SPOKANE, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University men's basketball squad had 14th-ranked Whitworth University against the ropes in Friday's Northwest Conference opener but was unable to hang on down the stretch, falling 75-59 inside WU Fieldhouse.

A Leighton Kingma steal on the game's opening possession set up a Seth Hall three on the opposite end of the floor as the visiting Lutes (4-6, 0-1 NWC) surged out to an early 7-0 advantage. The Pirates (7-3, 1-0 NWC) would battle back, tying the game at nine, but Pacific Lutheran utilized another run to seize a game-high eight-point lead off a Blake Uyehara three with 8:20 left in the opening stanza. The nationally-ranked Pirates methodically chipped away at the lead, taking a slim 35-34 advantage into the halftime intermission.

Another Hall three tied the game just 33 seconds into the second half but the Pirates responded with the next 14 points, opening up a 51-37 lead with 15:19 left in the game. That run proved decisive with Whitworth enjoying a double-digit advantage the rest of the way to secure the win.

Jordan Thomas finished one rebound shy of a double-double, pacing the Lutes with 13 points and nine boards. Hall matched Thomas with 13 points while Kelton Williams had 11 points and a team-best four assists.

"We've figured out how to play 20 minutes of good basketball out here but haven't figured out how to sustain it coming out of halftime," said Head Coach Chad Murray. "Credit to Whitworth as they're a very good defensive team who really took us out of what we wanted to do. I didn't think we showed well tonight in terms of our togetherness and over cohesion in the second half and that was what really killed us and prevented us from being able to keep up."

The Lutes finished the game shooting at a 40.7 percent clip (22-for-54), including hitting six of 13 (46.2 percent) from long range.

PLU returns to the hardwood tomorrow evening, facing Whitman College in Walla Walla at 6 p.m.