Feb. 12, 2008

Lutes Travel East on Last Road Trip to Tackle the Whits

THIS WEEK: The Pacific Lutheran women’s basketball team (10-11, 4-8 NWC) takes on Whitworth Friday at 6 p.m. in Spokane. Saturday the Lutes battle Whitman at 6 p.m. in Walla Walla.

ABOUT WHITWORTH: The Pirates (11-10, 6-6 NWC) are currently in fifth place in the Northwest Conference. Whitworth continues to flourish offensively, especially from three-point range. Whitworth is second in the Northwest Conference in team three-point percentage (.357) and leads in three-pointers made per game (7.05, 11th NCAA Div. III). In addition, the Pirates are near the top in team free throw percentage (.718) and get to the free throw line more than any other team in the conference (21.3 attempts per game). Those numbers allow Whitworth to lead the NWC in scoring offense this season (68.4 ppg). Individually Natalie Orrell is second on the team with a 12.7 scoring average this season. All-NWC forward Alida Bower, who went down earlier this season with a knee injury, has returned to average 13.2 points per game to lead the team in scoring. She has made 39.4% of her three-point tries and ranks second in the NWC in three-pointers made per game (2.4). Bower is also the Pirates' leader in rebounds (5.9 per game) and steals (1.53) this season.

ALL TIME SERIES: Since 1981 the Lutes and Pirates have met on 50 different occasions. PLU has the edge in the series winning 29 of those meetings while Whitworth has won 21 times. The Lutes are currently on a two game win streak including a win over the Pirates earlier this season when PLU beat Whitworth, 81-64, in Parkland.

ABOUT WHITMAN: Whitman (13-8, 7-5 NWC) is currently in a battle with Lewis & Clark for the third and final spot in the Northwest Conference tourney. The Missionaries are a game behind the Pioneers who sit at 8-4. Kelsey Krumdieck is the top scorer for Whitman averaging just over 10 points a game. Emily Shubin ranks third in the NWC in rebounding averaging 7.9 boards an outing.

ALL TIME SERIES: PLU leads the all time series against Whitman 29-to-22, dating back to 1981. The Lutes beat the Missionaries earlier this season, 65-52, in Parkland.

Kyle Haag

NATIONAL RANKINGS: Senior Kyle Haag continues to rank in the top of the NCAA Division III in three point field goals per game. Haag is ranked second in the nation in three pointers a game averaging 3.3 long balls, only behind Jane O’Donnell of Washington Univ. who is averaging 3.5 threes a game. Haag is also ranked 27th in the nation in three point field goal percentage with a 40.4 average this season.

THE RECORD BOOK: Last weekend Kyle Haag set the PLU record for three point field goals attempted in a season. Haag has attempted 163 three pointers this season, easily surpassing Kelly Turner’s old school record of 157 set in 2005-06. Haag is also closing in on the school record for three point field goals made in a season. With 65 three pointers made this season Haag only needs three more to surpass the school record of 67 in a season, set by Kelly Turner in 2005-06. With four more games this year it is likely that Haag, who averages over three long balls a game, will exceed Turners mark.

UPS PULLS AWAY LATE: In a game that was closer than the final score indicates, the University of Puget Sound heated up late and defeated Pacific Lutheran, 75-54, in a Northwest Conference women’s basketball game last Tuesday night in Olson Auditorium. The Loggers held a one-point lead with seven minutes left in the game but were able to go on two separate 10-0 runs. Marissa Crain scored 14 of her career-high 28 points in the final five and a half minutes of the game. The first half was a closely fought battle with neither team leading by more than five points. A layup by Cain put the Loggers up early, 11-7. Later, the Lutes were able to jump out in front when Kyle Haag made a three-pointer to pull PLU ahead, 23-19. The two teams were tied at 30 before PLU pulled ahead and took a 35 -33 lead going into the locker room. In the first half, Puget Sound grabbed 11 offensive rebounds compared to one for PLU, but the Loggers were unable to turn their second chances into points as they shot 12-for-34 (35.3 percent) from the field. Meanwhile, PLU shot the lights out in the first half, making 15 of their 24 shots (62.6 percent). Haag shot 4-for-5 from behind the arc in first period. The second half saw a whole different Loggers team. UPS shot 64.3 percent (18-for-28) in the second period, including 6-for-9 from three point range. PLU on the other hand did not equal its offensive output in the first half and only shot 31.8 percent (7-for-22) in the second half. PLU kept the game close for much of the second period but UPS caught fire in the closing minutes. The Loggers made 11 of their last 15 field goals while the Lutes committed five turnovers in the last six minutes of the game. Trinity Gibbons and Kyle Haag both scored 16 points for the Lutes. Emily Voorhies added eight points and grabbed five rebounds.

WILLAMETTE TOPS PLU: Laura Payne hit a three-pointer with 1:52 remaining to tie the game, then swished another with 47 seconds left, sending Willamette University to a 60-57 victory over visiting Pacific Lutheran University last Saturday at Cone Field House. Willamette trailed 57-54 before Payne's long-range heroics. Payne finished the game with 16 points on 6-for-13 shooting (4-for-8 on threes). Pacific Lutheran was led by Emily Voorhies who scored 18 points and hauled down eight boards. Trinity Gibbons provided 16 points and 16 rebounds for PLU. The Lutes missed a jumper with 26 seconds left, a foul shot with 23 seconds to go and a three-pointer with two seconds on the clock. Gibbons grabbed the rebound off Kyle Haag's three-point miss and shot again just after the buzzer sounded. The first half included two ties and 10 lead changes. Willamette trailed 21-20 after a jumper by Trish Buckingham with 5:03 left in the period, but the Bearcats put together an 8-2 run to claim a 28-23 advantage at the 2:11 mark. PLU closed the half with a 4-0 run to pull within 28-27 at the break. Buckingham scored on a jumper with 39 seconds left and Trinity Gibbons provided the Lutes with a lengthy two-point basket at the buzzer. The Bearcats trailed 39-32 several minutes into the second half, but rallied with an 8-0 surge. Payne hit a 3-pointer with 12:45 left to finish the run.

- PLU -