TACOMA, Washington – Thirteen wasn't a lucky number, but the Puget Sound women's basketball team is poised to reclaim control of its own destiny when it hosts Pacific Lutheran Tuesday, Jan. 18, at 6 p.m. Puget Sound also hosts Pacific Friday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m.
 
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end
Puget Sound's recent winning streak peaked at 12 games after it lost at No. 7 Whitman, 63-51 (Jan. 15). It was the Logger program's longest winning streak since the 2016-17 season. Puget Sound kept pace with the nationally-ranked Blues through 30 minutes. The game was tied after the third quarter, but Whitman pulled away in the final period. Tuesday marks the opportunity to start a new winning streak.
 
Four shadowing
The Loggers and Lutes played each other four times during the shortened 2020-21 season. The head-to-head matchup wasn't a bright spot for PLU, as Puget Sound won three times. The Loggers averaged just over 82 points per game against the Lutes, including 12.8 points per game from Katie Minnehan. Kennedy Brown averaged 12.0 points in the four games against the Lutes, and Samantha Swartout averaged 10.8 points against PLU last year.
 
Stepping up
Kennedy Brown is averaging 9.0 points per game this season, but her scoring average is 16.8 points against NWC foes. She is shooting 48.1-percent from beyond the arc in conference games. Addison Reardon is averaging 11.5 points in her six conference games, including a 43.8 3-point percentage.
 
Take it away now
The Loggers have the second-best scoring defense in the NWC, allowing just 59.6 points per game.  They're the only conference team averaging double digits in steals (14.1), and the 5.0 turnover margin is also tops in the NWC.
 
Doing it all
Sophie Nilsson's name is all over the NWC leaderboards. She ranks fourth in scoring (16.8), eighth in rebounding (8.0), first in blocks (1.4), eighth in assists (2.8), fifth in steals (1.9), and seventh in field-goal percentage (48.1-percent).
 
The dish
Paige Gerhart totaled a career-high eight assists in the Loggers' win at Whitworth (Jan. 14). Her 3.9 assists per game ranks fourth in the conference.
 
Scouting Pacific Lutheran (4-8, 1-4 NWC)
The Lutes beat Whitworth last weekend (Jan. 15), 66-64, to end a six-game losing stream. PLU shoots a conference-worst 36.3-percent from the floor, but its 16.2 turnovers per game is in the middle of the NWC pack. Josie Napoli leads the Lutes in scoring (14.0), and Ava Edmonds is the team's second-leading scorer (13.0). Staci Spahr averages 8.9 boards per game.
 
Scouting Pacific (11-3, 5-0 NWC)
The Boxers are in the midst of a five-game winning streak, and they play No. 7 Whitman Tuesday, Jan. 18. Pacific is the second-highest scoring team in the NWC (73.3), and it also ranks second in field-goal percentage (41.5). Camy Aguinaldo (20.4) and Brilie Kavaloff (17.2) are the top two leading scorers in the conference. Sydney Gray is the team's leading rebounder with 6.6 boards per game.