ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Duhawks.com) – The Loras College women's basketball team continued their string of road game wins with a 73-69 victory over Elmhurst College on Saturday. The team capitalized on their free throw opportunities in order to rally enough points for the win.

TURNING POINT
While the game consisted of 15 lead changes, it was Kat Cabrera's 3-pointer that put Loras ahead for good. With 2:11 left in the game, Cabrera drained a three on the wing off an assist from sophomore Lauren Stanich. The Duhawks finished the game strong, never allowing Elmhurst to take back the lead.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Loras and Elmurst played a close game in the opening minutes. The teams exchanged baskets and remained within three points of each other for the majority of the quarter. The Duhawks began to pull away in the final two minutes of the game with a 4-1 run. Junior Terese McMahon started the scoring effort by pushing through two defenders to score a layup.

Two possession later sophomore Lauren Stanich stole a cross court pass and took it down for a layup. The Blue Jays got their final point of the quarter from a free throw by Annette Stidham. Loras' first quarter success can be attributed to the team's scoring efficiency and rebounding. The Duhawks shot 62.5 percent from the field compared to the Blue Jay's 42.9 percent. Additionally, Loras outrebounded Elmhurst 11-5 led by five first half rebounds from senior Kaitlin Phillips. After 10 minutes of play Loras led 21-17.

Second Quarter
 The second quarter was similar to the first in that neither team took a substantial lead, playing neck and neck the entire quarter. As the whole, the game consisted of 15 lead changes and the score was tied four times. The Duhawks dominated the glass grabbing 43 rebounds to Elmhurst's 27. Phillips and Obendorf recorded eight rebounds apiece.

The Duhawks maintained their lead until the final minutes of the second quarter. A layup from Stidham gave the Blue Jays a 38-35 lead entering halftime.  

Third Quarter
Determined to close the gap before Elmhurst took a bigger lead, junior Kat Cabrera led the Duhawks in a strong scoring effort. Cabrera recorded seven unanswered points against the Blue Jays in the opening minutes of the quarter to put the Duhawks up 42-38.

The Duhawks continued to pull ahead by drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. Loras had four opportunities for three-point plays and converted on two of them. The team scored 20 of its 73 points off of free throws, shooting 76.9 percent from the charity stripe. Four free throws from Phillips and junior Terese McMahon gave Loras a 53-50 lead to end the quarter.  

Fourth Quarter
Both Loras and Elmhurst experienced foul trouble in the fourth quarter giving each other several opportunities for free throws. Loras was 20-26 from the line compared to Elmhurst who shot 17-24. This edge helped Loras stay in the game even though the lead kept changing.

With 2:30 remaining, Cabreara scored a layup off a give-and-go from junior Erin Weaver. She scored a 3-pointer on the next possession, giving Loras a 66-65 lead that they maintained until the final buzzer. A layup from Obendorf and four more free throws from Phillips sealed Loras' 73-69 victory over the Blue Jays.  

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Kat Cabrera | Cabrera led the Duhawks in scoring with 22 points, more than tripling her previous season average of 5.8 points per game. She shot 10-16 from the field, good for 62.5 percent shooting.

UP NEXT
The Duhawks will travel to Wisconsin to face UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday, December 9. The Titans (6-0) are undefeated this season, collecting their most recent victory in a 67-19 win over Mount Mary University.