TACOMA, Wash. – For the second consecutive evening inside Olson Gymnasium, the Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team gave defending Northwest Conference champion Whitman College all they could handle before falling late 81-74. 

The Lutes headed to the locker room at halftime with some momentum as Ava Edmonds took a pass from Emma Janousek and drilled a three-pointer as time expired to put the home team up 38-37 at the midway point.  PLU continued to lead for most of the third quarter and led by as many as five after a bucket by Hailey Marsh, before Whitman closed the gap and led by just one heading into the final stanza.

The Blues (2-0, 2-0 NWC) scored 23 points in the final frame on 10-of-16 shooting from the field and were finally able to withstand the Lutes' vaunted full court pressure and outlast the home team. 

It was a tight first 20 minutes as both teams were tied after the first quarter of action 18-18.  The two squads were tied on four occasions in the first half and the lead changed hands five times.  PLU never lead by more than a point, while the Blues could only extend to as many as six.  Over the course of the contest,
Toni Thibert and Megan Drake totaled 16 points on the evening, while Edmonds chipped in 12.  Thibert led the team with four assists and seven rebounds from her guard spot, while Drake and Madison Salisbury added six boards each.  Emma Janousek totaled 13 and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. 

Whitman was led by a game-high 24 from Kaylie McCracken and shot an impressive 54.5 percent from the floor. 

The Lutes return to action next Friday when they travel to Whitworth University for a two-game set with the Pirates.  Friday's tip-off is scheduled 5:30 p.m. and Saturday's will be a 2:30 p.m. start time.