Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran University returns to Olson Gymnasium and begins its final homestand of the season tonight, welcoming crosstown rival University of Puget Sound for a midweek tilt.
Series History: This will be the 155th all-time meeting between the Tacoma rivals in a series dating back to the 1940-1941 campaign. PLU enjoys an 82-73 edge in the series, including stealing a win over the Loggers earlier this winter.
PLU and UPS last battled on Jan. 14 at the Loggers' Memorial Fieldhouse in a game with seven lead changes and nine ties. In the end, it was the Lutes who triumphed 71-69, having now won 11 of the last 13 meetings in the series.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (10-11, 7-5 NWC) sits in a three-way tie for second place in the conference standings with four games to go in the regular season.
The Lutes are where they are after having won six of their last eight games, including splitting a pair of games over the weekend in Oregon. Ben Tellez had 17 points but the Lutes were unable to hang with George Fox University on Friday night with the Bruins securing the 80-65 win in Newberg.
The following night PLU's fortunes were reversed, getting 29 points from reigning NWC Player of the Week Miles Nash and 18 more from Emmett Holt in a 77-73 victory over Linfield University.
The Lutes currently rank second in the NWC in three-point field goal percentage (36.5) while sitting third in the nine-team circuit in both field goal percentage (46.1) and rebounding margin (+3.3).
Miles Nash leads the scoring charge for the Lutes, averaging 14.9 points per game while also dishing out a team-high 69 assists. Brandin Riedel is the leader on the glass with 5.8 rebounds per game while adding 10.4 ppg and shooting at a 57.1 percent clip. Ben Tellez is just shy of averaging double figures, netting 9.6 ppg.
About the Loggers: Puget Sound (11-10, 6-6 NWC) comes to Olson Gymnasium red hot, riding a three-game win streak and have won five of its last six games.
That run of success, which has put the Loggers one game out of fourth place, includes recent wins over Whitman College (80-73 on Feb.1), Linfield University (71-56 on Feb. 7), and Pacific University (81-76 on Feb. 8).
UPS's win over Pacific on Saturday included a huge effort from Hugo Rutherfurd who had 34 points and eight rebounds in the win while Zane Miller had a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards.
Taj Phillips is Puget Sound’s scoring leader, averaging 15.1 points per game while dishing out a team-best 6.0 assists per game. The versatile Phillips additionally hauls in 4.7 rebounds per game. Hugo Rutherfurd, the star of Saturday night, nets 12.4 ppg and a 5.7 rebounds per game while Liam Ruttledge and Zane Miller offer up 11.6 and 10.8 ppg, respectively. Ian Cook is the squad’s top rebounder, hauling in 6.7 points per game.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium is a tough venue for opposing teams with the Lutes boasting a 35-19 record inside the facility since the 2020-2021 season.
Luteville Highlights
Check out the highlights from PLU's last homestand against the Whits.
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 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:
Feb. 15: Willamette at 4 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