TACOMA, Wash. — Ashley Akamine finished with a double-double and had a game sealing block as time expired as the Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team extended its win streak to five with a 61-58 nailbiting win over Northwest Conference rival George Fox University on Friday inside Olson Gymnasium.
Friday's showdown was a volatile affair featuring nine lead changes and eight ties. The score was deadlocked at 55 with 89 seconds left before a pair of free throws from
Ava Edmonds and an Akamine layup gave the hosts a four-point buffer.
The Bruins (1-9, 1-2 NWC) closed the gap to a single point with 10 seconds left on a pair of free throws before Akamine went to the charity stripe with seven ticks left and sunk a pair. Up three, Akamine iced the game as time expired, blocking a George Fox three, her third block of the night to keep the Lutes (9-3, 1-2 NWC) a perfect 6-0 at home this season.
"The key for us tonight was the determination to find a way to win," said Head Coach
Lee Aduddell.
"We didn't shoot or defend particularly well, so the fact that we executed down the stretch was crucial."
The Lutes trailed by seven with 2:48 left in the second quarter but kept the Bruins off the scoreboard the rest of the half as a
Jaida Wood layup ensured a 26-26 tie at the halftime intermission.
Pacific Lutheran scored nine straight points early in the third quarter, enjoying a seven-point lead on a pair of Akamine free throws. That lead proved fleeting with GFU tying the game at 40 with 2:28 left in the third and took a 46-43 lead into the final 10 minutes of play.
A
Sydney Reisner layup with 7:02 left in the game but the Lutes up one. PLU would never trail the rest of the way, leading by as many as seven with 4:12 remaining and holding on for the three-point win to secure the program's first victory over the Bruins since the 2005-2006 season.
Akamine led the charge for the Lutes with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks. Reisner added 13 points while
Taylor Schmidtke came off the bench and added 11 points.
"Ashley's athleticism is unmatched. Not only was she huge on the glass but she also came up with the game saving block. Just a high level night from Ashley."
PLU outrebounded the Bruins 41-31 and shot 43.1 percent (22-for-51) from the field while holding GFU to shooting at a 33.3 percent clip (20-for-60).
The Lutes are back in action tomorrow afternoon, hosting Willamette University at 4 p.m. inside Olson Gymnasium.
