Setting the Scene: The Pacific Lutheran University men's basketball team concludes its opening Northwest Conference homestand tonight, squaring off against crosstown rival University of Puget Sound.
Series History: The crosstown rivalry has been played 156 times since the series began during the 1940-1941 season with the Lutes holding an 83-73 edge over the Loggers. That includes winning 12 of the last 14 meetings, including a series sweep in 2024-2025. The Lutes escaped Puget Sound's Memorial Gymnasium with a 71-69 victory last January before rolling to an 83-69 win inside Olson Gymnasium on Feb. 11.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (7-4, 1-1 NWC) experienced mixed results in the opening weekend of conference play, holding on for a 75-73 nail biting win over George Fox University before coming up short 73-59 to Lewis & Clark College the following evening. Charlie Kapranos dropped 23 points in the NWC opener against George Fox— one of three Lutes to finish in double figures. PLU led by as many as 11 in the second half but needed a defensive stand at the end to fend off a late Bruin comeback.
The Lutes led 36-35 in the second half against the River Otters thanks to a Caleb Berry jumper but visiting Lewis & Clark mounted an 18-2 run, seizing a double digit lead they would maintain the rest of the game.
Mack Hepper led the charge in the loss, scoring 12 points with Kapranos added one with a team-best 11 rebounds.
Charlie Kapranos leads the Lutes in several statistical categories, including scoring (14.0 points per game), rebounding (8.3 rebounds per game), assists (50), and steals (13). Ben Tellez adds 13.9 ppg with a team-best 26 threes while Dom Perasso and Henry Smith both add 10.7 ppg.
As a team, PLU is averaging 76.0 points per game and is shooting at a 44.3 percent clip.
Road to 100: Head Coach Chad Murray currently sits one win shy of 100 for his career as the Lutes' head coach. Now in his ninth year for the Lutes, Murray sits at 99 wins at PLU and 170 overall after collecting 71 over eight seasons at Cornell College in Iowa.
Lutes in the Limelight: The Lutes have won three NWC Player of the Week awards of the season. Dom Perasso was recognized for his output during the California trip on Nov. 11 while Charlie Kapranos secured the award on Nov. 18 and again on Dec. 8.
About the Loggers: Puget Sound (7-4, 2-0 NWC) sits tied atop the conference standings after earning a pair of narrow wins over Lewis & Clark and George Fox over the weekend. The Loggers edged past Lewis & Clark 85-79 on Friday night before prevailing by the thinnest of margins in a 71-70 win over George Fox.
Puget Sound trailed at the half against Lewis & Clark but got 24 points from Zane Miller in a game that was tied with just under four minutes to go. Hugo Rutherfurd and Ian Cook were a one-two punch on Saturday's one-point win, scoring 18 and 17 points respectively. Rutherfurd was one board shy of a double-double while Cook had a double-double with a dozen rebounds.
Puget Sound trailed by eight at the halftime break and double digits in the second half but used a 9-0 run midway through the second half to climb back into the game.
Zane Muller is one of three Loggers averaging in double figures, posting 13.9 points per game. Hugo Rutherfurd adds 12.1 ppg while Ian Cook chips in 11.4 ppg and a team-best 5.7 rebounds per game.
Staying in State: The Lutes opened the season in California but is in the midst of playing 11 straight games inside the State of Washington. That includes nine home games inside Olson Gymnasium— three of which to start Northwest Conference play. Sandwiched around those home games will be a short trip down I-5 to face both Evergreen State College and Saint Martin's University.
NWC Coaches' Poll
This October, the Lutes were picked to finish tied for third in the league standings with crosstown nemesis University of Puget Sound, both collecting 44 points. NWC heavyweight Whitworth sat atop the poll with 64 points.
Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace last fall through the department's partnership with Opendorse. 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.
Next Game:
Jan. 16 vs. Pacific at 7:30 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