TACOMA - Pacific Lutheran dug itself a deep hole early in the
second half and despite a spirited comeback could not overcome a
20-point deficit in falling to the Puget Sound Loggers, 61-54, in a
Northwest Conference women's basketball game played Wednesday night
in Memorial Fieldhouse.
PLU, which missed nine of its first 10 shots in falling behind
16-4 in the opening minutes of the game, hit eight of its next
12 shots to pull within seven points at the half, 27-20. But
just like the first half, the Loggers started the
final period on a strong note while the Lutes struggled. Puget
Sound (10-2 overall, 2-1 NWC) ran off the first 13 points of
the second period to take a 40-20 lead. At that point, it looked
like the Loggers were well on the way to their 10th win in the last
13 games against PLU.
The Lutes (3-9, 1-2) would have none of it, repeatedly going
down low to Tracy Goehri to get back into the game in the late
going. The 6-0 senior post from Spokane finished the game with 24
points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field. After scoring just four
points in the opening half, Goehri torched the interior of the
Puget Sound defense for 20 of the Lutes' 34 second-half points.
The Lutes trailed by 16 points with 4:41 remaining when Mandy Wall hit a pair of charity tosses to start the furious rally.
Goehri hit three straight baskets, Melissa Pixler buried a
three-point shot, and Goehri added three more field goals, the
final one cutting the Lutes' deficit to 58-54 with 24 seconds
remaining.
Puget Sound put the game away on Lindsay Layland's three-point
play with 15 seconds left.
Goehri was PLU's only player to score in double figures, while
Pixler and Sara Backstrom both contributed seven points. Backstrom,
a 5-5 sophomore guard, led the Lutes with six rebounds and five
assists. The Lutes shot 40 percent from the field (23-of-58) but
made just 18 percent (2-of-11) from three-point range.
Claire Ely, Puget Sound's all-conference guard, tied Goehri for
game-high honors with 24 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field
and 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. Jocelyn Riordan added 16
points and Layland contributed 10 points. Natasha Ludwig had a
game-high nine rebounds as the Loggers won that battle, 39-33. UPS
shot 38 percent from the field (20-of-53) and 25 percent from the
outside (4-of-16).
Puget Sound was 17-of-20 at the foul line compared to just
6-of-8 for the Lutes.
Pacific Lutheran returns to Northwest Conference action at 6
p.m. Saturday when it hosts the Lewis & Clark Pioneers in Olson
Auditorium.
- PLU -
