Setting the Scene: The Pacific Lutheran University men's hoops team continues its season opening five-game homestand tonight, welcoming New York's Hamilton College to Olson Gymnasium.
Series History: The Lutes and Continentals have never met on the hardwood. Pacific Lutheran has faced off against a New York school just two times, posting a 1-1 record in those games. The Lutes defeated Cabrini University 79-78 during the 2001-2002 season while SUNY-Old Westbury defeated the Lutes 82-74 inside Olson Gymnasium during the 2018-2019 campaign.
About the Lutes: The Lutes (1-2) welcomed a pair of seasoned California schools to Olson Gymnasium last weekend, battling hard but dropping both contests.
Pacific Lutheran led by as many as eight points but visiting Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges did just enough to come away with the 64-60 win on Nov. 15. Miles Nash led the Lutes with 16 points while Dom Perasso tallied 12 along with eight rebounds.
A 10-point halftime deficit was whittled to just five on a Henry Smith three-pointer with 10:44 left in the game but Chapman University answered to hold on for the 81-71 win the following night. It was another big night for Nash who had 17 points while Mack Hepper added 16.
Miles Nash is the Lutes' leading scorer through the opening three games of the year, averaging 15.7 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per game. Mack Hepper adds 11.3 ppg and 4.0 rpg with Henry Smith the third Lute in double figures, dropping 10.3 ppg. Both Hepper and Smith have been threats from beyond the arc, combining to hit 15 threes on the year.
Big man Brandin Riedel leads the Lutes on the glass, hauling in 6.3 rpg while Dom Perasso hauls in 5.0 rpg and adds 9.3 ppg on the offensive end of the court.
As a team, PLU is shooting 46.1 percent from the floor and holds a +3.3 rebounding edge.
About the Continentals: Hamilton (3-1) rolls into Olson Gymnasium on a two-game win streak as they prepare to play two games in the Pacific Northwest this week.
The Continentals blew out Widener University 81-54 to open the season on Nov. 15 at the Widener Tip-Off Tournament before falling 84-71 to Stockton University the following day.
Since then, Hamilton has racked up two wins over in-state foes, rolling SUNY-Geneseo 93-76 on Tuesday and squeaking past SUNY Polytechnic 68-66 on Thursday night in a wild road game that featured 14 lead changes and eight ties. That game was tied with 3:42 remaining in the game but the two teams finished out regulation by hitting just one of the final 10 shots. Luckily for Hamilton it was Hank Morgan getting a layup with seven seconds left to secure the win as a Wildcat three at the buzzer didn't fall.
Hamilton has three players averaging in double figures through the opening three games with Hank Morgan leading the way with a 19.8 points per game average while also adding 5.0 rebounds per game. That includes shooting at a 60.9 percent clip from the floor and a 38.1 percent clip from three-point range.
Teja Singh adds 14.0 ppg while Matthew Rideout has a 10.5 ppg average in the two games he's started in.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium is a tough venue for opposing teams with the Lutes boasting a 31-14 record inside the facility since the 2020-2021 season.
Luteville Highlights
NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll
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.
Last spring PLU became just the second Division III school in the nation and the first school in any division in the State of Washington to partner with Athlete's Thread. Athlete's Thread allows every Lute student-athlete to sell customizable gear and jerseys with their name and number and receive monetary compensation for a portion of each sale. Check out the link above to order your gear today!
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 Home Game:
Dec. 7: Douglas at 6 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
Credits:
Lindsey Clark & Emily Wilburn