DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - For the first time in seven seasons, the Loras men's basketball team improved to 2-0 in Iowa Conference play after an 82-76 win over Buena Vista at Lillis Court on Saturday afternoon. Junior Justin VanWambeke led all scorers with 27 points, finishing 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.

TURNING POINT
Freshman Demond George hit a corner 3-pointer with 4:08 to play, which gave Loras a decisive four-point lead. This lead stood for the remainder of the game, only being contested by a series of free-throws from Buena Vista's Kennedy Drey. George finished 2-of-3 on the night, with both successful shots coming from beyond the arc.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Loras put on their best first-half offensive display of the season on Saturday, converting of 17-of-27 shot attempts from the field. Led by VanWambeke's 17 points, the Duhawks outscored Buena Vista 47-42.

VanWambeke succeeded from the high post throughout the half, using post-up moves to take advantage of his defenders. Also in the post was senior Mirko Grcic, who added four points in the paint and three from beyond the arc.

Freshman Ryan DiCanio helped lead the Duhawks to a barrage of 3-pointers in the first. As a team, Loras was 6-of-9 from distance, with both VanWambeke and DiCanio converting on 2-of-3 attempts. VanWambeke finished with 17 points in the first half on 6-of-10 shooting.

Defensively, Loras held the Beavers in check from deep, holding them to 35.3 percent shooting and Nick Clark to 1-of-4. Clark entered Saturday's game as the third-highest scorer in the Iowa Conference.

Second Half
Loras improved defensively in the second half, forcing Buena Vista into eight turnovers in comparison to just two from the Duhawks. Clark had a hand in four of the Beavers turnovers thanks to a high-pressure style of defense from VanWambeke.

The Duhawks played their best defense in the final five minutes of play, holding Buena Vista to a lone basket from the field.

Much like the first half, the Duhawks outdid the Beavers by converting turnovers into points. With eight points off turnovers in the second, Loras outscored Buena Vista 16-14.

Grcic led all second half scorers with 13 points on 13 attempts alongside nine rebounds. At the end of the day, the senior finished with his second consecutive double-double to open conference play.

Senior Justin Schneider provided the Duhawks with a spark in the second half, recording six points in the paint and four rebounds in 14 minutes of play, including a monster dunk with 4:26 left on the clock.

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Justin VanWambeke | VanWambeke continued his torrid start to the conference season, scoring 27 points on 17 shot attempts. The junior shot well from beyond the arc, hitting 4-of-7 attempts. Defense was a major factor in VanWambeke's game as he held Nick Clark to 10 points while recording four steals. VanWambeke has now scored double-digits in 11 consecutive games and 12 of this season's 13 games. His scoring average rose to 18.2 points per game, putting him fourth in the Iowa Conference.

SOUNDBITES | Mirko Grcic & Justin VanWambeke


SOUNDBITES | Greg Gorton


UP NEXT
Loras heads on the road to face conference opponents Simpson College and Central College. The Duhawks went a combined 3-1 against these two teams last season and will look to continue their strong start to conference play.