by Joe Rayburn, Sports Information Student Assistant
PARKLAND – Lewis & Clark shot 10-of-19 from downtown and held the lead throughout the second half to defeat Pacific Lutheran 78-68 in Northwest Conference men's basketball action Saturday night at Names Family Court.
The Lutes fell to 4-7 overall and 1-1 in conference play, while the visiting Pios improved to 8-3 overall and 1-1 in the NWC. Pacific Lutheran will prepare for two away games next week, traveling to Spokane and Walla Walla to face Whitworth and Whitman.
Daniel Landram paced the PLU offense with 17 points, while Bryce Miller added 15 points and two rebounds and Arvid Isaksen registered 10 points and seven rebounds. Kevin McCrossin also scored 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range.
Quentin Sims was on fire throughout the game for Lewis & Clark, making six of his seven shot attempts – including 5-of-6 from long range – to total 17 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds. Kurt Parker added 14 points, and Randall Jackson finished with 12.
Lewis & Clark jumped out to a 14-6 lead after a Parker score at the 13:06-mark, but the Lutes answered with a 15-3 run in the next six minutes to take the lead at 21-17. The lead did not last long, however, as a Parker three-pointer tied the game up at 25, and the Pios surged forward to take a narrow 38-32 lead heading into halftime.
Miller opened the second half with a layup and Landram followed with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to a point at 38-37, but a 10-3 run in three minutes helped give the Pioneers separation moving further into the second half. While the Lutes hung within 10 the rest of the way, the Pioneers never allowed PLU to pull closer than six back during the final 10 minutes of play.
Lewis & Clark finished the game with a 52.1 overall shooting percentage (25-of-48), including 10-of-19 from beyond the arc. The Lutes also had an impressive showing from long range (7-of-14 for 50 percent), but PLU made only two more buckets than the Pioneers overall despite attempting 16 more shots in the game (42.2 percent on 27-of-64 shooting). The biggest advantage for LC came at the free throw line, where the Pioneers attempted 28 shots (making 18), while PLU only attempted 11 shots (making seven).
