TACOMA, Wash. - A big third quarter along with 15 points from Kristin Sturdivan propelled the Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team to a 61-53 victory over Northwest Conference rival Willamette University on Saturday inside Olson Gymnasium.

The homestanding Lutes (9-3, 2-2 NWC) outscored the Bearcats 21-13 in the third, building a lead as big as 11 on a Kyle Rademacher layup with 1:03 remaining in the quarter. The basket capped off a 15-5 PLU run, turning a tenuous one point advantage into a double-digit buffer. PLU's advantage was cut to just six with 7:36 left in the fourth quarter before buckets from Emma Janousek and Madison Salisbury put the Lutes back up double digits with 3:14 remaining. The Lutes held at least an eight-point advantage the rest of the way, securing the squad's eighth win over the past nine games. 

The Lutes took a 28-26 lead into the halftime intermission in a wild opening 20 minutes featuring seven lead changes and one tie. A MacKenzie Cooper three gave PLU a 7-5 advantage with 6:07 left in the opening quarter but the Bearcats (5-8, 0-4 NWC) scored 10 of the next 12 and enjoyed a 15-11 advantage after 10 minutes of play. 

Momentum swung to the Lutes in the second quarter, building a five-point buffer on a Kristin Sturdivan layup midway through the quarter before Willamette closed the deficit to just two heading into the break. 

Sturdivan finished with a game-high 15 points, finishing five-for-eight from the floor while Janousek added 11 points and a game-high six assists. Anna Hurd netted nine points while Salisbury grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

PLU outscored Willamette 36-20 in the paint while holding a 39-36 rebounding edge. The Lutes finished the game shooting 41.0 percent (25-for-61) from the field, including scorching the nets in the third to the tune of 64.3 percent (nine-for-14). 

The Lutes are back in action on Friday, hosting Lewis & Clark College at 6 p.m. inside Olson Gymnasium.