DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) – The Loras women's basketball team soared to a 72–61 win over Coe on Wednesday night to open Iowa Conference play. Junior Terese McMahon scored a career-high 21 points, on 9-of-12 shooting, and collected a season-high seven rebounds as Loras won their third consecutive conference opener, and seventh in the last 10 years.

TURNING POINT
After Loras ended the first quarter with a 10 point lead, the Kohawks responded with a run of their own to cut the lead to five. With 8:33 left in the second quarter, Loras went scored six unanswered points to take a 32-21 lead, reestablishing their double-digit advantage from earlier in the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
The Duhawks began the game in attack mode on the offensive end of the court. Senior Kaitlin Phillips and McMahon combined to score 17 of Loras' first 24 points. Loras executed a 14-2 scoring run in the first five minutes of the contest to take their first substantial lead of the night.

The Kohawks began to claw back to level ground thanks to their ability to shoot from distance. Triples from Jordan Holmes and Jenna Lehman cut into Loras' lead, but before Coe could fully recover, the Duhawks extended their lead to a comfortable margin.

A total of 11 offensive rebounds in the first half resulted in 15 second chance points, a crucial element in their ability to create such a deficit.

After 10 minutes, Loras led 24-14.

Second Quarter
Out of the break, Coe brought the game to within five at 26-21 with 8:33 remaining. The Duhawks responded with six unanswered points to reclaim their double-digit lead, 32-21. Even after exchanging baskets for the next few minutes, Loras held on to their lead by executing well in transition.

While the start of the game was fueled by offensive momentum, the Duhawks quickly stepped up their defensive performance. Loras limited Coe's success from beyond the arc, holding the Kohawks to 5-of-16 in the first half. In addition, Coe's leading scorer Aleena Hobbs, who came in averaging 20.3 points per game, was limited to two points in the first half.

Loras entered the halftime hiatus with a 41-27 advantage.    

Third Quarter
The opening minutes of the third quarter saw both teams trade baskets, with neither side creating much of an advantage.

Loras guards did an effective job of looking down low to find their post players. More than half of Loras' points on the night were in the paint due to efficient execution by the forwards. McMahon in particular dominated the frontcourt by beating her opponents under the basket.

Over the final five minutes of the quarter, Coe outscored Loras 8-6 to cut the deficit to 10 at 55-45.

Fourth Quarter
McMahon continued to lead the Duhawks through the final period. Her eight fourth quarter points helped Loras secure their largest lead of the night, an 18 point deficit at 70-52, with 4:09 left.

The Kohawks ended the game on a 9-2 run, but it was too little, too late. A strong balance of offensive and defensive success lifted the Duhawks to a 72-61 win over Coe in the Iowa Conference opener.


FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Terese McMahon | McMahon scored a career-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field while adding a season-high seven rebounds. Her defensive efforts kept Coe's leading scorer, Aleena Hobbs, to two points in the first half.

The Duhawks will continue Iowa Conference play against Buena Vista on Saturday, Jan. 9. The Beavers (7-5) defeated Simpson 74-62 in their IIAC Opener on Wednesday night. Last season, Loras posted a 2-0 record against Buena Vista with an average margin of victory of 12.5 points.