Feb. 6, 2007

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Lutes Play Must-Win Games Against the Whits

THIS WEEK: Pacific Lutheran hosts Whitman, Friday, 6 p.m.; hosts Whitworth, Saturday, 4 p.m.

REMAINING GAMES MUST WINS: With four games remaining in the regular season, Pacific Lutheran’s drive toward a Northwest Conference playoff spot reaches the do-or-die stage. After last week's 67-60 loss at Puget Sound and 58-54 home defeat to Lewis & Clark, the Lutes are now 6-6 in the conference and have dropped into a fifth-place tie with Linfield, one game behind third place Whitworth and Lewis & Clark, which both have 7-5 NWC records. The Lutes are out of the running for the NWC regular season title, but still have a chance to make the NWC tournament. This week's games against Whitman and Whitworth are both must wins if the Lutes are to advance into the postseason. The Northwest Conference tournament is set for Feb. 22 and 24. The second place finisher during the regular season hosts the third place team on Feb. 22, and the winner of that earns a trip to the home court of the regular season winner on Feb. 24. The victor there earns the NWC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national playoffs that start the following week.

PLEASE NOTE THE TIME: Saturday's starting time against Whitworth is moved up to 4 p.m., two hours ahead of the usual starting time. The earlier start allows the Whitworth teams to make the trek back to Spokane a couple of hours earlier.

LAST MEETINGS WITH THE WHITS: The Lutes don’t have fond memories of the Whits this season. In January, when the Lutes traveled to eastern Washington to take on Whitman and Whitworth, they came back empty handed after dropping both contests. In the Whitman game the Lutes were never close with Whitman racing out to a 17-6 lead eight minutes into the first half, and going into the halftime with a 25-20 advantage. The Missionaries scored the first six points of the second half and maintained a lead of no fewer than eight points the rest of the way and won by a final score of 63-52. Nikki Johnson paced Pacific Lutheran with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Whitworth match was closer with the Lutes losing by only three points, 63-60. The Lutes were in control early, taking a 31-27 halftime lead behind eight points from Johnson. The Lutes led 40-31 early in the second half but Alida Bower sparked a 14-3 run that put the Pirates on top, 45-43. Bower had eight points during the run, including two three-pointers. There were five ties and four lead changes over the final nine minutes before a Susan McDaniel jumper gave the Pirates the lead for good at 61-60.

LUTES GET SWEPT: Last Tuesday, Puget Sound outscored visiting Pacific Lutheran 20-8 in the final six minutes to garner a 67-60 Northwest Conference victory at Memorial Fieldhouse. The Lutes held a 52-47 lead with about six minutes to play when Allison Craven buried a three-point shot that sent the Loggers on their game-closing 20-8 run. Nikki Johnson finished the game with 26 points on 11-of-22 shooting. She also had 10 rebounds as the Lutes won that statistical battle, 38-35. Unfortunately, the Lutes shot just 30 percent in the second half, leading to the defeat. Friday night the Lutes fell to another NWC foe, Lewis & Clark, 58-54. The game saw poor shooting by both teams with neither side able to shoot over 35 percent from the field. The Pioneers led after the first half, 27-20, but the Lutes caught up in the second half and stayed close. PLU was on top near the end of the game but in the final five minutes the Pioneers went on an 8-0 run to put them up 56-51 with under a minute to go in the game. Clutch free throws by Sarah Moon put Lewis & Clark up by four with 12 seconds left to seal the victory.

CLOSING IN ON 200: Head coach Gil Rigell is six wins away from the 200-win mark in what is now his 10th season at Pacific Lutheran. Entering this weekend’s action, Rigell has a 194-66 record (.746 winning percentage).

LUTES ON THE AIR: Selected Pacific Lutheran women’s basketball games can be heard in the Tacoma area on KLAY 1180 AM, or on the worldwide web at http://www.klay1180.com. Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Robertson calls the action for both PLU women’s and men’s basketball games.

- PLU -