Lutes led by as much as 23 points and held on to their double-digit lead until Linfield’s Evan Timperly hit a three for the Wildcats to put the score at 71-64 with 1:48 remaining. It wasn’t enough, though, as Landon Heidenreich (Vancouver, Wash. / Skyview HS) hit a lay up with 16 seconds remaining put the Lutes back up by nine. Sophomore guard Josh Dressler (Vancouver, Wash. / Portland Lutheran HS) led the way for the Lutes, scoring 24 points in 31 minutes of action. Jared Brandeberry (Cashmere, Wash. / Wenatchee Valley CC) had a big game for PLU, too, dropping in 15 points, dishing out three assists, and grabbing 13 rebounds for the victorious Lutes. Junior post Scott McDaniels (Sammamish, Wash. / Eastlake HS) came off the bench and chipped in six points and grabbed nine boards in 22 minutes. Heidenreich ended up with 10 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. The Lutes continued to roll the following night with a key victory over the Bearcats. After a first half that saw eight leads changes and seven ties, the Lutes went into the halftime intermission with a 44-40 lead. Brandeberry already had 10 points in only nine first half minutes. Once the second half started, the Wenatchee native combined forces with junior point guard Heidenreich to help the Lutes build a nine-point lead on several occasions, the latest coming with 5:02 remaining when Brandeberry buried his second straight three-point basket to put PLU ahead, 75-66. Willamette closed to within two points, 77-75, with 2:23 remaining in the game, but PLU rallied with fast break points and key free throws to finish the Bearcats. Brandeberry led the Lutes with 25 points while also notching five rebounds and three assists, including a crowd-pleasing no-look pass leading to a Heidenreich layup with just under four minutes to play. Heidenreich played all 40 minutes for the Lutes, scoring 17 points and chipping in with seven rebounds and seven assists. McDaniels came off the bench for 13 points and seven rebounds, while Vanlandingham had 16 points and Dressler 10.

CONFERENCE HONORS BRANDEBERRY: Junior forward Jared Brandeberry, who has been a huge part of the Lutes’ early season success, earned Northwest Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week honors after leading the Lutes to a 2-0 start in Northwest Conference play. Brandeberry had 15 points and 13 rebounds against Linfield and 25 points and five rebounds versus Willamette. For the season, Brandeberry is second on the team in scoring (16.8 ppg) and tied for second in rebounding (7.5 rpg). He is shooting 65 percent from the field, including 60 percent (9-of-15) from three-point range. In the “by-the-way” department, sophomore guard Josh Dressler (Vancouver, Wash. / Portland Lutheran HS) leads the Lutes in scoring (18.0 ppg) and junior post Scott McDaniels leads in rebounding (7.8 rpg).

IT’S BEEN AWHILE: Jared Brandeberry is the first PLU men’s basketball player to earn the NWC Player of the Week award since guard Parker Barth and forward Neil Mendez won back-to-back awards during the 2000-01 season. Barth was honored Dec. 17, 2000, and Mendez earned the recognition on Jan. 7, 2001.

HEIDENREICH OFF TO FAST START: The Lutes have benefited greatly from Landon Heidenreich’s fast start. The three-year starting point guard is averaging 13.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game while playing 37 minutes per contest.

LUTES WINNING CLOSE GAMES: In recent seasons, the Lutes have struggled winning close games. That doesn’t seem to be the case this year, however, as PLU has recorded a trio of six-point victories to go along with a five-point win.

LUTES ON THE AIR: The next Pacific Lutheran men’s basketball radio broadcast is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 12, when the Lutes play Whitman in Walla Walla. PLU is proud to have Hall of Fame sports broadcaster Bob Robertson call Lute women’s and men’s basketball contests. Lute fans can hear the Portland State game on the Vikings’ broadcast; go to www.931fmktro.com.

PLAYER QUOTE: “He (head coach Steve Dickerson) prides himself on defense and lets us play offensively,” said Jared Brandeberry. “It makes it a lot easier and much more fun and relaxing.”

- PLU -