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

Jan. 12, 2022 – Four players celebrated career-high performances on Wednesday night as the Loras College women's basketball team (10-4, 4-1 A-R-C) defeated cross-town rival the University of Dubuque (9-6, 3-3 A-R-C), 60-46, with Hannah Thiele and Sydney Schuler posting 15 points each, Sami Martin leading the defensive efforts with 15 rebounds and Cierra Bachmann dishing out nine assists.

The Spartans held a brief lead in the opening two minutes of the game but it was the only lead they'd have as the Duhawks started a run led by a three-point streak by Madison Fleckenstein and Sydney Schuler, pulling ahead 11-4 with 5:35 on the clock. The Spartans added a layup before a two-minute scoring drought for both teams but Thiele came up with back-to-back three-pointers, followed by another by Madison Haslow to open up a 20-6 lead with two minutes to go and held a 21-13 advantage after the first ten minutes.

Emerson Whittenbaugh started off the scoring for the Duhawks in the second quarter with a layup off the pass from Bachmann. Thiele hit two more three's, putting Loras up 29-18 with under four minutes to go in the half and a layup by Martin kept Loras' advantage at the intermission, leading 34-21. Coming out of the locker room, the Duhawks posted a 9-0 run for a 43-21 lead and Haslow and Schuler kept the momentum rolling with a pair of long balls to go ahead 51-25 with 2:34 on the clock. The Spartans closed out the third quarter with a seven-point run but it was still Loras in the lead 51-32 heading into the final ten minutes.

The Spartans chipped away at Loras' lead in the first two minutes but another three-pointer by Thiele put Loras up 57-37. Dubuque answered back with a layup off a turnover but Schuler capitalized on the next possession with another three-pointer with 4:28 left. Dubuque added five more points in the final four minutes but the Duhawks had the edge and held off the late push for the win.

Thiele had a career night shooting 5-8 for three and 5-8 from the field while Schuler went 5-9 from three-point range and Fleckenstein added ten points. Martin's 15 boards are the third-most rebounds in a single game for any player in the conference. Bachmann added nine assists, tying her career-high, and Whittenbaugh came away with four steals. The Duhawks shot 53 percent from three-point range in the first half, led by Thiele going 4-4 and limited the Spartans to only eight points in the second quarter and finished the game shooting 40 percent beyond the arc.

The Duhawks make the trek to Lincoln, Neb. and look to keep the conference winning streak alive against Nebraska Wesleyan University on Saturday, Jan. 15 with tip-off set for 4 P.M.