Setting the Scene: It's a clash of last season's NWC Co-Champions with in-state rival Whitworth coming to Olson Gymnasium for a showdown with the Lutes.
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 the 161st edition of the storied rivalry that dates back to the 1946-1947 season. Whitworth holds a 94-66 advantage in the series, winning two of the three meetings last winter. The Pirates topped the Lutes 97-69 in Spokane before PLU returned the favor with a 64-48 win over Whitworth inside Olson Gymnasium. The two squads met again in the NWC Tournament semifinals with host Whitworth securing an 80-72 win.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (2-2) had mixed results in the month of November across its four non-conference games. The Lutes opened the year by pummeling in-state Evergreen State 100-67 before rolling past Warner Pacific 77-71.
The Lutes fortunes were reversed the following weekend, stumbling 67-62 to California Lutheran on Nov. 19 and 51-49 to Montana State-Northern on Nov. 20.
Brandin Riedel enters conference play as the Lutes' leading scorer, dropping 13.8 points per game while also adding 6.8 rebounds per game. Jackson Reisner sports a 13.3 ppg average and its the team's sharpshooter, hitting 35.7 percent of his shots from behind the arc.
Sam Noland adds 11.5 ppg while Sean McCurdy registers 10.0 ppg and a team-best 7.8 rpg. Jordan Thomas does a bit of everything, adding 8.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and team-highs for assists (13), blocks (seven), and steals (five).
About the Pirates: Whitworth (3-3) heads into NWC play having won three of its last four games.
The Pirates got the season off to a sluggish start, dropping an 84-74 decision to host Mount Union (Ohio) and coming up short 89-86 to Roanoke (Va.). Whitworth returned home with a 73-60 win over Sul Ross State (Texas) on Nov. 17 before taking down California Lutheran 71-56.
Last weekend, the Pirates split a pair of games at the Rocky Mountain Classic, falling 76-59 to Carleton (Minn.) before rebounding with a 74-65 victory over host Colorado College.
Jake Holtz is the Pirates' leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 15.0 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game. JT McDermott tallies 14.8 ppg and 5.3 rpg with Michael Smith the third Pirate averaging in double figures with 12.7 ppg.
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 22 home games, including 10 of its 11 home dates during the 2021-2022 season.
PLU additionally has won 14 of the last 16 NWC games played inside Olson Gymnasium and 22 of the last 25 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:
Dec. 30: PLU hosts Gustavus Adolphus at 3 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