Setting the Scene: The Lutes are on the road this weekend with four programs competing in Oregon. The men's and women's basketball programs open up Northwest Conference play on Friday with both entering league action riding a four game win streak. Meanwhile, men's and women's swimming competes in its final meet of the calendar year, taking on conference rivals at the two-day Bruin Invitational.
 
FRIDAY:
WBB at Linfield in McMinnville, Ore. (6 p.m.)
MBB at Linfield in McMinnville, Ore. (8 p.m.)
SATURDAY:
SWIM at Bruin Invitational in Newberg, Ore.
SUNDAY:
SWIM at Bruin Invitational in Newberg, Ore.
TUESDAY:
WBB at Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. (6 p.m.)
MBB at Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. (8 p.m.)
 
Women's Basketball: The Lutes (4-1) won a trio of games in Texas and head into league play on Friday with the program's longest win streak since winning seven in a row during the 2018-2019 season.
 
The Lutes opened their Texas trip with a bang as Sydney Reisner drained a three in the final seconds in a 50-47 victory over Texas Lutheran University. Reisner hit six total threes on the night as PLU shattered a school record for three-pointers with 14 in the game. 
 
Two days later the Lutes rolled up Concordia University 75-67 before wrapping up the trip with a 53-37 victory over Southwestern University. 
 
Reisner headlined the trip, averaging 15.0 points per game and on Monday was tabbed the NWC Player of the Week.

Sydney Reisner WINS it for @pluwbb!
3-pointer with two seconds remaining! ??#GoLutes pic.twitter.com/A50wzRyQz9

— PLU Athletics (@golutes) November 22, 2023

 
Men's Basketball: Pacific Lutheran (4-0) is off to its best start to the season since winning five straight to open the 2021-2022 campaign.
 
The Lutes won a pair of nailbiters in Portland last weekend, edging Warner Pacific University 71-68 on Saturday before escaping with a 91-90 victory the following day against University of California-Santa Cruz. 
 
Sam Noland led PLU against WPU, netting 19 points while Brandin Riedel added 17, including 11 from the charity stripe. 
 
On Sunday, the Lutes led by 13 points with just over two minutes left in the game and led by eight with 57 ticks left. The Banana Slugs oozed back into the game in the final seconds, whittling the gap to just a single point on a three at the buzzer. The Lutes led a majority of the second half in a wild affair that featured 14 lead changes and 14 ties.
 
Noland again led the Lutes with 20 points while Riedel added 17. Five total Lutes ended the game in double figures, including Jason Montes coming off the bench and scoring 15. 
 
Women's Swimming: PLU (4-1, 3-0 NWC) is back in the pool on Saturday for day one of the Bruin Invitational. The Lutes were last in the pool on Nov. 18, racking up a 108-96 dual meet victory. 
 
That meet saw the Lutes win seven of the 11 events including Emma Gassman winning both the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke. 
 
Men's Swimming: The Lutes (3-2, 3-0 NWC) were off for the Thanksgiving holiday, having last competed on Nov. 18 when the squad earned a 110-93 win over George Fox. 
 
PLU won nine of the 11 events against the Bruins with Tyler Tanaka and Khosbayar Amgalan providing the heavy lifting as the duo combined to win six events.
 
Awards Season: The awards continue to roll in for the Lute fall sport programs. Six members of the seven-time NWC Champion women's soccer team and four members of the NWC Champion men's soccer team were named to College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District Team last week. Learn more: LINK
 
It wasn't the only accolades members of the soccer teams would win as five women's players and five men's players secured United Soccer Coaches All-Region X honors on Tuesday. Hannah Cecil headlined the women's winners by earning a spot on the 11-player First Team while Craig Johnson led the charge for the men as a First Team All-Region honoree. Learn more: MEN'S LINK    WOMEN'S LINK
 
All-everything libero Halle Hetzler of the NWC Champion volleyball team added another award to her resume on Tuesday, securing Honorable Mention All-American honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association. It's the second straight year the senior has earned that distinction, closing her career with school records for career digs and single season digs. Learn more: LINK
 
Last week additionally saw the release of the All-Conference team for football with 11 Lutes being honored. A trio of defenders in Nico Golla, Kalen Davis-White, and Colby Rhinelander headlined the honorees, all securing First Team All-NWC. Learn more: LINK

Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace last fall through the department's partnership with Opendorse. Learn more about the deal here: LINK. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
 
The Luteville Marketplace is the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website. 

Tickets, Tickets Tickets: The Lutes have made it easier for fans to attend home sporting events, signing a deal with HomeTown Ticketing to be the department's official electronic ticket provider. Lute fans can now purchase tickets online at GoLutes.com/tickets or on the HomeTown Ticketing mobile app available on iOS and Android devices. Learn More: LINK

Download the PLU Athletics App: Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. 
 
To download the app to your smartphone or tablet, visit the Apple App Store (DOWNLOAD LINK) or Google Play (DOWNLOAD LINK) and search for "PLU Athletics."