Dec. 19, 2006

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Johnson Ties Record in PLU Victory

THIS WEEK: Pacific Lutheran at Concordia-Portland, Dec. 27, 5 p.m.; PLU Classic, Dec. 29, 5 p.m.; PLU Classic, Dec. 30, 3 p.m.

JOHNSON GOES OFF, TIES SCHOOL RECORD: Senior wing Nikki Johnson (Tenino, Wash. / Centralia CC) tied one school record and came close to another in leading the Lutes to an 84-47 non-conference women's basketball victory over visiting Northwest University on Saturday night. Johnson made 13-of-17 field goal attempts, tying the school record for field goals in a game first set by Kris Kallestad on Feb. 2, 1987 and later tied by Kim Corbray on Jan. 24, 1998. Johnson scored a PLU career-high 32 points in the win. Tanya Wilson set the PLU record of 36 points against Whitman on Jan. 28, 1995.

MORE ON NORTHWEST: PLU senior post Kezia Long (Federal Way, Wash. / Thomas Jefferson HS) also had a strong game against Northwest with 20 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 8-of-12 shots from the field and 4-of-5 from the foul stripe. Long and Johnson led the Lutes to a 46-35 rebound advantage in the game.

CHRISTMAS BREAK…AND BACK AGAIN: After wrapping up practice on Tuesday, the Lutes will take the rest of the week off for the Christmas break. The players return to the campus on Dec. 26 and will prepare for their fourth consecutive non-conference game, this one scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27, at Concordia-Portland. On Friday and Saturday, the Lutes will host the PLU Classic, which also includes George Fox, Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Thompson Rivers (from Kamloops, British Columbia). George Fox and Thompson Rivers kick off the event at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by PLU versus Oshkosh. On Saturday, George Fox plays Oshkosh at 3 p.m., followed by the Lutes and Thompson Rivers at 5 p.m. Because Thompson Rivers is from Canada, this game is considered an exhibition.

TICKET PRICES: Tickets for the PLU Classic, priced at $5 for adults and $3 for students, seniors and military personnel, will be available at the door.

LUTE LEADERS: Nikki Johnson has scored in double figures in eight of the Lutes’ nine games, and she has led the Lutes in scoring in each of those eight contests. Johnson has also led the Lutes in rebounding in three games and shared the rebounding leadership with fellow senior Kezia Long in the other. Johnson (16.7 points per game) and Long (10.9) are the only Lutes averaging in double figures. Johnson leads all Northwest Conference players in scoring and also in rebounding (9.2 per game). Long is 10th in scoring and second only to her teammate in rebounding (8.9). Johnson also ranks third among NWC players in steals (2.11 per game).

TOP 25: Pacific Lutheran has again returned to the d3hoops.com Top 25 national poll with the No. 25 ranking. PLU has been up and down in the polls, starting No. 16 in the preseason poll, dropping out for a week, returning at No. 25, dropping out again, and now nudging its way back in at No. 25.

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