Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore.—Pacific Lutheran University shot over 50 percent from the field and used an 11-0 run midway through the second half to put the game away, as the Lutes spoiled Lewis & Clark College men's basketball's final game in front of their home fans this season.  
 
THE BASICS
Pacific Lutheran University 74, Lewis & Clark 63
(Lewis & Clark 6-17, Northwest Conference 2-12) 
(Pacific Lutheran 13-10, NWC 6-8) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Prior to the game, Lewis & Clark honored the three members of their Class of 2024. Seniors Roderick O'Neal, Nikko Echalas and student-assistant coach Jayden Simpson were joined by friends and family on the floor and celebrated their four-year careers.
 
Junior Mikey Medlock Jr. led the Pioneers on the offensive end. The shooting guard finished with 17 points on 5-12 shooting. He hit two of the Pioneers four made threes and went 5-7 from the charity stripe. Medlock Jr. added a team-high three assists. 
 
Junior Griffin Datcher IV tacked on 13 points on 4-8 shooting. Datcher went 4-4 from the free throw line. 
 
Junior Isaac Ticeson just missed out on a double-double. The big man finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, including five of the team's seven offensive boards. 
 
Juniors Sam Henderson and Nate Berg finished fourth and fifth in scoring. Henderson posted eight points and six rebounds and Berg tacked on six points and five assists. 
 
Pacific Lutheran's Miles Nash led all players with 23 points. Nash added seven rebounds, tied for the game-high with four assists, and drew eight fouls against the Pioneers. Brandin Riedel (13 points and seven rebounds) was the only other Lute in double-figures. 
 
For the second-straight night, Lewis & Clark jumped out to a competitive start. The two teams traded the lead 11 times and had three ties in the first eight minutes. Medlock Jr. canned a 3-pointer with 13:01 to go before halftime to give the Pioneers their last lead of the night (14-12). PLU responded with seven-straight points to take a 19-14 lead and never let the Pioneers closer than three the rest of the way. 
 
After Berg hit a driving layup to cut it to 19-16, the Lutes scored eighth more points to cap off their 15-2 run and make it 27-16 with 6:50 left in the half. 
 
Lewis & Clark responded with an 11-4 run to get back within two possessions. Datcher IV capped off the flurry with a 3-pointer to make it 31-27 with 3:07 left in the half. The senior would add two free throws and Henderson hit a layup to make it a four-point game three total times and the Lutes lead would only be leading by five (36-31) heading into the break. 
 
Lewis & Clark would stay within two possessions for the first five minutes of the second half.  The Lutes briefly pushed their advantage out to 12 (56-44) with 12:07 to go in the game, but the Pioneers would have an answer. Ticeson hit a layup, TJ Muhammad knocked down a free throw, Berg hit a jumper and Meldock Jr. drained two free throws to cut the deficit back to five (56-51) with 9:44 to play. 
 
Unfortunately for the Pioneers, Pacific Lutheran had an even bigger run in store. The visitors scored 11 in a row to extend their lead out to a game-high 16 points (67-56) with 6:22 to play. 
 
Lewis & Clark cut the deficit to nine with under minute to play but that's as close as they would come. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Lewis & Clark finished the game with an 11-3 advantage in fast-break points. 
• Medlock Jr. has finished in double-figures in five of the past six conference games. He is averaging 14.3 points per game during that span. 
• The Lutes held leads in points off turnovers (19-11), points in the paint (36-32) and second-chance points (13-5). 
• O'Neal made his first start of the season in the contest.  

WHO'S NEXT 
 
Lewis & Clark will head on the road for their final two games of the season. On Friday night, the Pioneers will travel to Pacific University for a 6:00 p.m. tip.