TACOMA, Wash. --- The Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team (7-12, 4-6 NWC) fell in the closing seconds of the homestand finale on Saturday night, as the Whitworth Pirates (7-12, 4-6 NWC) escaped with a 62-60 win.
 
After Sydney Reisner's lay-in on the opening possession, the Lutes offense took off with a 6-0 lead in just over 90-seconds. Their lead in the first quarter peaked at 11-5, but a 10-2 run gave the Pirates their first lead of the game, 15-13. Kasidy Javernick drained a three in the final minute to put the Lutes up by one momentarily, until a Whitworth jumper closed the quarter at 17-16 Pirates.
 
The Whitworth lead got to three early in the second quarter, but a 3-0 run knotted the game at 19-19 with 7:08 remaining in the first half. The Pirates responded with a 9-2 run to take their largest lead of the game thus far (7). Raylie Wardenaar and Shaela Allen-Greggs helped the Lutes claw back as they trailed 30-26 at halftime.
 
The Pirates lead got up to nine points early in the third, with the Lutes climbing back to within three over a two-minute scoring span from Reisner and Javernick. A 10-2 run over the next two-and-a-half minutes, propelled the Lutes back on top, 45-44 after Samura executed an and-one opportunity. PLU took a 47-46 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
The two squads traded baskets to open the final quarter, until a 7-0 run put the Lutes up six with 3:41 remaining. In 63-seconds the Pirates spanned a 6-0 run to tie the game at 59-59, prompting a PLU timeout with 2:19 left in the contest.
 
Samura was able to earn free throws after drawing a foul following her offensive rebound with 29-seconds to-go. She sank the second shot after missing the first to put the Lutes up 60-59. A PLU foul with 13-seconds to go gave the Pirates a pair of free throws, which they would make both and take the lead back. An unseccesful offensive possession led to a foul and another Whitworth free throw to end the game, 62-60 Pirates.
 
"We hit two of our three game-goals but in close games you have to be tough enough to finish at the rim down the stretch and we didn't do that tonight. We'll learn from this." Said Head Coach Lee Aduddell after the game.
 
Nine different Lutes got on the score sheet on Saturday night, with Kasidy Javernick and Sydney Reisner leading the charge with 12-points each. Brooke Samura captured a double-double, scoring 11-points and grabbing ten rebounds. The Lutes shot 30.1% from the field as a team, and 27.7% from beyond the arc. They grabbed a total of 20 offensive rebounds, their highest since November 29^th against Nebraska Wesleyan in Colorado Springs, Colorado (21).
 
The Lutes hit the road next weekend, set to take on George Fox and Linfield next Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and 6 p.m.
 
 
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