By Nick Barene, Sports Writer
In the final home games of the year for the women’s basketball team, the Lutes came up short against the visiting Pacific University Boxers.
In the women’s game the Lutes shot the ball from well beyond the three-point arc. Senior Shelly Kilcup led the attack for the Lutes with 15 first-half points. She hit five of her first 10 shots from the field, three of which were three pointers.
The Lutes also rebounded the ball well in the first half. Senior Katelyn Smith grabbed 10 of her 13 total rebounds in the first half alone. Because of their stellar three-point shooting and excellent rebounding, the Lutes went into the locker room at halftime holding onto a 31-25 advantage.
The second half told a different tale, as the visiting Boxers came out of the gate on a 10-4 run. The run would be a sign of events to come. After a PLU basket, the Boxers scored 12 straight points to take a commanding 46-37 lead.
But the Lutes would not go down quietly, and with the help of Kilcup’s long-range efforts and a basket in the paint from senior Samantha Potter, PLU took a 52-51 lead with three minutes to play.
The lead changed hands back and forth over the next three minutes in a chess match of strategic fouls and free throw shooting. But with 30 seconds to play, back-to-back three-point shots by the Boxer’s Alex Pfefferle all but sealed the fate of the game for the Lutes.
Sophomore Megan Abdo hit a three-point shot with 15 seconds to go, but it wasn’t enough for the Lutes as they lost a heart breaker on senior night, 67-62. Melissa Castor, Potter, Chrissy Swope, Kilcup and Smith all played their final home game for the Lutes.
The Lutes fall to 7-16 overall and 3-11 in NWC play, and the Boxers improve to 7-14 overall and 3-10 in the Northwest Conference. The Lutes will take on Willamette today, and close the season against Linfield Saturday.
