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Jan. 31, 2009
Voorhies Leads Lutes Back to Win Column
PORTLAND, Ore. - Emily Voorhies scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Pacific Lutheran to a 56-41 Northwest Conference women's basketball victory over the host Lewis & Clark on Saturday night at Pamplin Sports Center.
The win ended a three-game conference losing streak and was the Lutes' second victory in eight road games this season. As a result, the Lutes improved their overall record to 11-8 and their Northwest Conference mark to 5-5. Lewis & Clark is now 9-10 this season and 3-7 in the conference.
Voorhies, a 6-1 senior post from Auburn, scored seven points during a key 12-1 second half run that helped the Lutes break away from the Pioneers.
Christina Herring converted a three-point play with 8:09 remaining in the game to pull the Pioneers to within 41-36, but the Lutes responded with their game-deciding run. Voorhies scored a pair of layups on successive possession, and Melissa Richardson followed with a pair of foul shots. Voorhies scored the next three points on a field goal and free throw, followed by a Nikki Scott jumper and Trinity Gibbons free throw. The six-minute surge gave the Lutes a 53-37 advantage with 2:17 left in the game. The Lutes would lead by as much as 17 points late in the game before settling for the 15-point win.
Lewis & Clark led early, but once the Lutes took the lead at 9-8 on a pair of foul shots by Richardson six minutes into the game, they never again trailed. Amy Spieker's jumper gave the Lutes their biggest lead of the first half, 24-15, with two minutes left before halftime. PLU eventually settled for a 26-20 halftime margin.
Top contributors for the Lutes besides Voorhies were Spieker with 12 points, Scott with eight points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Gibbons with six assists. Kelly Vega scored 10 points to pace the Pioneers.
The Lutes return to conference action at 6 p.m. Tuesday when they travel across town to play the second-place Puget Sound Loggers at Memorial Fieldhouse.
- PLU -
