DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras women's basketball team honored their seniors on Saturday afternoon with a convincing win over Simpson, 60-39. Junior Lori Obendorf finished with 12 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks to lead all players on the floor. With the win, the Duhawks have earned the No. 2 seed and a first round bye in next week's Iowa Conference Tournament.

TURNING POINT
After a less than stellar opening frame in which they were limited to nine points, the Duhawks found their offensive stride, outscoring Simpson 15-3 in the second quarter and 51-24 the rest of game.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
The Duhawks came ready to play on senior day as they took the first lead of the game with a layup from Obendorf. Fittingly, the following two baskets were scored by seniors Megan Jones and Kaitlin Phillips as Loras jumped out to a 7-3 lead early in the first.

While Loras was finding success both in the paint and behind the arc, Simpson attempted to close the gap with 3-pointers. The Storm's first six points of the game came from behind the 3-point line. This momentum resulted in Simpson finishing the quarter on a 12-2 run, overtaking Loras 15-9 to start the second.

Second Quarter
Free throws put Loras back in the game as Obendorf and Phillips each converted on two attempts a piece from the charity stripe to then trail 15-13. Another Loras layup rounded out the six-point run the Duhawks utilized to start the quarter.

Loras' defense dominated in this frame as Simpson was held to only three points. Obendorf was a large factor in this effort, finshing with 17 rebounds and six blocks. This defensive energy drove the Duhawks on the offensive end of the court to take a 24-18 lead at halftime.

Third Quarter
After a strong defensive quarter, the Duhawk offense took over in the second half. Loras scored 10 unanswered points to extend their lead, 34-18. While the Duhawks did sink six 3-pointers in the game, the main reason the Duhawks created such a deficit was from their success under the basket. Loras outscored Simpson 32-16 in the paint.

The Duhawks' aggressiveness in the paint resulted in a lopsided advantage in offensive rebounds. Loras recorded 17 offensive boards, which they turned into 19 second chance points. At the buzzer, the Duhawks were ahead on the scoreboard, 44-31.

Fourth Quarter
Loras continued to pull away in the fourth, leading by as much as 21 points. Junior Erin Weaver was a solid presence in the lane for the Duhawks, scoring four points in the final frame and eight on the night.

Once again the Duhawk defense limited Simpson's opportunities to close the gap. The Storm were held to eight fourth quarter points on 18.2 percent shooting. Down the stretch, Loras emptied the bench and saw little drop off in productivity, Loras defeated Simpson 60-39 and secured a first round bye in the Iowa Conference Tournament.

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME 
Lori Obendorf | Obendorf filled the stat with 12 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks. She led the team in each category and tallied her 12th double-double of the season.

SOUNDBITES | Lori Obendorf & Justin Heinzen

SOUNDBITES | Kaitlin Phillips, Megan Jones & Abby Reinke

UP NEXT
Loras will await the winner of Tuesday's first round game between third-seeded Wartburg and sixth-seeded Coe. In the regular season, Loras split against Wartburg and swept Coe.

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