Setting the Scene: The Lutes are back at home and close out the calendar year this afternoon, welcoming Gustavus Adolphus College to Olson Gymnasium.
Online Ticketing: The Lutes have made it easier for fans to attend home sporting events, signing a deal with HomeTown Ticketing to be the department's official electronic ticket provider. Lute fans can now purchase basketball tickets online at GoLutes.com/tickets or on the HomeTown Ticketing mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.
Series History: This is just the second all-time meeting between the Lutes and Gusties. The two teams last met during the 1993-1994 season with Gustavus winning a wild 107-101 barnburner.
About the Lutes: After a bumpy start to the season, the Lutes (5-5, 0-2 NWC) have found their stride, winning three of their last four games.
PLU busted out of a four-game funk with a 78-41 victory over Portland Bible on Dec. 7 but fell victim to a hot shooting Northwest three days later in a 91-78 setback in Kirkland.
The Lutes rebounded at the Naples Shootout, holding off a late charge to down Penn State Harrisburg 52-48 on Dec. 19 before smashing LaGrange 69-54 the following day. Jackson Reisner headlined the LaGrange game, scoring a career-high 24 points off the bench after draining six treys while Jordan Thomas paced the team against PSU-H with 16 points and 13 boards.
The Lutes have featured a balanced scoring attack this season with three players all averaging in double figures. Reisner leads the way, dropping 11.8 points per game and hitting a team-best 25 threes on the year.
Brandin Riedel adds 11.6 ppg and 5.1 rebounds per game while Sam Noland and Sean McCurdy chip in 11.4 and 10.4 ppg, respectively. Jordan Thomas adds 10.4 ppg along with a team-leading 7.8 rpg. Thomas also leads PLU in assists (3.4 per game), steals (23), and blocks (14).
About the Golden Gusties: Gustavus Adolphus (4-5, 4-2 MIAC) heads to Tacoma having won two of its last three games.
The Gusties picked up a 94-87 victory over Saint Olaf on Dec. 7 before slipping past Augsburg 84-81 three days later. GAC saw its streak come to an end on Dec. 14, suffering a 96-88 setback to Bethany Lutheran.
Spencer Swanson is the Gusties leading scorer, dropping 18.9 points per game with a team-best 8.7 rebounds per game. Adam Biewen adds 13.4 ppg with Evan Wieker and Jordan Schommer adding 12.3 ppg and 11.6 ppg, respectively.
Home Cooking: The Lutes have turned Olson Gymnasium into a tough place for opposing teams to play. Pacific Lutheran has won 18 of its last 24 home games, including 10 of its 11 home dates during the 2021-2022 season.
PLU additionally has won 14 of the last 18 NWC games played inside Olson Gymnasium and 22 of the last 27 NWC games played in Tacoma.
NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll
The NWC office released its annual coaches' poll on Nov. 22 with the defending Co-Champion Lutes picked to finish third with 48 points. Co-Champion Whitworth sits atop the poll with 63 points and seven of the nine first place votes. Whitman is second with 56 points and the remaining two first place nods.
Pacific is fourth with 41 points followed by Lewis & Clark (34 points). Co-Champion Linfield was pegged a distant sixth with 32 points followed by George Fox (26 points), Puget Sound (14 points), and Willamette (10 points).
Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Featuring real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gameday details and more, the new PLU Athletics app is free and compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
To download the app to your smartphone or tablet, visit the Apple App Store (DOWNLOAD LINK) or Google Play (DOWNLOAD LINK) and search for "PLU Athletics."
Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace on August 31 through the department's partnership with Opendorse. Learn more about the deal here: LINK. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
The Luteville Marketplace is the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website.
Next Home Game:
Jan. 13: PLU hosts Willamette at 8 PM
PLU Non-Discrimination Policy: Pacific Lutheran University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Childress-White; 253-535-7361; TitleIX@plu.edu