WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team turned in its best defensive effort of the season on Saturday night, limiting Whitman College to shooting just 27.3 percent from the field. Unfortunately, an anemic offensive output from the short-staffed Lutes allowed the Blues to escape with the 40-35 victory in a Northwest Conference tilt inside the Sherwood Athletic Center. 
 
"Today set the standard for how we need to play night in and night out," said Head Coach Lee Aduddell. 
 
"To hold a great team to 27% shooting speaks to our defensive effort and intention. I'm really proud of this team tonight and how we battled for 40 minutes."
 
The host Blues (13-5, 8-2 NWC) drained a pair of threes to open the game and held a 13-9 lead after one quarter of action. Whitman's lead touched nine just under 30 seconds into the second but the Lutes ended the half on a 13-2 run, taking their first lead of the game on a Kasidy Javernick layup and enjoying a 22-20 advantage at the intermission. 
 
PLU (1-18, 1-9 NWC) struggled to find the bucket in the third, with the Blues heading into the final 10 minutes of play with a six-point edge. A Stacie Spahr bucket narrowed the gap to just two points with 3:57 in the fourth. Whitman answered with a three before an Ashley Akamine layup narrowed the gap back to a single possession. It would remain a single possession game until WC's Carly Martin hit a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to cement the game. 
 
Ava Edmonds led the charge for the Lutes with 12 points and nine rebounds. Spahr hauled in seven rebounds to go with six points while Akamaine had a half dozen points and a half dozen rebounds. 
 
PLU limited the Blues to shooting just 27.3 percent (15-for-55) from the floor, including going one-for-nine from three-point range during the second half. PLU unfortunately had its own shooting struggles, converting just 29.3 percent (12-for-41) of its shots. Saturday's game was Whitman's lowest offensive output of the season and its lowest point production since scoring 39 in a loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last March.
 
The Lutes are back inside the friendly confines of Olson Gymnasium on Friday night, facing George Fox University at 6 p.m.