FOREST GROVE, Ore. - Pacific Lutheran led by 13 points with eight minutes to go Saturday night but couldn't hold the lead and eventually lost in overtime to the Pacific Boxers, 68-62, at Stoller Center.

The win was particularly important for the Boxers, who at 8-6 are tied with Lewis & Clark for the fourth-and-final Northwest Conference postseason playoff spot. Both teams play two more games this week, including a Tuesday night contest against each other at Pacific.

The Lutes are now 7-16 overall and 5-9 in the conference following the defeat.

One bright spot in the loss was Cameron Schilling becoming the 24th player in Pacific Lutheran men's basketball history to surpass 1,000 points. He joined current teammate Drew Earnest, who reached that mark on Feb. 6, on the list of 1,000-point scorers.

After building a 24-17 lead in a low-scoring first half, Pacific Lutheran seemed in a good position to win the game after Drew Earnest scored six points to key a 14-2 run as the Lutes took a 44-31 lead with 8:18 to play.

Pacific wasn't done, however, going on an 18-4 run of its own, capped by a Danny Brakebush layup, to go on top 49-48 with 2:32 to play.

With Daniel Landram hitting four free throws and Terrell Williams adding two more, the Lutes went ahead 56-53 with 35 seconds to play. The Boxers pulled within one point on Dustin Bowser's rebound basket, and after Cameron Schilling hit one of two charity tosses for PLU with 19 seconds left, Pacific forced the game into overtime on Colin Wester's jumper with three seconds left in regulation. It was the free throw with 19 seconds remaining that gave Schilling his 1,000th career point.

Pacific scored the first four points of the overtime and were never headed after that. Brakebush hit a pair of free throws with nine seconds left to put the game away.

Wester led Pacific with 22 points, followed by Brakebush with 20 and Bowser with 12, in addition to a team-high 10 rebounds.

Schilling led the Lutes with 16 points and 12 rebounds and Landram added 12 points, eight of those at the foul line. The Lutes shot just 30 percent (17-for-56) from the field.

PLU plays its final two games at home next weekend when it hosts Lewis & Clark on Friday and George Fox on Saturday.

- PLU -