Coach Steve Dickerson sees so many positives in what the Pacific Lutheran men’s basketball team is doing this season – except for one repeating breakdown.
The Lutes only seem to lose the close games in the Northwest Conference.
In this grueling stretch of three road games in five days, PLU needed a win Friday night – had it in its grasp for much of the second half before falling to Whitman, 73-68, at the Sherwood Center in Walla Walla.
The Lutes led 63-55 with 5:48 to go, then lost their composure (two uncharacteristic turnovers) and stopped making shots – especially at the free-throw line, where they made just two of 12 attempts.
And the Missionaries (15-5, 8-3 NWC) relied heavily on their best player, David Michaels, who scored 30 points. The senior is a front-runner for conference player of the year.
“I think he and Taylor Mounts (from Willamette) are the best players in the league,” Dickerson said. “(Michaels) is big, athletic and good. And he is on a roll.”
Cameron Schilling’s 3-pointer gave the Lutes (10-10, 7-4) their biggest lead, 63-55. But Michaels made four three throws in the final 5:11, and his three-point play completed a 16-6 run, giving Whitman a 71-66 advantage with 54 seconds left.
The Lutes’ four NWC defeats have been by a combined 16 points.
At Whitworth 78, Puget Sound 59: The 10th-ranked Pirates never trailed, sweeping the season series in Spokane as five Whitworth players scored in double figures – led by Felix Friedt’s 16 points.
UPS had its four-game winning streak snapped.
Again, it was the Loggers’ first-half defense that let them down. The Pirates (17-3, 10-1 NWC) shot 61.3 percent from the floor (19 of 31).
UPS (15-5, 7-4) cut its deficit to 39-30 on Kaleb Shelton-Johnson’s bucket with 2:37 to go in the first half, but the Pirates closed with a 5-0 run – capped by Jack Loofburrow’s 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining.
WOMEN’S GAMES
At Whitworth 69, UPS 61: Back-to-back 3-ponters by Laura Picha and Kayla Johnson broke open a tight game for the Pirates as they pulled out a victory over the Loggers in Spokane.
Sarah Stewart’s lay-in for UPS (11-9, 7-4 NWC) trimmed Whitworth’s advantage to 52-50 with 71/2 minutes to go before the two Pirates guards connected from long range, starting an 8-0 Whitworth run.
At Whitman 64, PLU 42: Janele Peterson scored eight points in an opening 21-8 spurt in the first 91/2 minutes, and the Missionaries cruised past the overmatched Lutes (6-15, 3-9 NWC).
Samantha Potter led PLU with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
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