Three-Point Shooting Leads PLU Past Willamette, 76-56

By Timothy Walsh, Athletics Communications Writer

PARKLAND, WASH. -- Pacific Lutheran University shot 12 of 20 (60.0%) from behind the three-point line, and rode that scorching hot three-point shooting to a 76-56 win over Willamette University in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 25.

PLU improved to 6-11 overall, including 3-5 in the NWC. Willamette dropped to 3-14 overall, 1-7 in NWC play.The game marked the halfway point of the NWC's 16-game round-robin schedule for both teams.

Avery Manu(Sr., Wing, Pocatello, ID/Highland HS) paced the Bearcats with 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting from the floor. Alex Hansen(Sr., Wing, Reno, NV/Galena HS) added 12 points for Willamette, while Kyle McNally(Jr., F, Salem, OR/Sprague HS) pulled down eight rebounds to go with his four points.

The Lutes' Brandon Lester led all scorers with 22 points, connecting of 6 of 9 attempts from beyond the arc. Terrell Williams contributed 18 points.

Though PLU never trailed in the game, Willamette stayed within striking distance most of the first half. A pair of layups from Manu and Brandon Luedtke(So., F, Meridian, ID/Mt. View HS) twice cut the Lutes' lead to one point early in the game, before a Williams three-pointer pushed PLU's margin to 12-4 with 12:40 left in the period.

Just over a minute later, a jumper from Alex Brown(Jr., F, Happy Valley, OR/Clackamas HS) sliced the deficit to 12-8, but back-to-back trifectas from Lester put the Lutes back on top by double-digits.

With 8:36 remaining in the first half, a layup by McNally cut the margin back down to single digits, at 20-12, but another Williams three gave PLU an 11-point lead. The Lutes stretched their advantage to as many as 16 points before Hansen drilled a three-pointer with seven seconds on the clock to cut PLU's lead to 34-23 at halftime.

Willamette made a mini-run after halftime, with a dunk from Jake Stevens (Fr., F, Eagle, ID/Eagle HS) at the 17:39 mark pulling WU within nine. However, back-to-back layups by Bryce Miller and Andrew Alness put PLU ahead 43-30.

The Bearcats, who suffered a heartbreaking 96-93 loss to George Fox University on Friday, Jan. 24, never closed within single digits again.

Willamette shot 20 of 50 (40.0%) from the field for the game, including just 26.7% (4 of 15) from three-point range. The Lutes connected on 27 of 53 attempts (50.9%) overall, to go with their 60% shooting from distance.

While the Bearcats earned an edge in rebounds (33-28) and points in the paint (30-28), PLU punished Willamette for its mistakes, earning 20 points off Bearcat turnovers. Willamette achieved just four points off eight Lute giveaways.