PELLA, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - After finding themeslves on the short end of a midweek lopsided loss to Simpson, the Loras women's basketball team unleashed on Central, topping the Dutch 77-54. Junior Kat Cabrera finished with 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while junior Lori Obendorf recorded her eighth double-double of the year with 10 points and 17 rebounds. As a team, Loras finished with four players in double-digits.

TURNING POINT
Loras came out early with a lot of energy and grabbed a 19-16 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Duhawks followed that up with a 14-5 run to start the second that gave them a 33-21 lead, an advantage that would not be squandered the rest of the night.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Loras (9-5, 2-1 IIAC) identified Central's defensive strategy from the opening tip and attack early. The Dutch managed to keep matters close, however, thanks to seven first quarter points from Kristin Hubert.
The Duhawks' ball movement was key to getting the Dutch out of position, which in turn helped Loras own the boards on the offensive end. Junior Lori Obendorf was a force to be reckoned with, as she grabbed a total of nine offensive rebounds on the night and finished with 17 total. By the end of the night the Duhawks had a 20-6 advantage in offensive rebounds. The effort on both ends of the floor helped Loras snatch a 19-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
Second Quarter
Loras opened the second quarter in convincing fashion, going on a 14-5 run to push their lead to 12. The smothering defensive play eventually wore down the Dutch, which helped Loras get explode out in transition.
Contributing to this 14-5 run was sophomore Brooke Prososki-Green, who finished with five points on the night. All five of her points came in the second quarter, as Prososki-Green went 2-for-3 from the floor.
After 20 minutes of play, Loras led 39-29 and held an 18-17 advantage in bench points.
 
Third Quarter
Junior Erin Weaver opened the third quarter by making her first three shots from the floor. The Tuscola, Ill. native finished with 10 points on the night. It was Weaver's basket that extended the Duhawks' lead to 48-31 with 6:46 left in the quarter.
Freshman Claire Marburger from Central, who came in 15.8 points per game, struggled early and by halftime had seven points and three assists. Marburger found her stride in the second half, though, and added nine points and four rebounds to her stat total.
The Dutch managed to cut the deficit to 15 before the end of the quarter and Loras entered the fourth leading 59-44.

Fourth Quarter
Central came out in the fourth and applied pressure to Loras' guards. No matter, the Duhawks read the defensive scheme and continued to find open teammates. Early in the quarter, with Loras ahead 59-45, the Duhawks were relentless on the boards, grabbing two offensive rebounds, eventually resulting in a layup by senior Kaitlin Phillips. With the remaining time on the clock, Loras kept their operation in high production, finishing with 18 points in the quarter to win 77-54.
 
FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Lori Obendorf | Obendorf finished with 10 points, but her workload really came on the glass where she grabbed 17 rebounds. She also added four blocks to her season total which now stands at 51.

SOUNDBITES | Justin Heinzen

 
UP NEXT
The Duhawks Luther next Wednesday on Lillis Court inside the Athletic & Wellness Center. The Norse (12-3, 4-0 IIAC) snatched their fourth win of conference play with an 80-62 win over Coe on Saturday. The Duhawks recorded a win and a loss last season against Luther, one of them being a 70-69 win in Decorah.