Jan. 12, 2008

McDaniels, Lutes Run Away from Willamette, 106-88

Box Score

Scott McDaniels - another 27 points

PARKLAND, Wash. – Scott McDaniels continued to light up the scoring column for Pacific Lutheran, pouring in 27 points to lead the Lutes to a 106-88 Northwest Conference men's basketball victory Saturday over the Willamette Bearcats at Olson Auditorium.

McDaniels, who set a PLU single-game record with 18 field goals while scoring 41 points in a Tuesday night loss to Puget Sound, made 9-of-15 shots from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line against Willamette as the Lutes improved their overall record to 7-5 and their conference mark to 3-1. McDaniels has scored 97 points in the past three PLU contests. Willamette is now 4-9 overall and 2-2 in conference action.

With four different players making baskets, the Lutes raced out to a 9-0 lead before the Bearcats were finally able to take their first lead of the game at 27-25 on Mike Smith’s three-point field goal with 10:59 left in the opening half. Smith, who finished the game with 20 points, scored 10 points during Willamette’s run.

The two teams traded points until Curtis Trondsen nailed a three-point shot at the 6:55 mark to put the Lutes in front for good at 37-35. PLU led by as much as 13 points in the opening period and settled for a 54-45 advantage at the intermission.

Josh Dressler, who poured in 24 points for PLU, opened the second half with one of his five three-point field goals, giving the Lutes a 12-point bulge. Willamette got its deficit down to 65-56 on Simon Currie’s three-pointer five minutes into the second period, but the Lutes again got the lead to double figures and kept it there. PLU’s biggest advantage came on the game’s final basket, a layup by Dressler with 57 seconds remaining.

The Lutes made 36-of-62 shots from the field, a 58 percent clip, and they were 12-of-23 from beyond the arc, good for 52 percent. Willamette had similar shooting success, hitting 35-of-64 from the floor for 55 percent and 11-of-22 from long range, or 50 percent.

A total of six PLU players scored in double figures. Joining McDaniels and Dressler in that category were Kyle MacTaggart with 18, Trondsen and Landon Heidenreich with 11 each and Gabe Smith with 10. Heidenreich, PLU’s senior point guard, led the Lutes with eight rebounds and seven assists.

For the Bearcats, Kyler McClary scored 22 followed by Smith with 20, Corey Constantino with 15 and Tain Cantrell with 10. Cantrell also had a team-best six rebounds for the Bearcats.

- PLU -