PORTLAND, Ore. — Sydney Reisner poured on 19 points but a tough fourth quarter ultimately derailed the Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team in its season opener on Thursday night, falling 52-43 to Warner Pacific University inside CC Perry Gymnasium.
"We went into the game knowing we needed to prioritize poise and pace but we didn't do that well tonight. We let a bit of the first game nerves affect us, especially in the 4th," said Head Coach
Lee Aduddell.
Reisner was nearly perfect in the opener, shooting seven-for-nine from the floor, including hitting all four of her shots from beyond the arc.
The Lutes (0-1) led 33-30 with 5:28 left in the third quarter after a Reisner three but the homestanding Knights (1-0) responded with the next eight points over the next two and a half minutes.
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Kasidy Javernick three and a
Emi Wada layup knotted the score with 1:35 left in the third but Warner Pacific scored five of the final six points in the stanza, heading into the final 10 minutes with a four-point buffer.
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Brandie Tobin bucket sliced the deficit to a single possession with 7:06 left in the fourth but the Lutes were able to muster just one more bucket the rest of the game as WPU pulled away for the nine-point win. PLU finished the final quarter shooting just 15.4 percent (two-for-13) from the floor.
Reisner finished the night with four rebounds and three steals along with the game-high 19 points while Javernick tallied five points and three boards. Tobin had six rebounds and three assists while
Stacie Spahr hauled down a team-high seven rebounds.
"Sydney was steady on both ends of the floor. We're really proud of how she played."
PLU finished the night shooting 30.6 percent from the floor (15-for-49) and hit 31.3 percent of its chances (five-for-16) from three-point range.
WPU enjoyed a 26-16 edge in points in the paint while the Knight bench outscored the Lute reserves 27-14.
The Lutes are back on the court next Thursday, hosting Evergreen State College at 7 p.m. inside Olson Gymnasium.
