Setting the Scene: The Pacific Lutheran University men's hoops team returns home after the Holidays, hosting University of California Santa Cruz to close out the calendar year and its non-conference slate.
Series History: The Lutes and Banana Slugs will be meeting for the 12th time ever, with the series dating back to the 1997-1998 campaign. The Lutes own an 8-3 edge over the Slugs, having won the last two encounters.
That includes a 91-90 victory last season on Nov. 26 in Portland. Five Lutes ended the game in double figures, including Brandin Riedel who dropped 17 points and was an efficient eight-for-10 from the floor.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (3-5) is back inside Olson Gymnasium after a three game road swing that included a pair of games in the Lone Star State. The road trip began in Oregon with the Lutes thumping Portland Bible College 81-29 on Dec. 14, a game that saw 14 PLU players score a basket.
The Lutes weren't as fortunate in Texas, dropping a pair of games to two top notch Division III opponents. PLU had a combined 37 points from Brandin Riedel and Miles Nash but it wasn't enough against host LeTourneau University with the Yellowjackets securing an 89-69 victory.
PLU trailed by 11 at the break the following night, eventually falling 81-65 to the University of Saint Thomas. Riedel and Nash again led the Lutes, both finishing in double figures.
Three Lutes average in double figures through the opening eight games of the season. Miles Nash leads the offensive charge, dropping 13.7 points per gam,e while adding 5.0 rebounds per game and a team-best 26 assists. Brandin Riedel offers 11.4 ppg and a team0best 6.5 rebounds per game, shooting an efficient 63.8 percent from the floor.
Dom Perasso is the third Lute averaging in doubles figures. In five starts, Perasso nets an even 10.0 ppg.
About the Banana Slugs: California Santa Cruz (7-7) heads to Tacoma looking to snap a two-game slide. The Slugs have dropped three of their last four— the lone victory during that stretch a 74-68 victory over California Institute of Technology on Dec. 15.
Sandwiched around that victory was setbacks against Washington University in Saint Louis (91-72) on Dec. 7, and against in-state rivals Chapman University on Dec. 16 (76-73) and University of Redlands two days later (91-85).
Joseph Espy is the Slugs top scorer, netting 14.4 points per game while adding a team-best 6.9 rebounds per game. Zino Okah adds 13.1 ppg and 5.5 rpg. The duo have been shot blocking machines as well, combining for 35 blocks this season. Andrew Ferrara-Jones is the third UCSC player in double figures with 11.0 ppg.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium is a tough venue for opposing teams with the Lutes boasting a 32-15 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:
Jan. 10: Linfield 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:
Thient Han