TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball erased an eight point fourth quarter deficit on Friday evening, battling back to earn a gritty 82-79 overtime win over host University of Puget Sound in a Northwest Conference clash inside Memorial Fieldhouse. 
 
The visiting Lutes (1-3, 1-3 NWC) were staring at a 62-54 deficit with 2:31 remaining before Madison Mosier drained a three to cut the gap to just five with a little over two minutes to play. An Emma Janousek free throw with 52 ticks left pulled the game within a single possession at 64-61. A Janousek layup with 11 seconds left narrowed the gap to just a single point. The Lutes quickly fouled and sent the Loggers to the free throw line. UPS (0-3, 0-3 NWC) made just one of two shots and an Ava Edmonds knotted the score at 65 with six seconds left to force extra time. 
 
In overtime, a Paige Gerhart trey tied the game at 73 for the Loggers with 2:06 left. Neither team was able to capitalize until Edmonds hit a three with 19 seconds remaining to push PLU ahead 76-73. A Megan Drake steal the following possession forced the Loggers to foul, putting Toni Thibert on the line with five ticks left. Thibert hit her shots and Emma Janousek hit four free throws in the final five seconds, giving Head Coach GC Hillburn his first collegiate head coaching win.
 
"I'm so proud of how brilliantly our players played down the stretch. They fought and never blinked. They've given so much in the past few months to improve and grow and all that showed up tonight," said Hillburn.
 
PLU owned an 11-9 advantage after one quarter of play but would trail 33-29 heading into the halftime break. 
 
Janousek led all scorers with 20 points while also adding eight rebounds and six assists. Thibert added 18 points while Madison Salisbury and Edmonds each added 10. Edmonds paced the Lutes on the glass, hauling in 10 for her first double-double in a Lute uniform. 
 
PLU outscored the Loggers 38-24 in the paint but was outmatched 32-17 in bench production.
 
The two teams are at it again tomorrow evening, hitting the court again at 5:30 p.m.