FOREST GROVE, Ore. - The Pacific Lutheran University men's basketball team reduced a 23-point first half deficit to just a single point in the second half but was unable to take control down the stretch, stumbling 127-118 to Northwest Conference rival Pacific University on Friday night.  

The host Boxers (10-13, 4-9 NWC) came out of the gate swinging, building a 61-38 lead on a pair of free throws just 2:06 before halftime. Leighton Kingma hit a trey the next possession, kicking off an 8-0 Lute run. A Jordan Thomas layup with 27 seconds left in the first closed the gap to just 12 but Pacific added an and-one with five seconds left, enjoying a 64-49 lead at the halftime intermission.

Pacific's lead swelled back to 18 just under 90 seconds into the second half before the Lutes started chipping away. A Thomas layup with 15:21 remaining cut the gap to single digits for the first time since early in the first half.

The Boxers lead stood at 12 with 9:40 remaining before Pacific Lutheran (7-14, 4-10) scored 13 of the next 15 points to close within a single-point at 100-99 with 7:18 remaining. Kingma drained three treys during the run including the initial shot to spark the run while Nasseen Gutierrez-Orozco hit a layup to close the run and put the Lutes within one.

Pacific extended its buffer back up to double digits on a three with 4:04 remaining and led by at least seven the rest of the way to hold on for the win.

"The first half really bit us tonight," said Head Coach Chad Murray. "I thought we were great in the second half for the most part. We were able to get the looks we wanted and did a much better job defensively. We really did a nice job on the glass as well but to beat this type of system you have to take advantage of the opportunities you get offensively and we didn't start off with the mindset we needed to see for 40 minutes. I was really proud of how we fought back and made it a one-point game but we just couldn't hold on to that intensity and precision we showed to get back into it."

Three Lutes finished the game with a double-double with Kingma leading the way with 37 points and 10 rebounds. Kingma was deadly from beyond the arc, hitting seven of his 11 threes. Thomas added 27 points and a team-high 17 rebounds while Gutierrez-Orozco came off the bend and scored 19 points with 11 rebounds. Kelton Williams tallied 18 points and a team-high nine assists.

PLU shot 56.8 percent (42-for-74) from the field but was undermined by turnovers, coughing up the ball 28 times as Pacific enjoyed a 47-10 advantage in points off turnovers.

The Lutes close out their road swing tomorrow at 6 p.m. facing Lewis & Clark College in Portland.