By Jake Bilyeu, PLU Sports Information Student Writer
TACOMA – The Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team opened the second half of the 2015-16 Northwest Conference season Tuesday night on the road against Puget Sound, falling 70-48 to the cross-town rival Loggers.
While the Lutes came out with a plan to show off their midseason improvements, the Loggers were more than ready to do the same.
"UPS has continued to grow," PLU head coach Jennifer Childress said. "They have greatly improved at getting more people involved in their offense."
Ionna Price and Lacey Nicholson helped the Lutes get started early, scoring the team's first 10 points as the Lutes jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter. A three-minute scoring drought hurt the Lutes, though, as the Loggers worked their way back into the lead and finished the period up 16-12.
After Nicholson scored to make it a two-point game to start the second, the Loggers went on a 12-0 run. The Lutes responded with five straight points courtesy of Nicholson, but the UPS scored the final six points of the quarter to go into halftime with a 36-21 advantage.
"Our turnovers allowed an early momentum run by them," Childress said. "Along with that, their fast break and shooters continued to build confidence."
The two sides traded buckets for the first seven minutes of the third quarter. But after a Kaelyn Voss layup made it 44-31, the Loggers closed out the period with 10 straight points to take a 54-31 advantage into the final period.
The teams played a close final period, with PLU out-scoring Puget Sound 17-16. A 7-2 run by the Lutes in the middle of the quarter, led by 3-pointers by Voss and Madison Green-Hayward, highlighted the quarter for the Lutes.
"We were unable to convert on some shots that could have kept us in the game," Childress said. "Our post presence was the highlight tonight, so we need to keep finding ways to get the ball inside."
Nicholson finished with a team-best 14 points and eight rebounds, while Price added nine points, six rebounds and a pair of blocks. Samone Jackson scored a game-high 17 points for Puget Sound.
The Lutes return home Friday to host Willamette at 6 p.m., looking for their fourth straight win against the Bearcats.
