DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) – The Loras women's basketball team held on against Coe on Thursday to advance to the Iowa Conference Tournament Championship game. Despite a valiant comeback effort by the Kohawks, the Duhawks prevailed for the 69-68 victory. Senior Kaitlin Phillips led the team with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting while three other Duhawks tallied double-digits. Phillips' go-ahead jumper with 21 seconds remaining sealed Loras' victory.

TURNING POINT
Trailing by four late in the fourth quarter, Coe (15-12, 5-9 IIAC) rattled off six unanswered points to take the 66-64 lead with one minute left in the game. The final minute belonged to Phillips as she scored five points, including a three-point play, to put Loras (18-8, 10-4 IIAC) out in front, 69-68.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Despite Coe being the first to score, junior Lori Obendorf started the Duhawk offense out on the right foot, scoring the first two baskets of the game for the home team. Loras utilized several short runs to garner a 13-6 lead with 4:13 remaining in the first. While the Duhawk's offense was performing effectively and efficiently, it was the defense that helped swing the momentum in their favor.

Loras forced the Kohawks to commit seven turnovers in the first half,which translated to 14 points on offense. This balanced effort on both ends of the court gave the Duhawks a 21-14 advantage after 10 minutes.

Second Quarter
Loras' defense continued to dominate in the second period by holding Coe's leading scorer, Aleena Hobbs, to zero points in the first half. The sophomore guard averaged 18.1 points per game prior to tonight's contest, but was held to only nine on the night. The Kohawks' struggles on offense opened the door for the Duhawks to extend their advantage.

Midway through the quarter, the Duhawks scored seven consecutive points to take a 31-22 lead with 5:23 remaining. Sophomore Lauren Stanich provided a strong presence off the bench, recording nine of her 11 points in the first half. Her 3-pointer with 5:23 left in the quarter gave Loras a nine-point lead at 31-22. A back and forth affair over the final minutes resulted in a 37-29 lead for the home side at the halftime break.

Third Quarter
A flurry of scoring opened the third quarter, but for nearly every point that Coe put on the board, Loras was quick to respond with a converted scoring opportunity of its own. Junior Kat Cabrera found her shooting touch once again on Thursday night, scoring eight of her 14 points in the second half.

Unfortunately, Coe began to close the gap on the Duhawks' lead with two 3-pointers in the period. This comeback effort was led by Jenna Lehman who finished the night with a game-high 19 points. Still, Loras managed to keep a 54-47 lead to enter the final frame.

Fourth Quarter
Once again the stanza began with an exchanging of baskets from both teams. The Duhawks struggled to maintain control as they committed five turnovers in the quarter, giving the Kohawks the chance to lessen the deficit. Coe shot 66.7 percent from the floor in the fourth and scored six unanswered points to take a 66-64 lead with one minute remaining.

Even with a the potential for her career to be over, Phillips did not waver down the stretch. With 48 seconds remaining, Phillips took a 67-66 lead by completing a 3-point-play after being fouled on a layup. Lehman countered for the Kohawks on the very next possession to put Coe back in front. Head coach Justin Heinzen called a timeout to draw up a play that would put his team in front. Just like what has been the case all season long, Loras put the ball in the hands of Phillips and with a step-back jumper, the senior put the Duhawks in front for the final time with 21 seconds left on the clock.

Knowing that in order to continue its season a defensive stop was required, Loras held tight to its marks on defense and refused to give Coe an inch, forcing a layup from Jordan Holmes, which missed the mark, sealing the win for the Duhawks, 69-68.

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Kaitlin Phillips | Phillips led the team with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting. She also tallied four rebounds, three assists and two steals to fill the stat sheet. Her go-ahead jumper with 21 seconds remaining put Loras in the lead for good.
Kat Cabrera | Cabrera recorded 14 points in Wednesday's contest on 6-of-13 shooting. She converted on both free-throw attempts from the charity stripe in addition to dishing out three assists and grabbing three rebounds.

SOUNDBITES | Kaitlin Phillips, Kat Cabrera & Lori Obendorf

SOUNDBITES | Justin Heinzen

UP NEXT
The Duhawks will head on the road to face Luther (20-6, 11-3 IIAC) in the Iowa Conference Tournament Championship on Saturday, Feb. 27. Loras split with the Norse during the regular season, recording an 80-78 victory at home and later fell on the road, 60-43. The Norse earned their place in the tournament championship game, defeating Buena Vista, 74-65 on their home court.

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