Lutes Visit Northwest Christian Seeking First Win

THIS WEEK: Northwest Christian (8-2) hosts Pacific Lutheran (0-4), Saturday, 7:30 p.m., at Morse Event Center.

ABOUT THE BEACONS: Saturday's game will be the third meeting between Pacific Lutheran and Northwest Christian. The Lutes are 0-2 all-time against the Beacons, losing 81-64 during the 1987 season and dropping a 75-69 decision during the 2001 season. Northwest Christian bosts five players averaging at least 9.0 points per game and average 72.5 points on offense. Ben Voogd leads the team with 16.3 points per game, and Andrew Miller and Cameron Marshall each average six rebounds per game. The Beacons are 8-2 this season, including 4-0 at home. NCU has already defeated two Northwest Conference teams this season, beating Linfield at home, 70-59, and Pacific on the road, 66-55.

ABOUT THE LUTES: Pacific Lutheran ranks second in the Northwest Conference in scoring defense, holding opponents to 79 points per game. Unfortunately for the Lutes, they rank seventh in the league averaging 73 points scored per game. The Lutes rank second in the league with a .444 shooting percentage, but their .529 opponents shooting percentage ranks seventh. Pacific Lutheran leads the conference with 16.75 assists per game, their +3.25 turnover margin ranks fourth and their 1.2 assist/turnover ratio ranks second. Kyle MacTaggart and Victor Bull have tied for the team lead in scoring through the first four games with 12.8 points, and Bull ranks 10th in the NWC with 5.3 rebounds per game.

COMEBACK FALLS SHORT: Anthony Gallagher made all four of his three-point shots on the way to 21 points and Evergreen State held off a late Pacific Lutheran rally to take a 91-82 non-conference win over the Lutes Nov. 24, in Olson Auditorium. Evergreen took a 35-27 lead in a first half that saw the Geoducks make just 41 percent of their shots and turn the ball over 13 times. PLU had its own problems, making just 37 percent of their field goal attempts and giving the ball away nine times. After Victor Bull made a basket 13 seconds into the second half to cut PLU's deficit to 35-29, the Geoducks went on a 15-4 run, capped by a Gallagher three-point shot, to open up a 50-33 lead with 16:10 left in the game. The Lutes battled right back with their own 19-10 spurt to pull to within 60-54 on Schilling's two free throws with 9:26 remaining. Once again, however, Evergreen had an answer and was able to open up another 15-point lead at 80-65 on Ben Wilson's two charity tosses with 4:55 on the clock. From that point on, the Geoducks were able to hold off the Lutes and pick up the victory. The Lutes shot 63 percent from the field in the second half and finished the game making 31-of-62 attempts for 50 percent. Evergreen shot 65 percent in the second half and 53 percent for the game on 32-of-60 accuracy. Evergreen won the rebounding battle, 36-25.

LUTES FALL TO RIPON: Victor Bull scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but it wasn't enough on Saturday as Pacific Lutheran dropped an 81-75 decision to Ripon at the UW-Platteville Thanksgiving Classic. The Lutes took an eight-point lead in the first three minutes, but Ripon went on an 11-3 run to tie the score at 17-17 with 13:26 left in the half. By the time the first half was over, Ripon had moved ahead by a 36-32 score. Pacific Lutheran tied the game with about three minutes remaining on a basket by Kyle MacTaggart, but it was unable to regain the lead. Aris Wurz scored nine of his team's final 11 points to keep Ripon on top.

LUTES FALL TO UW-PLATTEVILLE: Pacific Lutheran battled an opponent tough for the fourth straight game, but Sunday's result was like the others as the Lutes dropped a 68-61 decision to the host school at the UW-Platteville Thanksgiving Classic. The Lutes trailed by two points at the half, 31-29, but took the lead less than a minute into the final period on baskets by Kyle MacTaggart and Cameron Schilling. With the score tied at 35-35, the Pioneers went on an 8-0 run that pretty much decided the outcome. Curt Hanson hit back-to-back three-point shots and Mike Shaw added a jumper for Platteville as the Lutes failed to score during the two-minute run. From that point on, the visitors were unable to get closer than seven points.

ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Kyle MacTaggart earned all-tournament honors after scoring 24 points and blocking six shots in two games at the Thanksgiving Classic.

TO HONOR AND REMEMBER: The men's and women's basketball teams will honor the memory of the four slain Lakewood police officers at the Dec. 12 men's basketball game against Northwest. The women's basketball team will take money at the gate and sell specially made T-shirts. In addition, the basketball programs will take donations. All of the proceeds will go to a fund created for the families of the slain officers.

- PLU -