DAVENPORT, Iowa (Duhawks.com) – Playing through ten ties and seven lead changes, senior Carly Goede's three-pointer at the buzzer lifted the Duhawks to their first win over No. 20 St. Ambrose (4-2) in program history on Sunday. Loras (4-2) overcame a tumultuous first half behind a strong defense to leave with the 67-64 win.

Despite the strong play of sophomore Lori Obendorf (10 points, 10 rebounds), turnovers plagued the Duhawks as they trailed 36-30 at the break.

Loras found its groove in the second half, opening with a 10-4 run to level the score at 40 with just under 15 minutes to play. Over the course of the next ten minutes the teams traded baskets with neither team leading by more than four.

After St. Ambrose converted a free throw opportunity, the Duhawks trailed 57-54 with 5:28 remaining. On the ensuing position sophomore Kathleen Cabrera was fouled on her way to the basket. Cabrera hit a pair from the stripe but the Fighting Bees responded on the other end. St. Ambrose's Lauren Brummel was fouled on her jump shot and converted the three-point play from the line to push their lead back to four.

Following a few empty possessions on both ends, Goede was called foul, sending St. Ambrose's Jessica Mlachnik to the free throw line for a one and one. Mlachnik missed the front end and Obendorf ripped down the defensive board. The Duhawks pushed the ball up court allowing Goede to find an open Cabrera on the baseline. The sophomore guard banked in the baseline jumper, cutting the deficit to two.

Obendorf denied the Fighting Bees shot on the ensuing possession before freshman Miranda Chapman pulled down the rebound. Kaitlin Phillips moved the ball up court, looking to tie the score. With the play set, the Duhawks exerted the necessary patience to set up Chapman for the open layup with 1:57 to play.

Solid defensive pressure by both teams forced the other to settle for deep three-point attempts before St. Ambrose retook the lead, 64-62, with 56 seconds left in regulation.

After a quick in-bounds, Kaitlin Phillips handed off to senior Victoria May at the top of the key. Recognizing the defensive gap, May drove to the basket for a layup. As the ball fell in the hoop, the basket was waved off as the officials called a foul on the floor. The play put May at the free throw line for a high pressure one-and-one opportunity with 32 seconds left on the clock.

Following two free throws from May, St. Ambrose called a timeout to set up their final play.

In dire need of a stop on the defensive end, the Duhawks battled through a series of ball screens to force St. Ambrose into an off-balanced three-point attempt from well beyond the arc. Commotion under the basket resulted in the ball falling out of bounds off of a St. Ambrose player, setting up the Duhawks for the final possession.

With just under five seconds remaining, May in-bounded the ball to Kaitlin Phillips who ran it up the near baseline. Just after Kaitlin Phillips crossed half court, Goede's defender stepped over to help, leaving Goede wide open at the top of the key. Noticing the double team, Kaitlin Phillips dished to Goede who squared up two feet behind the arc and nailed the shot at the buzzer to give Loras the 67-64 win.
 
Game Changer
Goede's three at the buzzer provided Loras with the 67-64 win. The win marks Loras' first win over St. Ambrose in the program's history.

Key Stat
Sophomore Lori Obendorf provided the Duhawks with a force on the boards, recording 19 rebounds to help Loras to a 35-33 rebounding advantage.
 
Notables

Quotable
Senior Guard Carly Goede
"When Kaitlin was driving up the court my defender left me to help on her. Once Kaitlin saw my defender commit to her she passed me the ball at the top of the key. I knew time was running out and put the shot up hoping for the best and it went in. It's a great win for our team."

Up Next
The Duhawks return to the Athletic & Wellness Center on Wednesday when they host the Elmhurst Bluejays. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.