TACOMA, WA -- The Banana Slugs finished up their time at the Pacific Northwest Tournament on Saturday as they took on the host Pacific Lutheran University Lutes. The Slugs came out of the gate sluggish and the Lutes won, despite a late Banana Slugs rally, 61-58. 

UC Santa Cruz was coming off a 53-51 loss to University of Puget Sound on Friday in Tacoma. The Lutes were coming off a 76-70 overtime win over Colorado College in Tacoma on Friday.

The Banana Slugs would have their only lead of the ballgame at 2-0 on a Sara Crane layup with 19:40 left in the half. The Lutes would then go on a 24-7 run, capped by two Megan Abdo free throws, to make the 24-9 in favor of Pacific Lutheran with 7:57 left. The Slugs would trim the Lutes' lead to ten, at 27-17, on an Ashley Holmes three pointer with 5:02 left. The Lutes would hold the Banana Slugs at arms' length, however, and would take a 36-24 lead into the halftime break.

In the second half, the Lutes would expand their double digit lead to eighteen, their largest of the game, on two occasions, the second coming with 13:19 left, at 48-30, after two Tayler Flemming free throws. The Banana Slugs would get back into the ballgame with a 23-6 run, capped by a Tyler Stewart three pointer with 3:07 left, cutting the Lutes lead to 54-53. After three Lute free throws made the score 57-53, Leah Parrish would make a layup to make the score 57-55. The Lutes would add two more three free throws making the score 59-55, but Leah Parrish would make a three pointer with seventeen seconds left to cut the Lutes' advantage to one at 59-58. The Banana Slugs fouled Flemming and she sank both free throws for a 61-58 lead. Parrish's three pointer to tie the game was missed and the Lutes won 61-58.

Leah Parrish had a game-high nineteen points for the Banana Slugs. Flemming had fourteen points for the Lutes. Sarah Mackey had nine points, off the bench, for the Banana Slugs in the loss. Abdo had thirteen points and Jori Hall had twelve points for the Lutes. 

The Banana Slugs shot 33.3% (23-69) from the field, 25.0% (6-24) from the three point line and was 37.5% (6-16) from the free throw line. The Lutes shot 42.9% (18-42) from the field, 60% (3-5) from the three point line and 61.1% (22-36) from the foul line. UC Santa Cruz's defense forced twenty three Lutes turnovers scoring twenty two points off the turnovers while the Lutes' defense forced sixteen turnovers by UC Santa Cruz scoring eight points off the turnovers. Pacific Lutheran outrebounded UC Santa Cruz 43-39 but the Banana Slugs had twelve second chance points (12-4) and eight more points in the paint (32-24) than did the Lutes. 

The Banana Slugs will now have six days off as they will return home to California. The next game for the Banana Slugs will be Friday as they take on Whittier College at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Tipoff is set for 3 pm.