Loggers Return the Favor to PLU Men, 75-63

PARKLAND - Colin Koach scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Puget Sound Loggers defeated the host Pacific Lutheran Lutes, 75-63, in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game played Tuesday night in Olson Auditorium.

The Loggers (8-12 overall, 4-7 conference) earned a measure of revenge for an earlier 96-81 loss to the Lutes (8-10, 6-5) on their home court back on Jan. 6. That PLU win ended a 13-game losing streak to Puget Sound. Even more impressive, the visitors won tonight's game without the services of several key players, among them leading scorer Austin Boyce and guard Nadav Heyman.

Koach was all over the court, playing the entire 40 minutes and leading his team to the win with opportunistic offense and tough defense. He made 6-of-10 shots from the field, including both of his three-point tries, and knocked down 11-of-12 free throws, all coming in the final 5:24 of the game as the Loggers kept the Lutes at bay. Of Koach's 10 rebounds, four came on the offensive end, and he added seven assists to his impressive totals.

Koach wasn't the only Logger to put up big numbers as Bryce Levin went bombs away from three-point range, hitting 6-of-14 on the way to 22 points. Kaleb Shelton joined Koach with 10 rebounds and Gabe Borboa added nine as the Loggers beat the Lutes on the board, 54-32.

In taking its second consecutive loss, the Lutes struggled shooting the ball against a harassing Puget Sound defense, converting just 26-of-70 from the field (37 percent), including 4-of-20 from three-point range. They got to the foul line just 10 times, making seven, while the Loggers were 19-of-30 from the charity stripe.

The first half saw several ties and lead changes through the first nine minutes until Puget Sound broke away from a 20-20 tie, holding the Lutes scoreless for nearly five minutes while taking a 26-20 lead. The Loggers grabbed a 36-28 advantage with 2:27 left in the half on Levin's jumper, but a bucket at the buzzer by PLU's James Conti narrowed the gap to six points.

Puget Sound opened the second half with a 9-2 run, featuring a pair of long three-point baskets by Levin, to take a 45-32 lead two minutes into the period. When Riggs Yarbro hit a jumper with 14:38 left, the Loggers had their biggest lead of the game at 15 points, 49-34.

The Lutes were able to whittle the deficit to eight points, 69-61, on Curtis Trondsen's long bomb with 2:17 left, but that was as close they got.

After Levin hit another long three with 4:06 remaining, the Loggers scored nine of their final 11 points at the foul line, all nine by Koach.

Kyle MacTaggart scored 17 points, Conti added 16 and Trondsen had 10 for the Lutes, who fall into fourth place in the conference standings with the loss.

Though Pacific Lutheran had its woes shooting the ball and on the boards, it took good care of the ball, giving it away just seven times compare to 14 Puget Sound turnovers. Conti, who fouled out after 27 minutes, had four steals to lead all players in that category.

PLU returns to conference action on Saturday night when it faces Lewis & Clark in Portland, Ore.

- PLU -