WALLA WALLA - Pacific Lutheran scored just 15 points on 22 percent shooting in the first half and never recovered Friday night, losing to Whitman, 64-42, in a Northwest Conference women's basketball game played in Sherwood Center.

With the win, Whitman improved to 11-9 overall and to 7-4 in the conference, good for a share of third place. Pacific Lutheran is now 6-14 overall and 3-8 in the league.

Whitman built a 16-6 lead just 6 1/2 minutes into the game and was never headed. By that point in the game, Katelyn Smith was the only PLU player to score a point. Samantha Potter was the next Pacific Lutheran player to score, but her jumper halfway through the first half only got the Lutes to within 21-8.

The Lutes trailed 34-15 at intermission and at that point only Potter and Smith had dented the scoring column, Smith with the team's first six points and Potter with the next nine. PLU shot just 6-for-27 in the opening half, including 0-for-16 combined for every player not named Smith or Potter.

Whitman, which led by as many as 23 points in the opening half, avoided any second half suspense by not letting the Lutes within 17 points in the second period. It's biggest lead came at 27 points, 64-37, with 2:20 left in the game.

Potter sparked the Lutes with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Shelly Kilcup added nine points for the Lutes, while Smith chipped in eight points and five rebounds.

Jenele Peterson, who leads the NWC in assists, paced the Missionary offense with 12 points and seven assists in limited minutes. Tiffani Traver added 11 points and Anna Forge came off the bench for 10 points and nine rebounds. Meghan White grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Missionaries to a big 48-28 advantage in that category.

Whitman shot 45.2 percent from the floor and moved the ball to the tune of 21 assists on 28 baskets. Pacific Lutheran, meanwhile, shut just 27.5 percent (14-for-51)

The Lutes are back in action at 4 p.m. Saturday when they play the Whitworth Pirates in Spokane.

- PLU -