MEN’S BASKBETBALL: Lutes Face Tough Road Test Before Home Opener

THIS WEEK: St. Martin’s (2-6) hosts Pacific Lutheran (2-1) Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 7:00 p.m.; Pacific Lutheran hosts Northwest (6-3) Friday, Dec. 7, at 8:00 p.m.

LAST WEEK: PLU's game at Cascade College in Portland, scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 27, was canceled because of an administrative error in scheduling game officials.

LONG LAYOFF: Due to last week’s game cancellation, when the Lutes take the court against St. Martin’s it will mark the first time they have played since they faced Evergreen State on November 20, a layoff of 15 days.

ALMOST HOME: Tomorrow’s game will be the final game of a four-game road stretch to start the season. PLU will play its first home game against Northwest University on Dec. 7, and will only play 10 of its 26 scheduled games at its home court.

FAMILIAR FOE: When Pacific Lutheran tips off against St. Martin’s, it will mark the 112th time the teams have faced each other in a series that dates all the way to 1933. Although PLU’s 68 wins versus the Saints are its third most against any team (following 77 wins against Pacific and 71 against Western Washington), the Lutes are looking to win their first game against the Saints since a 76-72 victory in 1996. Since then, St. Martin’s has won the last two meetings, including a 92-72 win the last time the teams faced each other in 2005.

SWITCHING SIDES: Saint’s head coach Keith Cooper also has history with the Lutes. Cooper served as an assistant coach under Bruce Haroldson in the early 1990’s and earned a Masters degree in Athletic Administration from PLU in 1993.

STREAKY SERIES: The Lute’s will take on a tough opponent Friday in an Eagles team that has dominated the series in recent years. Facing each other for the first time in 1988, the Lutes won the first seven games in the series, ending with a 90-86 win in 2001. The past four match ups have been a different story, however, as the Eagles have come away victorious each time, including a blowout 85-56 win last season.

NORTHWEST VS. NORTHWEST CONFERENCE: Pacific Lutheran will be the fifth Northwest Conference team the Eagles have faced this season. Northwest University is currently 2-2 against the NWC this season, falling to Lewis & Clark on the road and Puget Sound at home and beating Pacific on the road and George Fox at home.

INJURY REPORT: Senior wing Jared Brandeberry will continue to wear a walking boot for the next couple of weeks and is hoping to return to action in January. Freshman post Victor Bull has returned from a severely sprained ankle and should see action in this week’s games.

- PLU –