SPOKANE, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran couldn't finish off a strong second half rally Saturday as Whitworth defeated the Lutes, 72-53, in Northwest Conference women's basketball play in Whitworth Fieldhouse.

The Pirates improve to 6-1 overall, 1-0 in NWC action, while PLU falls to 0-4 on the season and 0-2 in NWC play.

With junior post Samantha Potter scoring the first eight points, Pacific Lutheran built an 11-4 lead four minutes into the game. Whitworth responded with a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to take a lead that it would not relinquish.

The Pirates grabbed their first double-digit lead of the game, 35-25, on KC McConnell's three-point basket with 4:15 left in the first half, and they eventually took a 42-29 advantage into the halftime break.

Whitworth opened up a 17-point lead in the first 90 seconds of the second half before Pacific Lutheran put together a furious rally that closed the gap to just two points. Potter scored six points and Andi Adams knocked down a pair of three-point shots during a 19-4 run as the Lutes cut their deficit to 50-48 with 11:42 to play.

Over the next seven minutes, however, the Lutes turned the ball over five times and missed 10 shots while scoring just one free throw. By the time Megan Abdo scored a layup with 4:23  remaining, the Lutes trailed 61-51, and Whitworth ended up pulling away for the victory.

Potter led the Lutes with 20 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season, and Chrissy Swope pulled down nine rebounds. PLU shot 38 percent from the field and turned the ball over 22 times compared to 12 for the hosts.

Junior Jamie Lyons led the Pirates with 12 points and Kendra Lahue added 10 points for the Bucs, while Emily Guthrie led in rebounding with eight. Lauren Picha finished the game with six rebounds, six assists and four steals.

Pacific Lutheran returns to action at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, when they travel to Lacey to face the Saint Martin's University Saints.

- PLU -