Box Score LOS ANGELES – The Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team completed a 3-1 road trip to open the 2019-2020 season on Sunday as Lute sophomore
Katie Taylor poured in 19 first-half points and 29 for the game to lead PLU to an 86-72 win over Occidental College.
"It was a good road win," said PLU Head Coach
Jennifer Childress. "This was a tough week with five road games in eight days. Our team showed great grit coming out with energy early to get ahead and in a good position to win. Katie played an outstanding game."
After trailing 19-18 after the first 10 minutes, the PLU defense settled in and held the Tigers to just nine points in the second quarter. The offense didn't slow down either and poured in 23 to take a 13-point lead at the break. Taylor was 8-for-12 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point territory in the first 20 minutes of action.
Senior guard
Emma Janousek continued the PLU onslaught to start the second half, scoring six points and pulling down a pair of rebounds in the first three minutes as the Lute lead ballooned to as many as 26 in the third quarter. Between the second and third quarters combined, the visiting Lutes outscored Occidental 46-26.
Junior
Madison Salisbury, who missed her third straight double-double against the University of Redlands by just one rebound, had 19 points and 16 boards for her third double-double in four games.
The Tigers continued to battle into the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to 11 on multiple occasions. The first time, Taylor promptly canned a four-point play to push the lead back to 15 and the second time Salisbury scored four quick ones to build the cushion.
PLU's domination of the backboard led to extra opportunities and points in the paint, two categories they dominated on Sunday. The Lutes pulled down an impressive 24 offensive rebounds, outboarding the Tigers 58-37 for the contest. Those extra chances led to an extra 20 points and 46 points in the paint.
Janousek chipped in 10 points, dished out a game-high five assists and pulled down six rebounds for a solid all-around game.
The Lutes (3-1) take next weekend off before hosting Northwest Indian College on Tuesday, November 26 for their first game inside Olson Gymnasium of the 2019-20 season.
