DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras men's basketball team added a second straight road win in conference play on Wednesday night, defeating Coe 90-82 from inside Eby Fieldhouse. Junior Justin VanWambeke paced the scoring effort, recording his fifth consecutive game of 25 or more points. With a 20-point effort, senior Mirko Grcic moved within 17 points of the 1,000 career points mark, which he hopes to obtain on Lillis Court this Saturday against University of Dubuque.

TURNING POINT
The five-point cushion Loras took into the locker room at halftime proved to be important in the waning moments of the game. With 39 seconds on the clock, the Duhawks found themselves up just four points over last place Coe. Loras used strong free-throw shooting down the stretch to seal the victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Loras controlled a majority of the action in the first half, heading into the break leading 42-35. The Duhawks led by as many as 13 in the first before Coe battled their way back prior to halftime. Coe rallied to finish the half on a 6-0 run to cut Loras' lead to seven.

Despite shooting a lesser percentage, Loras used turnovers to take advantage of their opponent. The Kohawks committed nine turnovers in the half, which Loras turned into eight points on the offensive end. Loras also took advantage of second-chance opportunities, earning seven second-chance points off four offensive rebounds.

Grcic led the Duhawks throughout the first, once again showcasing his abilities on the perimeter. The senior nailed a 3-pointer alongside a trio of two-point baskets to combine for a team-high nine points at half. Freshman Demond George had an exciting first half, scoring eight points while going 2-of-2 from deep.

Second Half
The Duhawks continued to manage their lead in the second half, despite a valiant comeback effort from the Kohawks. Coe managed to draw fouls late in the game, allowing them to cut the Duhawk lead to as little as four points.

After an eight-point first half effort, VanWambeke stole the show in the second, tallying 21 points in the final period to lead all scorers. Grcic added a much needed 11 points in the second, hitting five free-throws in the final 25 seconds to seal victory.

Free-throws were crucial for the Duhawks down the stretch, but it was their game-long performance from the charity stripe which made a difference. After shooting 16-of-20, the Duhawks recorded their second 80 percent performance from the line this season.

Defensively, the Duhawks were stout when it mattered most, holding Coe scoreless on their final two heaves from beyond the arc. On the night, Loras limited Coe to 6-of-18 shooting from deep. Heading into tonight's action the Duhawks had held teams to 29.8 percent shooting on shots from distance.

Thanks to heavy defensive pressure, the Duhawks forced point guard Jacob Timm into five turnovers, tied for the most he has committed all season.

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Justin VanWambeke | The Machesney Park, Ill. native scored a game-high 29 points alongside four assists, three rebounds, and two steals. With this performance VanWambeke increased his scoring average to 20.9, which ranks third in the IIAC. In conference play, VanWambeke now averages a league leading 24.7 points per game.

SOUNDBITES | Justin VanWambeke & Demond George


UP NEXT
On Saturday the Duhawks look to avenge last weeks 81-66 loss to University Of Dubuque. This matchup features the conferences top two teams, with Loras looking to earn a share of the conference lead. On Wednesday, Dubuque maintained their lead atop the conference standings with a 95-83 win over Buena Vista. All-time, the Duhawks hold a 53-31 record over the Spartans in a series which dates back to the 1967-1968 season.