DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - Despite locking up a berth in the upcoming Iowa Conference Tournament, the Duhawks' work is not done as they currently sit in a three-way tie for second place. Wednesday is the first of two very important games for Loras if they hope to secure a first-round bye in the tournament.
DUHAWKS ESCAPE WAVERLY WITH WIN …Turning in one of their best shooting performances in recent history, the Duhawks seemed destined to win Saturday's match up with the Wartburg Knights from the beginning. Leading by double digits for most of the first half, the Duhawks held control. A second half surge by the Knights made the game interesting late but Loras' 75.7 percent shooting from the floor and 63.6 percent from deep outlasted the late comeback charge of the Knights. The win leveled the Duhawks road record at 5-5 for the season.
PHILLIPS HEADLINES D3HOOPS TEAM OF THE WEEK …Hours after garnering Iowa Conference honors, Loras College Women's Basketball junior point guard
Kaitlin Phillips earned a spot on the D3hoops Team of The Week on Tuesday, February 10. Phillips becomes the second Duhawk to receive national team of the week honors. Freshman safety Maurice Young earned a spot on the D3 Football Team this past fall. It marks the first time since Lindsey Bava earned the honor in 2009 that a women's basketball player has been named to the team.
LORAS SECURES SPOT IN IOWA CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT …With Saturday's win the Loras College Women's Basketball team secured a Iowa Conference tournament berth. The Duhawks will take part in the tournament for the fiftteenth consecutive season, looking to repeat their sucess of a year ago.
CABRERA RETURNS TO COURT AGAINST WARTBURG …Sophomore
Kathleen Cabrera returned to the court after sitting out four games due to injury. The Gilbert, Arizona native returned to the floor, shooting three-of-three and one-of-one from beyond the arc, totalling seven points in her return. Her strong shooting was paralleled with her ability to dish to teammates, tallying four asssists on the evening.
SENIOR DAY ON HORIZON …The illustrious career's of seniors
Victoria May and
Carly Goede. May has worked her way up through the system in her four years, improving her game tremedously each season. Now the conference's leader in field goal percentage (59.1), May's leadership has been an integral role to the play of this year's squad. Goede celebrates her collegiate basketball career at Loras after transferring from University of Illinois - Springfield. A sharp shooter, Goede has proven to be a threat from anywhere on the floor, pairing well alongside junior
Kaitlin Phillips. A smart and level headed player, Goede shows the poise of a senior with her ability to step in at point guard when needed. While May and Goede have been integral parts of the Duhawks on the court, senior manager Chelsea Myers helps from the bench. Celebration for the hard work and dedication of the trio will take place prior to Saturday's game against Coe.
WEAVER RECORDS CAREER-HIGH IN LOSS TO DUBUQUE …Sophomore
Erin Weaver earned playing time against Dubuque with one task; containing the Spartans' Jenna Kotas. A versatile post player for the Duhawks, Weaver's on ball defense and ability to match up well in the post with Kotas, earned her a career-high 15 minutes in Saturday's match up. A strong defensive effort was matched on the offensive end with a career-high 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting by Weaver.
BENCH CONTRIBUTIONS KEY TO DUHAWKS' SUCCESS …Paced by freshman
Miranda Chapman and sophomore
Terese McMahon, the play of the Duhawks bench has been a vital piece to the team's success. Loras holds a 8-1 record when their bench outscores their opponents. While Chapman provides depth at the guard position, McMahon rounds out the three-headed monster in the post alongside sophomore
Lori Obendorf and senior
Victoria May.
LORAS PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN IOWA CONFERENCE COACHES POLL ...The Duhawks were voted second, receiving two first place votes. Finishing just ahead of Loras (48) was Simpson College with 54 points. While Coe College rounded out the top three with 42 points, receiving one first place vote. Loras' roster is filled with talent, some of which is unproven with the loss of three key seniors. Simpson earns the first place slot for the second straight year after finishing 14-12 last season.
DUHAWKS LOSE LORAS' TOP SENIOR CLASS ... Over the course of her career
Katie Langmeier etched her name in Loras history as one of the best in program history. Fueling the Duhawks to their best season in over a decade, Langmeier was named to the D3Hoops All-West Region Second team after being named Iowa Conference Most Valuable Player and Co-Defensive Player of the Year. In addition to Langmeier, the Duhawks lose
Lauren Byrne and
Katie Wheeler. Byrne's leadership combined with her contributions on the floor (6.0 pts, 3.8 rebounds). In Wheeler, Loras loses leadership and grit. Together the three make up the winningest class in Loras Women's Basketball history, with 66 wins over their four-year careers.
ALL-CONFERENCE TRIO PRIMED FOR SEASON ...Senior
Victoria May returns for her senior season after posting career-highs across the board as a junior. As the team's most efficient shooter, boasting a team-best .539 field goal percentage.Junior
Kaitlin Phillips was second to only Langmeier in points per game last season (12.2) while she led the Duhawks in free throws (72), three-pointers (34). Sophomore Kat Cabrera looks to build upon last year's breakout season. As a freshman Cabrera averaged 6.8 points and 3.0 rebounds. She led the team with 72 assists while also shooting a team-best 84.7% from the free throw line.
HEINZEN BEGINS EIGHTH SEASON WITH THE DUHAWKS ...Justin Heinzen will embark on his eighth season as the head coach of the Duhawks after leading his team to a 19-9 record, the best under his tenure, in 2013-14. The stellar season by his squad earned Heinzen Iowa Conference Coach of the Year honors and moved him into the lead for wins in the program's history. He enters the season with a 112-76 record.
NEW ADDITION TO THE COACHING STAFF ...On June 2,
Jamie Majerowicz was tabbed Heinzen's top assistant. A standout student-athlete and later coach at Winona State, Majerowicz comes to Loras with four years of coaching experience on top of a strong playing career. Her main focus will be working with the Duhawks posts to find a new solution down low after losing Langmeier to graduation. For Majerowicz, she's excited for the opportunity to work alongside Heinzen, who's proven to be effective in the Iowa Conference.
