Feb. 17, 2007

Seniors Lead Lutes Past Pacific, 68-50, in Finale

Game Statistics

Nikki Johnson - 20 points in finale

Kezia Long - finishes with double-double

FOREST GROVE, Ore. - Pacific Lutheran used a steady shooting performance and a 20-point effort from Nikki Johnson to knock off Pacific, 68-50, in the Northwest Conference women's basketball season finale for both teams Saturday at the Pacific Athletic Center.

The Lutes (13-11, 8-8 NWC) put together a balanced effort where they shot 42 percent in both halves and finished at 42 percent (31-74) for the game. The Boxers (8-17, 2-14 NWC) once again found themselves suffering a poor shooting performance, making only six field goals in the opening 20 minutes and finished shooting 32 percent (18-56) for the game.

Pacific Lutheran's two seniors had big nights in their final game. Johnson paced the Lutes with 20 points, connecting on 9-of-21 from the field, while Kezia Long finished with a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Trisha Terhar led the Boxers in her final game in a Pacific uniform, scoring 10 to go along with six rebounds and two steals.

The two teams traded leads four times in the first eight minutes before Pacific Lutheran built their first sizeable lead, going ahead six points on Johnson's lay-in at the 9:04 mark. Zarkovich responded with four straight points to bring Pacific within 14-12 with eight minutes left in the first half.

It was the Lutes' stanza from there, however, as they outscored the Boxers 19-9 over the final eight minutes. Pacific was within four points after a Terhar three-pointer, but the Lutes closed out the half with eight unanswered points, capped by treys from Johnson and Megan Clarno, for a 33-21 halftime lead.

PLU made their first three shots in the second half to build a 16-point lead, 39-23. Pacific would cut the advantage to 11 points, 43-32, on Terhar's jumper at the 14:28 mark, but the Boxers could get no closer. The Lutes built a 20-point lead on a Trish Buckingham lay-in with 7:06 left, and realized their biggest lead of 21 on Long¹s lay-in with just over a minute
remaining.

With the victory, the Lutes finish tied for Whitworth for fifth place in the NWC standings. The Boxers finished ninth in the NWC standings after dropping their last five conference games.

(Courtesy Pacific Sports Information Office)