DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The final week of the regular season is here and the Duhawks are fighting for positioning in the conference tournament. A win on Wednesday would go a long way for Loras securing a top-three spot in the Iowa Conference Tournament.
ABOUT CENTRAL ...The Dutch have struggled this season, carrying a 12-game losing streak in Wednesday's midweek matchup. While Central's defense has kept most opponents below their season average in terms of scoring, the Dutch's offense has been inconsistent.
Senior Rachel Evans is the lone Dutch player averaging double digits in scoring, pouring in 12.9 points per game. Evans also anchors the defensive end of the floor, leading the team in rebounds per game (5.7) and steals (55). Averaging just below double figures in scoring is senior Kenzie Vander Molen, adding 9.5 points per game. Vander Molen serves as the main facilitator of the offense, dishing out a team-best 54 assists. Together the senior duo has carried much of the load for the Dutch throughout the season.
The Duhawks will have to be patient on the offensive end, not allowing the Dutch to control the tempo, as they work for the best shot. In order to secure a win, Evans and Vander Molen will have to be contained.
MAY LIFTS DUHAWKS PAST COE ON SENIOR DAY …In a day full of emotions, senior
Victoria May kept them in check. In fact, the Port Byron, Illinois native used the emotions to fuel her to one her best performances of the season, and more importantly a win. May poured in 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting to fuel the Duhawks to a critical conference win over the Kohawks.
AN AGGRESSIVE CABRERA JUST ANOTHER FACET OF THE GAME …After a fantastic freshman season, sophomore
Kathleen Cabrera has served as more of a distributor than a scorer this season. On Saturday afternoon, that changed. With junior
Kaitlin Phillips and senior
Carly Goede locked down by the Kohawk defense, Cabrera took full advantage. She showed her athleticism and quickness, getting to the hoop for lay-ins, slicing and dicing Coe's help side defense. Later in the game, with her defender sagging inside the arc, anticipating the drive, Cabrera knocked down a pair of 3-balls. Her aggressive efforts paid off as she scored a season-high 14 points on the night.
THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING …Saturday's win over Coe was the first time this season the Duhawks have come out with a win when junior
Kaitlin Phillips, senior
Carly Goede, and sophomore
Lori Obendorf are all held to single-digit scoring. The game showed the unselfish play of the Loras staples, as they dished out assists, grabbed timely rebounds, and made rotations on the defensive end to be in place for help side.
VALUING POSSESSIONS KEY FOR LORAS DOWN THE STRETCH …Wednesday's loss marked the eighth time this year the Loras College Women's Basketball team has commited 20 or more turnovers. Five of the eight have come in Iowa Conference play. Tightening up on ball security is crucial as the Duhawks look to repeat on last year's success.
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.
FAMILIARITY: A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD …With the turning of the calendar, the Duhawks welcome a second go at conference foes in February. Finishing January with a 5-3 record, the Duhawks look to take advantage of the familiarity of opponents. Of Loras' three losses, all three have come against the top two teams in the conference. The Duhawks are set to finish regular season play with hopes of avenging an early loss to the Kohawks on February 14. While Loras hopes to use familiarity to an advantage, the Duhawks will have to execute their game plan to keep opponents from doing the same.
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.
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 9-2 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.
