Jan. 19, 2008

Dressler Leads Second Half Rally as Lutes Beat Whitman, 93-84

Box Score

Josh Dressler - 26 points

Norman Edwards - 11 points

PARKLAND, Wash. - Josh Dressler scored 20 of his game-high 26 points in the second half as Pacific Lutheran rallied past Whitman, 93-84, in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game played Saturday night in Olson Auditorium.

Whitman (3-10 overall, 0-6 NWC) took advantage of the sluggish Lutes (8-6, 4-2) in the first half, building a 31-18 lead at the 6:19 mark on Chris Faidley's three-point basket. The Lutes narrowed their deficit to eight points at the half, 40-32, and four minutes into the final period they started to close on the Missionaries.

Trailing 50-40 with 16:20 remaining in the game, Pacific Lutheran put together a 14-4 run, capped by Dressler's three-point field goal, to tie the game at 54-54 with 12:44 on the clock. Pacific Lutheran finally took the lead for good at 71-69 on Dressler's steal and layup with 7:16 remaining.

Jared Brandeberry, who scored 15 of his 18 points in the second period, put the nail in Whitman's coffin when he nailed a long three-point shot to give the Lutes an 83-74 lead with 1:36 remaining. From that point, the teams traded points and the Lutes had their fourth win in six conference games.

Pacific Lutheran ended up scoring 61 points in the second half, which is only its second best offensive output in a single half this season. In a victory at Lewis & Clark during the first weekend of conference play, the Lutes tallied a school record 68 points in the second half. In addition to Dressler and Brandeberry scoring in bunches, Gabe Smith tallied all 10 of his points during the period. Scott McDaniels scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Lutes, while Norman Edwards, Jr. had his best game as a Lute, scoring 11 points and grabbing five boards. Landon Heidenreich finished the game with 10 assists for PLU.

Jordan Wheeler poured in 25 points to lead Whitman while Faidley, the NWC's leading scorer, tallied his season average of 23 points. He finished one assist from a triple-double as he recorded 10 rebounds and nine assists.

- PLU -