by Kelsey Segren, Sports Information Assistant

PARKLAND, Wash. – Pacific Lutheran earned the weekend sweep with a 65-45 Northwest Conference victory over the visiting Whitworth women's basketball team on Saturday night in the Olson Auditorium.

Pacific Lutheran (3-4, 3-4 NWC) got out to a 22-5 lead after the first quarter and maintained a double-digit margin for the rest of the game. Whitworth (2-3, 2-3) struggled to make shots all game, finishing 24.1% (14-58) from the floor with just one made three-pointer on the night.

Pacific Lutheran used a 16-0 run in the opening quarter, holding Whitworth scoreless for over six and a half minutes, to take a 22-5 lead into the second. The Pirates shot 12.5% (2-16) from the floor in the period, including 0-5 from beyond the arc. The Lutes made 47.1% (8-17) of attempts from the field and were 1-5 from three in the quarter.  

Quincy McDeid made the first Pirate basket of the second quarter at 03:36 on the clock as the Bucs trailed 28-8. Whitworth had missed 20 consecutive baskets before the McDeid layup. Madison Hagen made Whitworth's only three of the game to narrow the margin to 32-16 at the break.

Whitworth got within 13 (39-26) on a pair of free throws from Megan Dorney with three and a half minutes left in the third. PLU responded with six straight points to bring its lead out to 45-26, which included a three-pointer from Emma Janousek.

PLU took its largest lead of the game (63-40) with under two minutes to play on a jumper from Alexis Kleven.

The Pirates did not have any players reach double-digit scoring. Keara Simpson led the team with eight points and eight rebounds.

Janousek led the Lutes with 26 points on 8-12 shooting. Toni Thibert and Megan Drake added 11 points each. Hailey Marsh grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. PLU made 38.2% (21-55) of its shots from the floor, which included just 21.4% (3-14) from three-point range.

Both teams finished with 45 rebounds.  

Whitworth will face Whitman in a pair of games in Walla Walla next weekend.