Willamette Prepares to Host Pacific Lutheran this Friday

By Evan Giddings, Student Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, ORE. -- Looking to finish the season strong in the last two weeks, the Willamette University women's basketball team will start the final stretch this Friday, Feb. 13 when it hosts Pacific Lutheran University at Cone Field House. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (PST).

Multimedia coverage of Friday's action will be available through Live Video and Live Stats. Mike Allegre will be the play-by-play announcer during the webcast.

The Lutes enter the game with a 4-17 overall record and a 1-11 Northwest Conference record while the Bearcats are now 6-16 overall and 1-12 in the conference. WU will be looking to get back at PLU after losing to the Lutes 67-63 in double overtime back on Jan. 17.

Four Willamette players scored in double digits at PLU, including Jojo DeLong (Sr., PG, Santa Clarita, CA/Canyon HS), who had 18 points and Katie Kalugin (Sr., G, Woodburn, OR/Woodburn HS) who scored 13. Marisa Hamilton (So./Fr., Beaverton, OR/Southridge HS) and Kelsey Walker (Fr., Westerville, OH/Westerville North HS) who contributed 10 points apiece.

On the season, DeLong is averaging team-highs in points (12.7) and minutes played (33.0). She leads Willamette and the NWC with 4.3 assists per game. Kalugin has hauled in a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game, while also contributing 9.6 points per game.

Hamilton and Walker have both played strong off the bench this season and are averaging 5.8 and 3.5 points per game, respectively. Hamilton has shot 47.2% from the floor (50 of 106).

Another contributor is Kylie Towry(So./Fr., G, Medford, OR/South Medford HS), who is coming off of a 15-point game against Lewis & Clark College. Towry leads the NWC with 60 three-pointers on 42% shooting from distance.

However, she will have to square off with another one of the conference's top shooters, PLU's Tayler Flemming (Jr., G). Flemming is averaging 1.3 three-pointers per game at an NWC leading 44% clip. She also averages 7.7 points per game.

Willamette will also focus on slowing down Jori Hall (Jr., F) and Megan Abdo (Jr., G). Hall is leading the Lutes with 10.0 points per game, 47.4% field goal shooting, and 37 offensive rebounds. Abdo leads the team in steals (35) while ranking second in scoring per game (8.6).

Pacific Lutheran has averaged 20.4 turnovers per game, which is the most in the NWC this season. In their first meeting, Willamette forced the Lutes to turn the ball over 16 times.

On the offensive end, Willamette will look to move the ball efficiently as the Bearcats are fourth in the NWC with 12.5 assists per game as a team. PLU ranks last in the conference after achieving just 9.2 assists per game.

Willamette will take on archrival Linfield College a week from Friday on Feb. 20 in McMinnville, Ore. In their first matchup, the Bearcats defeated the Wildcats 71-56. Game time is set for 6 p.m.