Setting the Scene: The Lutes resume their homestand today, welcoming in-state rival Whitworth to Olson Gymnasium for the second of two straight NWC games this weekend.
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: The Lutes and Pirates have met 79 times since the 1980-1981 season with Whitworth holding a slim 42-37 advantage in the series. PLU has won three of the last four and four of the last six.
The two teams split the series last season with PLU winning 66-64 in Spokane and the Pirates returning the favor later in the season, prevailing 78-71 inside Olson Gymnasium.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (0-4) begins NWC play after playing four non-conference games and one exhibition in the opening month of the season.
The Lutes opened the regular season at the Cascade Challenge, coming up just short against College of Idaho (50-41) and host Northwest (65-59). Both games went down to the wire with the Lutes and Coyotes tied with 5:27 left in the game while the Lutes trailed the Eagles by two with 70 seconds left.
Last Tuesday, the Lutes opened up their home slate, falling short 53-42 to Whittier. Taylor Schmidtke led the way for the Lutes, coming off the bench and scoring 16 points while hauling in eight rebounds.
Ashley Akamine leads the Lutes' scoring charge, averaging 10.0 points per game while also hauling in 4.3 rebounds per game. Sydney Reisner adds 8.8 ppg with Emily Wada chips in 8.5 ppg. Ava Edmonds powers PLU on the glass with a 6.5 rpg average.
About the Pirates: In-state rival Whitworth (2-3) heads into the weekend looking to bust out of a two-game slide.
Utilizing a big second half, the Pirates defeated Haskell Indian Nations 86-64 on Nov. 19 but has come up empty-handed since, falling 54-48 to Caltech and 58-57 UC Santa Cruz.
Against the Banana Slugs, Whitworth trailed by one with just under two minutes to go but misfired on its final three shots, including one at the buzzer in the one-point loss. Olivia Mayer led the charge for the Pirates in the loss, scoring 24 points with 13 rebounds.
Mayer heads into conference play averaging a team-best 18.0 points per game and 13.8 rebounds per game. Kimberly Dewey adds 12.8 ppg with Quincy McDeid the third Pirate in double figures, netting 10.0 ppg.
NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll
The Northwest Conference office released its coaches poll for women's basketball on Nov. 22 with Pacific Lutheran picked to finish eight with 16 total points. Puget Sound is the slim favorite with 61 points and five of the nine first place endorsements. Defending champion Whitman is second with 58 points and the remaining four first place votes.
Pacific is third with 49 points followed by George Fox (44 points), Willamette (36 points), and Whitworth (27 points). Lewis & Clark is seventh with 23 points and Linfield is ninth with 10 points.
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.
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."
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
Next Home Game:
Dec. 17 vs. Redlands at 2 p.m.