ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Duhawks.com) – The Loras College women's basketball team collected their first road win of the season on Wednesday in a matchup against Augustana College. After being down by as much as 17 points in the second quarter, a fourth quarter surge lifted the Duhawks (3-2) over the Vikings (3-3) by a final score of 72-61.

TURNING POINT
After spending the majority of the fourth quarter mounting a comeback, junior Erin Weaver scored a jumper with 2:25 remaining in the game to put Loras up 62-61. The Vikings never regained the lead, and Weaver's basket sprung a 10-0 run that Loras used to their advantage.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
The Duhawks opened the game on a strong note, scoring six unanswered points against Augustana. Junior Lori Obendorf contributed four points during the stretch. Augustana quickly got back in the game however with two free-throws from Olivia Mayer and a three-pointer from Marissa Pezzopane, dwindling Loras' lead to 6-5.

Augustana executed a full-court press midway through the quarter, forcing Loras to make cross court passes. Unfortunately, the Duhawks were forced into committing six turnovers which allowed the Vikings to pull ahead. Augustana's hot three-point shooting (66.7 percent) helped the Vikings end the first quarter on a 10-0 run.  

Second Quarter
The Vikings continued their scoring run into the second quarter with a jumper from Pezzopane. A short 30 seconds later senior Megan Jones responded with a 3-pointer of her own to put Loras back on the scoreboard.

Repeated turnovers and fouls from the Duhawks gave Augustana opportunities to widen their advantage. A multitude of Duhawks assisted in the scoring effort adding nine points collectively. Entering halftime Loras trailed the Vikings, 35-27.

Third Quarter
The third quarter consisted of a strong comeback effort by the Duhawks. Free-throws were a main factor in Loras' ability to outscore the Vikings 22-17 in the third. Loras went 12-15 from the line, good for 80 percent free-throw shooting. Augustana only made it to the charity stripe just four times, but converted on each attempt.

In addition to the Duhawks' successful free throw shooting, two other big plays helped the team mount their comeback. First, sophomore Lauren Stanich sped up the game-tempo, scoring a lay-up off a fast break in the fifth minute of the quarter. With 12 seconds remaining, McMahon scored a jumper to bring the Duhawks within one point. Unfortunately, Augustana's Mayer then converted on two free-throws, maintaining the Viking's lead after 30 minutes of play.

Fourth Quarter
The final 10 minutes of the game involved fast-paced execution from both sides. Loras and Augustana exchanged baskets for the first seven minutes of the quarter, until a jumper from senior Megan Jones put the Duhawks in the lead, for the first time since the first quarter. Augustana regained the lead on the next possession with a set of free throws, but a jumper from Weaver with 2:25 remaining put Loras in the lead for good.

In attempt to stall time, the Vikings committed several fouls over the course of the final minutes of the game. Junior Kat Cabrera and senior Kaitlin Phillips converted on four of their final five free-throws respectively to help the Duhawks pull away. Loras ended the game on a 10-0 run to secure their first road victory. With her free-throws in the closing seconds, Phillips tied the Loras single-game record for free-throws attempted in a game with 21. The record was previously set by Katie Langmeier against University of Dubuque in 2012.

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Lori Obendorf | The junior forward recorded her second double-double of the season on Wednesday, hauling in 18 rebounds and scoring 18 points. 18 rebounds marks the second highest tally of Obendorf's career. Obendorf continued to be a defensive stalwart, swatting three shots.

UP NEXT
The Duhawks will travel to Elmhurst, Ill. to face the Blue Jays on Saturday, December 5. Elmhurst (4-3) suffered a 81-65 loss to UW-Whitewater on Wednesday. Loras defeated the Blue Jays in the AWC last season, 82-69. Victoria May led the way with 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting.