by TACOMA, Wash. — ShielTeal Watah scored 24 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for Warner Pacific on Friday, but Pacific Lutheran rallied from 15 points down to beat the Knights 80-72 at Olson Gymnasium in the season opener for both teams.
Watah, a senior guard, started and played 32 minutes, finishing with 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 1-of-4 from three-point range and 7-of-9 at the free-throw line, with 10 rebounds (two offensive, eight defensive), three assists, one steal and four turnovers.
Warner Pacific scored seven of the game’s first nine points and led wire to wire in the first half, going up by 10 after one quarter and pushing the lead to 15 three times in the second quarter before a late Pacific Lutheran jumper cut it to 43-30 at halftime.
The Lutes outscored Warner Pacific 50-29 in the second half, tying the game at 49 and again at 51 in the third quarter before a layup at the end of the third gave them their first lead, 57-56. After the lead traded hands early in the fourth, Pacific Lutheran ran off 10 straight points and led by as many as 13 before closing out the eight-point win.
Riley Layton added 16 points and a team-high 11 rebounds for Warner Pacific, KJ Custer scored nine points, and Alex Saunders had seven points and nine rebounds. Kylie Griffin led Pacific Lutheran with a career-high 31 points and 11 rebounds, Brooke Chisholm scored 13 points in her Lute debut, and Ghadir Ramadan added 10 off the bench.
Warner Pacific is 0-1, and Pacific Lutheran is 1-0. The Knights play at Portland on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 5 p.m. PT at the Chiles Center.
