Contact: Emily Adlfinger, Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7970

Feb. 18, 2021 – Just as it's been in the past three meetings between the pair of American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) rivals, the Loras College men's basketball team (5-2, 3-1 A-R-C) and Wartburg College Knights (2-6, 0-4 A-R-C) challenged the other throughout the 40-minute battle but it was the Duhawks who emerged victorious and defended Lillis Court with an 84-80 victory.

It was the first time back on the court for the Duhawks since Feb. 6 when Loras defeated Nebraska Wesleyan University in a thrilling overtime win, and the team went into the game on Thursday down a few of its key contributors, looking for a full-team effort to come away with the win. Rowan McGowen helped get things rolling for the Duhawks with four points in the first three possessions, helping the Duhawks set up a ten-point run off a layup by Nick Savage and take a 16-5 lead with 14 minutes to play in the half. The Knights came clawing back to cut Loras' lead 21-18 with 9:21 to go but buckets from Brayden Hennis and Zach Deering helped keep the Duhawks rolling and a three-pointer by Savage put the Duhawks back with a double-digit lead, 32-20, with 6:34 in the half. Loras continued to hold the advantage despite three three-pointers by Wartburg and closed out the half with a 43-33 lead heading into the locker room.

A three-pointer from Kolinski with 17:57 left in the game gave the Duhawks their largest lead, but the Knights rallied back with eight unanswered points in the next minute, bringing them within striking distance of the lead. McGowen and Savage added in two layups to cushion the Duhawks again until Wartburg found a rhythm with just under ten minutes to play and scored nine straight points and take a 67-65 lead. Jackson Kolinski drew the foul in the paint and stopped the run momentarily with 7:26 left on the clock, but Wartburg again added seven points, leading Loras 75-66 in the final five minutes. Just when he was needed, McGowen hit a three-pointer to bring the Duhawks within three-points and Jake Healy responded to a Wartburg layup with a three-ball of his own before McGowen drew the and-one on his layup for the go-ahead free-throw. The Duhawks' defense limited the Knights to only one point to close out the game while the offense tacked on four more points for the 84-80 win.  

McGowen led the Duhawks with 25 points while Healy (15) and Kolinski (10) all scored in the double-figures. Savage had a career-night with 11 points, three steals and five rebounds while Cole Navigato continued to assert himself as the team's leading rebounder with nine and Healy dished out a team-high four assists.

The Duhawks travel to Cedar Rapids to play Coe College on Monday, Feb. 22 with tip-off inside Kohawk Arena set for 5 P.M.