Dec. 8, 2007

Lutes Improve to 4-1 With 60-49 Win at Evergreen

Box Score

Meghan Dowling - nine rebounds

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran improved to 4-1 this season with a 60-49 non-conference women's baskeball victory over host Evergreen State on Saturday night.

The Lutes rallied from a 32-28 halftime deficit to give first-year head coach Kelly Warnke her fourth victory. Pacific Lutheran surged past the Geoducks in the first five minutes of the second half as Trinity Gibbons scored seven points during a 14-2 run. Kyle Haag, who led both teams in scoring with 23 points, capped the run with a three-point basket to put the Lutes on top by a 42-34 count with 15 minutes remaining in the contest.

Evergreen would eventually whittle its deficit to two points, 50-48, on a three-point play by Kristi Auckland with 3:32 left to play, but PLU scored the next eight points to ice the win. Gibbons, who scored 15 points to go along with four assists and four steals, scored a pair of baskets during that 8-0 run. Haag closed out the PLU win by hitting four free throws inside the final minute of play.

In addition to the scoring by Haag and Gibbons, Meghan Dowling grabbed a team-best nine rebounds in 13 minutes of action. Pacific Lutheran shot 40 percent from the field and 20 percent from three-point range. Haag made all four of the Lutes' long-range baskets.

Molly Clark scored 13 points to lead the Geoducks, who also got 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds from Jennifer Solberg. The Geoducks hit 36 percent as a team, including 29 percent from three-point range.

With finals scheduled for next week, the Lutes return to competition at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, when they host Concordia (Ore.) in another non-conference game.