TACOMA, Wash.— It was a defensive slugfest on Wednesday night inside Olson Gymnasium. Ava Edmonds racked up her first double-double of the season but the Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team was unable to capitalize against crosstown nemesis University of Puget Sound, falling short 48-39 in a volatile game featuring three lead changes and eight ties. 

"I was so proud to coach this team tonight. The growth from the last time we played UPS was remarkable," said Head Coach Lee Aduddell. 

"They make it an ugly game and force you to shoot it poorly but we showed toughness and resilience tonight."
 
Neither team owned a lead larger than four points in the opening half. The score was tied 9-9 after one quarter of play and the Tacoma rivals entered the halftime break knotted up at 23-23. 
 
An Ashley Akamine bucket put the Lutes (9-9, 1-8 NWC) up two early in the third quarter before a Raylie Wardenaar trey with 8:16 remaining in the quarter put the Lutes' up 28-25. The visiting Loggers (12-6, 6-3 NWC) responded with a 7-0 run and would play with the lead the rest of the night. PLU trailed by just four heading into the final frame and had reduced a 10-point deficit to just five on a Wardenaar three with 2:38 remaining but was held scoreless the rest of the game as Puget Sound slinked away with the victory. 
 
Edmonds led the Lutes with a game-high 13 points and 11 rebounds, draining a trio of threes on the night while Akamine tallied 10 points and nine rebounds. 
 
PLU shot just 22.0 percent (11-for-50) from the floor but tenacious defense kept them in the game, limiting the Loggers to shooting just 16.7 percent (three-for-18) in the fourth quarter and forcing the visitors to shooting a paltry 8.7 percent (two-for-23) from three-point range for the game.
 
Pacific Lutheran outrebounded UPS 40-39 and made more free throws (11) than the Loggers had attempts (six). PLU's defense didn't make it easy for Puget Sound with the Loggers' finishing the evening with their second lowest offensive output of the year.  
 
The Lutes are back at home on Saturday, hosting Oregon rival Linfield University at 4 p.m. inside Olson Gymnasium.