Setting the Scene: The Pacific Lutheran University men's basketball team continues its homestand today, welcoming Oregon rival George Fox University to Olson Gymnasium on DJS Coalition Night.
A partnership with the PLU athletic department and the PLU center for diversity, justice, and sustainability— DJS Coalition Night highlights the work being done around campus to integrate the concepts of DJS as a core value in living and learning in diverse communities.
Series History: The Lutes and Bruins have met just 57 times since the series began during the 1985-1986 season with the scales tilted 32-25 in favor of PLU. George Fox has experienced the mosts success as of late, winning the last four meetings, including a sweep of the games last season. GFU edged the Lutes 88-83 inside Olson Gymnasium last January before collecting an 81-69 victory in Newberg in early February.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (4-7, 1-1 NWC) opened up conference play last weekend, splitting a pair of road games in eastern Washington against the Whits.
The Lutes opened the New Year with a bang, upsetting 14th-ranked and previously undefeated Whitworth University 75-73 on Friday night behind a monster day from Ben Tellez. The sharpshooter dropped 23 points and had four assists, draining five three-pointers in the game.
PLU trailed by one at the half and never trailed after Mack Hepper drained a trey with 7:02 remaining in the game. It was a one possession game for the final four minutes of play with a Miles Nash steal sealing the win for the visitors. Brandin Riedel had 13 points while Mack Hepper was the third Lute in double figures with 10 off the bench. Julian Brown was a rebounding machine with 11 on the night.
PLU's fortunes were reversed on Saturday, owning a one point halftime lead before running out of gas in an 84-64 setback to Whitman College in Walla Walla.
Julian Brown headlined the day with 13 points and five boards with Nash adding 11. The Lutes trailed by just four points with just over seven minutes to go but the Blues closed the game on a 21-5 run to seal the win.
Miles Nash is the Lutes' leading scorer through the opening 11 games of the season, dropping 12.6 points per game while also chipping in 4.7 rebounds per game. The guard additionally leads the team in both assists (36) and steals (16). Brandin Riedel is the team's second leading scorer, dropping 10.9 ppg and a team-high 5.8 rpg. Riedel's a sure shot, shooting 61.0 percent from the floor this season. Dom Perasso nets 9.9 ppg with Ben Tellez adding 9.6 ppg. Tellez, Henry Smith, and Mack Hepper have been threats from beyond the arc, combining for 55 treys this year.
About the Bruins: George Fox (5-7, 1-2 NWC) heads into the weekend looking to snap a two-game slide in conference play. The Bruins opened league play last Friday night with a 91-81 victory over Willamette University, getting 23 points from Samuel Stewart IV but has struggled since. GFU fell 79-71 to Linfield University the following night before getting edged 74-71 at Pacific University on Tuesday night.
Momo Strokes was the Bruin's top scorer against the Boxers, dropping 19 points with 11 of those coming by way of the free throw line.
Momo Stokes is George Fox's top offensive threat, dropping 21.9 points per game. Samuel Stewart IV adds 14.4 ppg and a team-leading 7.3 rebounds per game while Aiden Price adds 13.1 ppg. Stewart is the team's top distributer, netting 46 assists so far while Nick Greenwood is a lock down defender with 23 steals this season.
Home Sweet Home: Olson Gymnasium is a tough venue for opposing teams with the Lutes boasting a 32-16 record inside the facility since the 2020-2021 season.
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. 24: Lewis & Clark 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