Setting the Scene: After a quick day trip to Salem last weekend, the Lutes are back at home. The Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team opens a two-game homestand tonight, welcoming Northwest Conference rival Pacific University to Olson Gymnasium. The game is PLU's seventh home game over the last eight games and is the fourth home game over its last five NWC games.
Series History: The Lutes and Boxers have met 86 times since the 1980-1981 season with Pacific Lutheran holding a slim 47-41 advantage in the all-time series.
The two teams split the season series last winter, each winning on their home floor. The Lutes used a big first quarter to set the tone in a 61-50 victory last year on Jan. 25 inside Olson Gymnasium but was unable to secure the sweep the following month, stumbling 51-40 in Forest Grove on Feb. 21.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (1-12, 0-4 NWC) hit the road for the first time in conference play last Friday night, coming up short 80-61 in Salem, Oregon against rival Willamette University.
That game saw the Bearcats come out of the gate swinging, owning a 25-12 lead after one quarter of play in an opening 10 minutes that saw host Willamette shoot at a 62.5 percent clip (10-for-16) while the Lutes were ice cold, going just three-for-15 (20 percent) from the floor.
Sydney Reisner led the Lutes offensively, providing 19 points while Lilli Williams added 11 with six rebounds. Emi Wada tallied seven points and seven assists.
That game came off the heels of a tight 69-65 setback to University of Puget Sound on Tuesday, Ja. 6, a game the trailed by a single point in the final minute of regulation.
Sydney Reisner continues to pace the Lutes, averaging 13.7 points per game and hitting a team-best 24 threes. Reisner is shooting at a 32.0 percent clip from beyond the arc and ranks second in the conference in scoring during league play, averaging 19.5 ppg through the opening four games of the conference campaign.
Lilli Williams is the only other Lute averaging in double figures, registering 10.6 ppg and 5.1 rebounds per game while Ghadir Ramadan leads the team with 5.7 rpg. Kylie Griffin adds 8.2 ppg while Emi Wada is the top distributor with 45 assists on the season.
About the Boxers: Pacific (7-6, 2-2 NWC) heads to Olson Gymnasium riding a two-game sine streak. The Boxers opened up the calendar year with a 50-45 road setback to Whitman College before rebounding the following day with a 73-59 win over Whitworth University in Spokane. Pacific's good fortunes continued last Saturday, collecting a 69-66 win over Lewis & Clark College. The host Boxers trailed by three at the half but outscored the visiting River Otters 22-13 over the third quarter. Pacific's lead grew to as many as nine in the fourth quarter, holding on for the three-point win behind a 20-point night from Karina Franco.
Shaade Williams is one of two Boxers averaging in double figures, dropping 12.6 points per game while also hauling in a team-best 6.3 rebounds per game. Williams additionally paces the team in steals with 18 during the 2025-2026 campaign. Sydney Esperanza adds 10.8 ppg and 6.2 rpg, shooting 50.4 percent from the floor while Lindsay Barden and Karina Franco contribute, 9.5 and 9.1 ppg, respectively.
Pacific averages 64.6 points per game this season, shooting 41.7 percent from the field.
1K Lute: Lute senior Sydney Reisner heads into the weekend with 905 career points and is looking to become the first Lute 1,000-point scorer since Samantha Potter (1,367 points) in 2014. Reisner has 12 games to gain the remaining 95 points, needing to average 7.9 points per game.
NWC Coaches' Poll
The Lutes look to defy expectations this fall after getting pegged to place ninth in the conference standings in the annual NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll. PLU collected 11 points in the poll, falling six shy of eighth ranked Lewis & Clark College. Linfield University is the preseason favorite with 60 points with crosstown rival University of Puget Sound second with 56 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. 17 vs. Linfield at 3 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