DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras Women's Basketball team looks to use a midweek bout with the Beavers to catapult themselves into the final stretch of the 2014-15 regular season.
ABOUT BUENA VISTA ...The Beavers completed their season sweep of Central College on Saturday, recording their second conference win of the season. While the Beavers have had success against the Dutch, shaky shooting has led to struggles against other conference opponents.
Upperclassmen lead the charge for Buena Vista with junior Lexi Fisher leading the team with 11.9 points per game. Senior center Shelby Weiderhoeft joins Fisher in double digits (10.6 points per game) while leading the team in field-goal percentage (55.3), free throw percentage (90.0), and rebounds per game (6.9).
In order to keep the Beavers from leveling the season series, the Duhawks will have to win the battle on the boards. Along with holding the edge on the glass, Loras posts will have to keep Weiderhoeft at bay while the Duhawk guards will have to keep Fisher out of the lane.
WEAVER RECORDS CAREER-HIGH IN DUHAWKS LOSS …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. On the defensive end Weaver and company held the conference's top scorer to single digits on 30.0 percent shooting from the floor. A strong defensive effort was matched on the offensive end with a career-high 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting by Weaver.
DUHAWKS COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AGAINST SPARTANS …Trailing crosstown rival Dubuque by double digits at halftime, the Duhawks chipped away at the deficit in the second half. Despite outscoring Dubuque 38-30 in the final 20 minutes the Duhawks failed to overtake the lead. The loss pushes the Duhawks to 0-2 against conference leader Dubuque on the season.
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.
CHAPMAN EMBRACES NEW ROLE …Freshman
Miranda Chapman has earned her first three starts of the season after sophomore Kat Cabrera was sidelined with a lower-body injury. Her new role has slowed down her offensive production as a whole, but throughout the season, Chapman has shown her ability to shoot from distance.
McMAHON'S TRANSFORMATION CRITICAL FOR LORAS …As a freshman,
Terese McMahon averaged just three minutes a game, giving the Duhawk posts a rest or filling in if fouls become an area of concern. This season, McMahon has shown tremedous growth as a player on both ends of the court. Her offensive skill set was on display in Loras' win over Simpson. A plethora of up-and-unders eluded defenders as McMahon recorded a career-high 14 points. Defensively, McMahon is a viable option of the bench to give sophomore
Lori Obendorf or senior
Victoria May a rest. Her willingness to look for her shot and play aggressive on the offensive side and defensive side provides the Duhawks with a consistent force in the paint. Behind the play of McMahon, Obendorf, and May the Duhawks have outscored their opponents 442 to 360 in the paint. Loras has been outscored in the paint just three times this season, they are 1-2 in those games.
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 7-1 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.
DUHAWKS CLOSE 2014 WITH 20-9 RECORD …The 2014 calendar year was an especially noteworthy one for the Loras College Women's Basketball program. The Duhawks accumulated a 20-9 record on their way to their first regular season conference title in over a decade before running the table in the Iowa Conference tournament to earn an automatic bid to the big dance. Loras' season came to a close in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball tournament, as a tight contest ended in favor of host, St. Thomas.
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 percent 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.
