TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team will hit the road this weekend and travel to California to take on the University of Redlands and Occidental College.
 
The Lutes (2-0) are coming off a weekend sweep to begin the season. The Lutes edged out Warner Pacific University 59-56 and took care of Multnomah University 73-53. Junior Madison Salisbury picked up right where she left off posting double doubles in each game. She led the way scoring against Warner Pacific putting up 24 points. Katie Taylor led the scoring charge against Multnomah scoring 22.
 
The Lutes suffered a 73-64 exhibition setback against Division II Saint Martin's University on Tuesday. Senior point guard Emma Janousek scored 19 points and played all but one minute against the Saints. 
 
We talked with Janousek to get a feel on how the team is feeling about the beginning of the season, 
 
"We have started off the season well, gaining some early confidence that I think will serve us well down the road come conference play. It was nice to get some early wins under our belt down in Oregon, and Saint Martin's provided us with some great competition that is reflective of the type of games we will have in conference."
 
Janousek is a senior and has proven to be a pivotal part of the Lutes success. She hails from Arlington, Washington where she attended Arlington High School. Janousek's efforts during the 2018-2019 season earned her all-conference honors. 
 
"As a senior, I really want to be the best leader possible for my team, keeping a team-first attitude. I believe that the wins will come this year, as long as we continue to battle for each other, play with organized unity, and chase our potential. My goal is to keep the team grounded in our program's 'we before me' mantra."
 
"Both of these games are West Region competitions, meaning they may become important in the determination of our spot in postseason play. Headed into the weekend, we have a winning mindset, and want to build off the confidence and experiences we have gained with these first three games of the season. I'm excited to go to battle again with these girls, and let our hard work show against some good competition."
 
This weekend will be a good test for the Lutes as they look to see how they stack up. Action begins at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
 
Nov. 16: PLU vs. Redlands in Redlands, California (2 p.m.)
 
Series History: The Lutes and Bulldogs will be meeting for just the second time in program history. The two teams last met during the 2004-05 season with Redlands prevailing 58-52.
 
About the Bulldogs: Redlands (2-0) heads into the weekend undefeated after collecting a pair of wins last weekend at the Redlands Tip-Off Classic. The host Bulldogs downed Southwestern University 63-49 in the opener before slipping past Saint Catherine University 53-50 the following day.
 
Alyssa Downs leads the Bulldogs in scoring, averaging 10.5 points per game with Marisa Urbano-Sedlund adding 10.0 ppg. Kellis Dack is the team leader on the glass, averaging 9.5 rebounds per game along with 3.0 assists per game while Cassandra Lacey adds 5.0 rpg.
 
Nov. 17: PLU vs. Occidental in Los Angeles, California (2 p.m.)
 
Series History: The Lutes and Tigers have met just once before with PLU prevailing 57-45 on New Year's Eve 2015.  
 
About the Tigers: Occidental opens its 2019-2020 officially against the Lutes on Sunday. The Tigers have an exhibition game under their belt, falling 80-66 at home to Antelope Valley University. In that game, Raveena Dhiman led the Tigers with 19 points, draining six treys on the day while Mallory North added 15 points and 11 boards.