TACOMA, Wash. – A furious comeback fell just short for the University of Puget Sound men's basketball team as they fell 78-74 to Pacific Lutheran on Tuesday. The Loggers (8-14, 5-8 NWC) swarmed the Lutes (13-8, 8-5 NWC) with a full court press and turned a 15-point deficit into a two-point deficit in the waning moments but could not completely erase the lead.

"(The full court press) is something that we've always had but we're forced to use it when we're down 15 with nine minutes to go," said head coach Justin Lunt. "We did a good job being aggressive and getting to the rim. We got to the free throw line 27 times."

Kaleb Shelton led the Loggers with 18 points, including 13 points in the second half. Edric Egberaure also contributed 10 of his 14 points in the second half as well as grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. Aaron Edwards also knocked down a pair of three-pointers during the comeback to give him 12 points in the game.

Although the Loggers trailed for most of the game, they continually fought their way back. The Lutes, led by 20 points from Kyle MacTaggart, built a double digit lead in the first half only to see it cut to four at halftime. The Lutes built another large lead behind 5-of-9 shooting beyond the arc in the second half.

The Loggers pressure defense eight Lute turnovers in the second half, which the Logger converted into 11 points. They also pulled down 15 offensive boards for 19 second chance points in the second half.

With a narrow two point lead and all the momentum going for the home team, the Lutes forced a crucial turnover and Cameron Schilling knocked down a pair of free throws to close the door on the Logger comeback.

The Loggers will host their final home game of the season on Friday night when they welcome Linfield at 8 p.m.