DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) – The Loras women's basketball team suffered a tough loss to No. 10 Wheaton on Saturday, falling 67-64 in the final seconds of the game. The Duhawks' (4-4) missed free-throw opportunities and the Thunder's (7-1) success from behind the arc ultimately led to Loras' defeat. Junior
Lori Obendorf finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds to lead Loras.
TURNING POINTWith 1:42 left in the third quarter the Thunder held a nine-point lead over the Duhawks, their largest deficit at that point in the game. This was started by an 11-3 scoring run which included two Wheaton 3-pointers. While the Duhawks managed to comeback, they were never able to gain a substantial lead.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First QuarterThe Duhawks began the game in an efficient manner, executing an 11-2 scoring run over the Thunder. Junior
Terese McMahon tallied the first five points followed by a four-point play from junior
Kat Cabrera. After five minutes of play, sophomore
Lauren Stanich rolled in a layup, giving Loras a 15-5 lead.
In the remaining minutes of the quarter, Wheaton began to close the gap on the Duhawks' lead by executing their perimeter play. The Thunder went 5-of-8 from behind the arc for 62.5 percent shooting in the first quarter. Wheaton scored 11 unanswered points of their own to take a 16-15 lead to end the quarter.
Second QuarterWhile the Thunder continued to score from beyond the 3-point line, the Duhawks were dominant under the basket outscoring Wheaton 32-24 in the paint. This front-court effort was led by juniors
Lori Obendorf and McMahon who scored 14 and 15 points, respectively.
Midway through the quarter, the Thunder began to pull away with the help of 10 points from Katie McDaniels. McDaniels led all scorers with 24 points on the night. The Duhawks responded with an 8-0 run of their own to tie the game at 31 all. The teams exchanged baskets in the final minute of the quarter and Wheaton maintained a 36-34 lead at halftime.
Third QuarterThe Thunder opened scoring in the second half with a deep two by Hannah Considine. Loras struggled to defend Wheaton behind the arc as nine of their 15 third quarter points were 3-pointers. Nevertheless, McMahon and Obendorf continued to fight in the paint. Both forwards converted on 3-point plays, showcasing their ability to draw the foul and finish strong.
Obendorf continued her success on the defensive end of the court, grabbing 15 boards to help Loras out-rebound Wheaton, 43-29. Despite Loras' advantage on the boards, the Thunder once again pulled away to a nine-point lead with 1:42 remaining in the quarter. Missed opportunities from the charity stripe hampered the Duhawks efforts, resulting in a 51-44 Thunder lead after the third quarter.
Fourth QuarterThe Duhawks quickly gained ground on the Thunder to start the quarter. Cabrera drained a 3-pointer with 6:05 remaining to tie the game, 56-all. Neither team could obtain a substantial lead as baskets were exchanged for the next five minutes. With 24 seconds left, McMahon converted on two free throws to give the Duhawks a 64-63 lead.
McDaniels responded on the next possession allowing Wheaton to pull ahead, 65-64. With nine seconds remaining the Duhawks called a timeout to set up a closing play. Unfortunately, a costly turnover forced Obendorf to commit a foul to stop the clock. McDaniels made both of her free throws to secure the win for Wheaton, 67-64.
FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Lori Obendorf | Obendorf continues to be a dominate force under the basket on both ends of the court. She recorded a game-highs in rebounds (15) and blocks (3) in addition to scoring 14 points.
SOUNDBITES | Lori Obendorf & Terese McMahonSOUNDBITES | Justin HeinzenUP NEXTThe Duhawks will travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to compete in the "Cruzin' Classic" where they will face Webster University on Saturday, Dec. 20. The Gorloks are currently 3-3 on the year and suffered a 90-39 loss to WashU last Wednesday.
