TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team will travel down to Oregon on Friday to take on Northwest Conference rival Willamette University inside Cone Field House. This will be the Lutes fourth game in seven days.

The Lutes (6-8, 1-4 NWC) are coming off a big win over cross-town rival University of Puget Sound on Tuesday night. The Lutes engineered a fourth quarter comeback to send the game into overtime and eventually prevailed by a score of 76-71. Junior Megan Drake led the Lutes with 19 points going three-for-four from behind the arc during the game. Seniors Kylie Rademacher and Emma Janousek along with junior Jorie Lambert also scored in double digits. 

Drake, a junior from Whidbey Island, Washington, credits her teammates and their mentality to the Lute's comebacks in recent games.

"Our team really relies on each other to provide energy and with everyone having a selfless mindset we have done a good job pumping each other up and bringing the competitive spirit during games," said Drake.

The Lutes have been working hard both offensively and defensively in practice in preparation for this Friday's game against Willamette as they try to pick up their second conference win in a row.

Drake is a Nursing major and after she graduates, she plans to take the NCLEX and begin as a labor and delivery nurse in the Seattle or Spokane area. 

The game this Friday will tip off at 6 p.m. against the Bearcats.

Jan. 17: PLU vs Willamette at Cone Field House in Salem, Oregon (6 p.m.)

Series History: The Lutes and Bearcats have met since the 1980-1981 season with the Lutes Leading the all time series 45-35. In the two meetings last year, the Lutes hung on in both of them winning by eight at home and by one on the road. 

About the Bearcats: Willamette (9-4, 3-1 NWC) split their two games last weekend. Winning Friday night 85-72 over Whitworth University but falling 74-54 to Whitman College on Saturday night. 

Kassin Hopkins and Sami Riggs are the two leading scorers for the Bearcats averaging 11.5 and 11.2 points per game. Willamette is shooting 36 percent from behind the arc as a team with Elizabeth Logsdon leading the way at 49 percent from three.