DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras College Women's Basketball team's quest to defend their Iowa Conference title began with a bout against Buena Vista University on Wednesday night in the Athletic & Wellness Center. Senior
Carly Goede carried the Duhawks to a lead at halftime before junior
Kaitlin Phillips and the Loras bench sealed the victory, 83-73.
Right out of the gates, six different players scored for the Duhawks, allowing them to jump out to a 13-4 lead.
Buena Vista (5-7) fought back within one with just over eight minutes to play in the half but the Duhawks (7-5) stood tall. Loras held the Beavers to a measly 36.7 percent field goal percentage in the half, while they shot 51.9 percent themselves. With the upper-hand in shooting, the Duhawks soared to a 41-30 lead at the half.
Returning to the court with an 11-point lead, Loras was held scoreless on the first few possessions. The offensive lull allowed the Beavers to cut into the lead and eventually even the score at 56.
With just over ten minutes to play, the Beavers took their first lead of the game thanks to a three from the wing by Sidney Beckman. Fortunately for the Duhawks, freshman
Megan Jones answered on the other end to tie the game at 59.
For the next five minutes, Jones continued to be the answer as she followed up every Beavers basket with one of her own.
After Jones helped the Duhawks survive the strong comeback effort of Buena Vista, Obendorf found
Kaitlin Phillips cutting through the lane, leaving the Hinkley, Illinois product to finish a difficult reverse layup. With a high kiss off the glass, Phillips gave Loras a four-point edge with 4:28 to play.
Free throws by
Kaitlin Phillips extended Loras' lead to eight with just under a minute to play. The Duhawks kept the Beavers from getting any closer with a pair of key defensive stops before earning their first Iowa Conference victory of the season, 83-73.
Game Changer
Strong second half performances by the Duhawks bench, highlighted by freshmen
Megan Jones and
Miranda Chapman propelled Loras to the win ... The pair combined for 17 points and four rebounds in 18 minutes of play
Key Stat
The Duhawks cashed in Buena Vista's 19 turnovers for 24 points
Notables
- Sophomore Naomi Phillips celebrated her birthday talking five points and one rebound in 13 minutes of play
- Senior Victoria May recorded a season-high five assists to go along with seven points, four rebounds, two steals, and a block
- Junior Kaitlin Phillips paved the way for the Duhawks, leading the team with 18 points
- For just the second time this season, every player that appeared scored at least four points
- Freshman Megan Jones scored a career-high nine points in her home debut, while also adding three rebounds and an assist
- The Duhawks tied their best shooting performance from deep, shooting 44.4 percent (8 of 18) from beyond the arc
- Loras won the turnover battle, forcing the Beavers into 19 while committing 16 themselves
Quotables
"Our coaches let us know tonight to shoot the ball if we're open and they talked about hunting the three. A lot of the three's we've taken have been 'shot-clock threes'. So they told us to hunt the three and look for open opportunities which has changed our [approach] a little bit."
"It's been a long three years since the last time I played basketball. It's been my teammates and my coaches that have encouraged me to keep going. There's been a lot of hard spots and them having confidence in me to go out and shoot the ball is a great confidence builder for me personally."
Next Up
The Duhawks will travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Saturday as they continue Iowa Conference play with a road game against Coe College. The game is slated to start at 2 p.m.
