TACOMA, Wash. - A 16-2 scoring surge to open the second quarter proved to be the push necessary for the Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball to come away with the win on Friday night, breezing past Northwest Conference rival Lewis & Clark College 66-45 inside Olson Gymnasium.
The Lutes (7-9, 2-5 NWC) and Pioneers (2-13, 1-6 NWC) were deadlocked at 13 after one quarter of action. Pacific Lutheran came out swinging to start the second quarter with
Megan Drake canning a three just 11 seconds in to spark a 16-2 run, giving the Lutes a 29-15 advantage with 4:11 remaining in the quarter off a pair of
Adrianna Davis free throws. PLU would enjoy a 29-21 lead at the halftime break and maintained at least a seven-point buffer on the Pios the entire second half, pulling away in the third after outscoring the visitors 18-10 in the quarter.
"After halftime the team came out determined to play pressure defense and to get our running game going," said Head Coach
Jennifer Childress. "Once our transition clicked, it served as a catalyst for the rest of our offensive flow and tempo. I love how everyone chipped in, definitely a collective team win."
Drake led all scorers with 15 points, draining four of her five shots from beyond the arc.
Toni Thibert added 10 points and seven rebounds while
Emma Janousek finished with eight points, six assists, and four steals.
PLU forced 23 L&C turnovers, boasting a 28-10 advantage in points off turnovers while enjoying a 26-12 scoring advantage in the paint. The Lutes shot 40.4 percent (23-for-57) from the field, including shooting at a 50 percent clip in the final 20 minutes of play (15-for-30).
"We knew if we did what we needed to do on defense, including pressure, that we'd get stops on defense to ultimately win the game," said Thibert. "If we stick to our system and do what we need to do it will be a good game tomorrow."
The Lutes return to the hardwood tomorrow evening, hosting Pacific University at 4 p.m.
