CHICAGO (Duhawks.com) - Struggles on both ends of the court cost the Duhawks a road contest at the University of Chicago, as they fell 72-65 on Wednesday night. Despite another top notch performance by sophomore Lori Obendorf (17 points, 10 rebounds, five steals, three assists), the Maroons hot shooting from distance and physical defense kept the Duhawks at bay.

Both teams struggled offensively from the tip, as the Duhawks (5-4) failed to find their rhythm out of the gate. Sophomore Kat Cabrera shined early on as she scored six of the Duhawks nine points to start the game. As their shooting woes continued, the Duhawks found themselves trailing 15-14 with 12 minutes to play in the first half.

With the Maroon (4-5) defense exerting their physicality on junior Kaitlin Phillips and senior Victoria May on the sidelines, the Duhawks were forced to find different options on the offensive end. Obendorf and Cabrera quickly became those alternatives, pacing Loras with eight and six points respectively in the opening half. Tenacious defense by the Duhawks in the opening 20 forced Chicago into 13 turnovers, keeping them within three at the half, 33-30.

Out of the break, the Maroons found their shooting groove. Chicago opened the half with three three-pointers to extend their lead while the Duhawks shooting struggles continued. Senior Carly Goede's late attempt to kick start the offense, kept the Duhawks within reach but was not enough to push them past the Maroons. Goede scored 17 of her team-high 21 but the Maroon defense stood tall as the Duhawks fell 72-65.

Game Changer
Right out of the locker room, the University of Chicago sank a trio of three-pointers, putting Loras in a hole they could not fight back from. Despite shooting 44.4 percent from distance, the Duhawks were unable to overcome 12 three-pointers by the Maroons.
 
Key Stat
The absence of senior forward Victoria May was felt in the rebounding game. While sophomores Terese McMahon and Lori Obendorf are formidable options in the paint, the Maroons held a 43-32 advantage on the glass, capped by 16 offensive boards.
 
Notables

 
Quotable
Head Coach Justin Heinzen
 
On the loss
"We have to be better than we were tonight, our physicality was lacking and it showed. We're going to need to increase our physicality in order to compete against some tough opponents after our break for the holiday."
 
On Phillips' performance
"We struggled on offense tonight because we couldn't find a way to perform with Victoria May being out and Kaitlin Phillips not performing up to her usual standards. We have struggled to find a way to show up when Kaitlin doesn't play her best and we need to get past that."
 
Next Up
Loras will have an eight day break as they go home for the holidays to be with their families. When they return from the break, they will face the Vikings of Augustana College on December 29 at home. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.