PARKLAND – California Lutheran used an early second-half run to pull ahead by double-digits as the Regals handed the Pacific Lutheran women's basketball team a 78-64 nonconference defeat Sunday afternoon at Names Family Court.

Pacific Lutheran falls to 3-6 overall with the loss, while California Lutheran improves to 4-4. The Lutes open Northwest Conference play Jan. 2 with a 6 p.m. home game against Pacific.

Bailey Raines led PLU with 13 points and made three of her five shot attempts from three-point range. Lacey Nicholson added eight points and a team-best seven rebounds in the loss. Jessica Salottolo made 10 of her 12 shots to score a game-high 23 for the Regals, while Taylor Messick shot 9-of-11 and posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Both teams struggled shooting early, but the CLU offense found its rhythm first and built a 15-point lead at 22-7 midway through the first half. Nicholson responded with a jumper to spark the PLU offense, which used an 11-2 run to pull within six. The Lutes drew as close as four points back in the final minute of the opening period before a CLU free throw gave the visitors a 32-27 halftime lead.

The Regals came out strong to open the second half, using a 14-3 run to push their lead up to 16 points less than four minutes into the period. They eventually stretched their lead to as many as 23 points with four minutes remaining in the game, but the Lutes score 16 of the final 23 points to close out the day back 14.

California Lutheran held a 32-12 advantage on points in the paint and out-rebounded Pacific Lutheran 49-40. The Regals finished the game shooting 48.6 percent from the field (34-of-70), including 6-of-13 from three-point range, while PLU shot 35.5 percent overall (22-of-62) and 4-of-13 from long distance.