TACOMA, Wash. --- The Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team (8-15, 5-9 NWC) celebrated senior day the right way, defeating the Willamette Bearcats (8-15, 5-9 NWC) in dominant fashion, 83-55.
 
PLU honored seven PLU women's basketball seniors on Saturday, #3 Raylie Wardenaar, #5 Jaida Wood, #10 Kasidy Javernick, #12 Taylor Schmidtke, #13 Ashley Akamine, #20 Brandie Tobin, #34 Stacie Spahr, and their manager, PJ Morales.
 
Willamette kicked off the scoring to start Saturday's game with a lay-in, but the weather inside Olson Gymnasium quickly changed, as the three-pointers came raining down for PLU in the first half.
 
Senior Taylor Schmidtke sank the first bucket for the Lutes from beyond the arc, while senior Kasidy Javernick added one of her own to put the Lutes up 8-7 through the first 2:37 of the game. Senior Jaida Wood joined the three-point party, while Javernick added five more to cap off a Lutes 11-0 run to go up 16-7. Senior Raylie Wardenaar and junior Sydney Reisner also drained deep threes, and Reisner executed an and-one to make it a 22-5 run late in the first 10-minutes of play. The Lutes entered the second quarter leading 27-13, and having a lead as many as 15.
 
27-points is the most a PLU Women's Basketball team has scored in the opening quarter since December 15^th, 2023, against Northwest Indian College (29).
 
Javernick continued her streak from beyond thek arc early in the second quarter, draining yet another three to give the Lutes a 16-point advantage. After Willamette cut the deficit to just eight, Javernick sank another deep ball, soon matched by Emi Wada to propel the Lutes to a 41-31 lead at the half.
 
The Seniors came out of halftime with a slew of baskets, meanwhile the Lutes defense held the Bearcats scoreless for the first 4:14 of the third quarter. Tobin, Wood, Akamine, Javernick, and Spahr handled the Lutes second half run on their own. Schmidtke got back into the mix, sinking a three to give the Lutes their largest lead of the game thus far (24). Spahr went on to sink a lay-in with under a minute to play to put the Lutes up 61-37 entering the fourth.
 
Samura and Schmidtke began the fourth with a pair of jumpers, then Schmidtke sank a three to put the Lutes at 12 total threes made in the game. After a Schmidtke lay-up with 6:22 remaining in the game, the Lutes took their largest lead of the game (34), leading 71-37. A Willamette 6-0 run cut into the deficit slightly, but was halted by a full wave of subs from Lee Aduddell; giving her seniors a standing ovation.
 
The Lutes cruised through the final pair of minutes, capping off a dominant 28-point victory on senior night inside Olson Gymnasium; 83-55. Saturday's win marks the Lutes largest Northwest Conference win since January 6^th, 2009 against Puget Sound (won by 33-points). It also is the most points the Lutes have scored in a game this season, and since their last largest overall win against Northwest Indian College last season (85-35).
 
"I'm just so proud of this senior group. They were determined to win one last time at home and they played with incredible toughness. They really earned this one." Said Head Coach Lee Aduddell following the win.
 
Javernick led the Lutes in scoring with 17-points, notching a new career-high; and in her final game inside Olson Gymnasium. The senior shot an impressive 6-8 from the field and 4-5 from beyond the arc in just 24-minutes played.
 
Schmidtke also added a new season-high for points scored, as she put up 15 while grabbing three rebounds and dishing a team-high five assists. Samura led the team in rebounds, grabbing eight to go with her six points. 13-different Lutes scored points in the hug victory, while the Lutes shot 50.8% from the field, and 48.1% from beyond the arc. Their 13 made-threes to go with their shooting percentages are all season-bests for the Lutes. They also protected the ball the best they have all season, turning the ball over just eight times.
 
The Lutes wrap up the regular season next weekend on the road at Pacific and Lewis & Clark on Friday and Saturday in Oregon.
 
 
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