Setting the Scene: It's the Lutes' final game of the regular season and plenty is still at stake. Despite already clinching a share of the NWC crown, the Lutes are jockeying for playoff seeding with a victory tonight over Linfield University guarenteeing PLU the top spot in the NWC Tournament while a loss could potentially put the Lutes on the road for the postseason.
Home Attendance Policy: Masks are required while inside Olson Gymnasium, regardless of vaccination status. Eating and drinking inside the building is also prohibited. Thank you for your cooperation and helping stop the spread of COVID-19.
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 Wildcats have met 140 times since 1939 with PLU enjoying a 77-63 advantage in the all-time series. The two squads last met on Jan. 22 with Linfield overcoming a 19-point second half deficit to collect the 87-84 win in McMinnville.
About the Lutes: It was a historic night for the Lutes (18-6, 13-2 NWC) on Tuesday, pummeling University of Puget Sound 80-48 to secure the program's eighth consecutive win and a share of the NWC crown for the first time since 1986.
The Lutes led wire-to-wire, scoring 12 of the first 14 points and never relenting. Jordan Thomas headlined the night, securing his 1,000th career point in the waining moments of the blowout win. Thomas ended the night with 15 points while Seth Hall added 19, Sean McCurdy had 15, and Brandin Riedel had 10 off the bench.
About the Wildcats: Linfield (16-6, 11-3 NWC) heads to Tacoma having won seven of its last eight games, including an 85-66 victory over George Fox University last Friday. The Wildcats lone blemish during that stretch was a 69-66 road setback to Pacific University on Feb. 8.
While undefeated at home, Linfield been pedestrian away from McMinnville, owning just a 6-5 mark in road games.
Dempsey Roggenbuck is the Wildcats' top scorer, dropping 20.3 points per game while Max Lommen adds 14.1 ppg and 4.8 rebounds per game. Aaron Baune is the third Linfield player in double figures, registering 12.4 ppg and 5.5 rpg.
Home Cooking: The Lutes have turned Olson Gymnasium into a tough place for opposing teams to play. Pacific Lutheran has won 17 of its last 18 home games, including all 10 home dates during the 2021-2022 season.
Thank You Seniors!
Senior Salute: The 2022 seniors of Tyler Ashmore, Seth Hall, and Brett Williams have set the bar for PLU men's basketball over the past three seasons, making two NWC Tournament appearances and winning at least a share of the 2022 league title.
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Next Home Game:
Feb. 18: PLU hosts Linfield at 8 p.m.
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