DECORAH, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras women's basketball team secured the Iowa Conference Championship title on Saturday with a 75-60 victory over top-seeded Luther. Five Duhawks scored double-digits in the win led by senior Kaitlin Phillips with 20 points. Loras dominated on defense and turned those stops into points which ultimately led to their victory. With the win, the Duhawks return to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history and second time in three seasons.

TURNING POINT 
The consensus was unanimous in postgame interviews that the turning point in the game was senior Megan Jones' 3-pointer from the corner that put the Duhawks up 5-0 to start the game. This shot set the tone for the rest of the contest. Loras was 7-of-13 from behind the arc in the game. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 
First Quarter 
Out of the gate, the Duhawks played with invigorating energy. Loras won the opening tip and Phillips immediately converted on a jumper to score the first points of the game. The Duhawks opened Saturday's game on an 11-4 run to grab hold of the momentum early.  
 
Playing like the regular season champs that they are, Luther soon found its offensive rhythm and began to chip away at Loras' lead. The Norse found success from long range, hitting four 3-pointers in the first half. The Duhawks used their size and physicality to their advantage, commanding the floor in the low post. After a jumper from Luther's Moran Lonning with 35 seconds left, senior Kaitlin Phillips marched down the court and sank a jumper of her own to hand Loras the slim 23-22 lead after the first quarter. 
 
Second Quarter 
The Duhawks continued this strong presence under the basket in the second period as the posts benefited from the attention that the guards drew out on the perimeter. Junior Terese McMahon put forth a near-perfect first half, going 4-of-5 from the floor to lead Loras with 10 points. As a team, the Duhawks scored 20 of their 34 points from in the paint. 
 
As the half drew to a close, Luther raised its defense and held the Duhawks scoreless over the final 4:37 of the quarter, helping the Norse head to the locker room with a 38-34 lead.  
 
Third Quarter 
Not phased that they were trailing at halftime, Loras jumped right back into action and scored eight unanswered points to take a 42-40 lead with 7:13 left in the period. Phillips scored six of these eight points and had 15 by the end of the quarter. 
  
Both teams turned to their perimeter play in the third frame. The Norse quickly got themselves back into the game by converting on three consecutive 3-pointers. Taylor Jenks led the charge and finished with a team-high 12 points on the night. 
 
Throughout the 2015-16 season, the Duhawks have relied primarily on their inside play, versus the long-range, but in Saturday's second half, Loras went 5-of-9 in the second half from beyond the arc. In the third quarter alone, the Duhawks connected on four of their five 3-point attempts, fueling an effort to take a 57-52 lead into the final stanza. 
 
Fourth Quarter 
Both the Duhawks and Norse effectively executed on defense to open the fourth as neither team scored in the first two minutes. It was Loras whose defense prevailed down the stretch however, as they continued to get stops and which fueled a six-point run, giving them a 63-52 lead with 5:20 left in the game. 
 
Knowing that time was ticking away, Luther threw everything they could at the Duhawks in an attempt to break the defense down and cut into the deficit. The Norse turned to their senior standout, Moran Lonning, but Loras kept her on lock down. After entering Saturday's game averaging 12.4 points per game, Lonning was held scoreless in the second half.  
 
Luther managed to cut the Duhawk lead to six with 3:38 to play, but Loras scored 10 of the game's next 12 points, putting the Duhawks in the drivers' seat and on their way to the NCAA Tournament. 
 
In the waning minutes, Loras extended its lead to as many as 16, giving head coach Justin Heinzen the opportunity to empty his bench and provide his seniors with an early celebration.  
 
The Duhawks finished with 14 assists as a team, with Phillips leading the way with six. 
 
FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME  
Lori Obendorf | Obendorf filled the stat sheet with 18 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks. With her 14 boards, she surpassed 300-reboudn mark this season and now stands at 304, which ranks second all-time in Loras history. 
 
UP NEXT 
Loras will learn of its draw in the 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament on Monday, Feb. 29 at 1:30 p.m.