Nov. 18, 2006

PLU Wins as Late Rally Goes Long’s Way

Game Statistics

Kezia Long - leads PLU rally

TACOMA, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran outscored Oglethorpe 12-2 over the final 5:52 of the game to pull out an exciting 73-70 women’s basketball victory on Saturday afternoon at the UPS Tip-Off Classic.

The Lutes, ranked No. 16 in the D3hoops.com Division III national poll, trailed 68-60 after Anna Findley nailed Oglethorpe’s 10th three-point field goal of the game with just under six minutes left. PLU senior post Kezia Long then took the game into her own hands, scoring eight of the Lutes’ final 12 points. Then with three seconds left she blocked a potential game-tying three-pointer as the Lutes wrapped up their second win in as many games this year. With the loss, the visitors from Atlanta fall to 0-2 for the season.

Long’s jumper in the lane tied the score at 68-68 with 3:40 remaining, and Megan Clarno hit a layup with 2:15 remaining to put the Lutes ahead by two points. After Erin Flynn hit a pair of foul shots to knot the score at 70, Long knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:23 remaining. Trinity Gibbons hit one of two charity tosses to give the Lutes a 73-70 lead with 14 seconds left, and Long assured the win by stepping out to block a three-pointer by Biz Richman.

Long finished with 20 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. After missing her first four shots she made seven of her final 10 attempts. For the second straight game, Nikki Johnson led the Lutes, this time scoring 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field. Like Long, Johnson had her second consecutive double-double with 12 rebounds. Clarno, who scored 13 points in PLU’s season-opening win over Cal Lutheran on Friday, chipped in with 16 points against Oglethorpe.

Oglethorpe stayed in the game by hitting 10-of-19 from three-point range, including a trio of three-pointers each from Flynn and Findley. Flynn led the Stormy Petrels with 15 points, while Findley and Tina Grace added 10 apiece. Richman scored nine points and led Oglethorpe with 10 rebounds.

The game featured a number of runs as Oglethorpe raced to an 8-3 lead, only to see the Lutes score 18 of the next 24 points. After the Stormy Petrels regained the lead, the Lutes responded with another run and took a 40-33 lead into the locker room.

Oglethorpe came out and scored the first eight points of the half and eventually built an eight-point advantage, the last coming at 68-60. That’s when Lutes rallied behind Long, hitting key shots and forcing the Stormy Petrels into five missed shots and four turnovers in their last 10 possessions of the game.

Johnson earned Tip-Off Classic Most Valuable Player honors but was the only Lute player named to the all-tournament team.

- PLU -