PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (Dec. 7, 2022) – Shooting woes plagued the Loras College women's basketball team on Wednesday night as the Duhawks came home with a close loss after making the short trip north to Platteville, Wis.

The Duhawks (5-2) struggled to shoot the ball from the field on Wednesday but still managed to hang around until the fourth quarter against the Pioneers (5-5).

Loras hoisted 24 three-point attempts in the game but connected on just one to shoot a season-low 4.2 percent from deep while shooting just below the team average with a 40.7 percent mark from the field. The only made three for Loras came from sophomore guard Silvana Scarsella on the team's first attempt of the game.

Platteville was just 3-for-16 (18.8%) from deep in the game as neither team brought its A-game on offense. The two sides combined for 47 turnovers compared to a total of 46 made field goals on Wednesday night.  

Even with those less-than-stellar numbers, the Duhawks hung around with the Pioneers and never trailed by double digits in the game. After trailing by as many as nine in the fourth quarter, a bucket from senior guard Madison Fleckenstein helped the Duhawks cut the lead down to just three with close to two minutes to play.

On the ensuing Platteville possession, a steal for senior guard Cierra Bachmann led to a fast-break layup that pulled Loras to within one. The Duhawks had a chance to take the lead on their next possession, but a turnover and a three-point play at the other end kept them at bay.

The Duhawks didn't go away as Scarsella converted on a three-point play of her own on the next trip down the floor to again bring Loras to within one at 55-54. The Pioneers converted a pair of three throws at the other end to bring the lead back up to three before a Loras turnover in the closing seconds put the game on ice.

Junior guard Sami Martin led the way for Loras and finished right at her season average with 14 points. The Platteville native collected a double-double as she led all players with 12 rebounds. Scarsella (12), Fleckenstein (12), and Bachmann (10) joined Martin in double figures.

The Duhawks return home on Saturday, Dec. 10 for a late-night game against another Wisconsin school, this time the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, at 7 P.M. at the Lillis Athletic and Wellness Center.