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

Feb. 22, 2022 – Taking the lead early and never looking back, the Loras College women's basketball team (19-7, 12-4 A-R-C) made a statement in the opening round game of the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Tournament on Tuesday, defeating Coe College (8-17, 5-11 A-R-C) 77-43 inside the Lillis Athletic & Wellness Center.

The Kohawks hung tight with Loras to start the game until the Duhawks went on a run with a three-pointer by Madison Fleckenstein and a pair of free throws with 6:24 left on the clock to double-up Coe, 10-5. The Kohawks came back within one point with just under four minutes in the quarter but a three-pointer by Bachmann sparked a 6-0 run to close out the first quarter with a 16-9 lead. Loras kept rolling at the five minute mark with a jumper by Emerson Whittenbaugh and Hannah Thiele drained back-to-back three-pointers to put Loras up 35-18 with 3:38 left in the half. The Kohawks added a jumper in the final minute but were limited to 11 points to close out the quarter as Bachmann answered back with a three-pointer as time wore down, sending Loras in to halftime up 38-20.

Bachmann got Loras started with five points right away in the second half, sparking the Duhawks' best offensive performance of the game with 25 points in the third quarter, leading 63-31, and closing the door on the Kohawks heading into the final ten minutes. A layup by Sami Martin to start the fourth quarter gave Loras its largest lead of the game, up 36 points, while a jumped by Megan Murray sparked a 10-1 run to close out the final four minutes and keep the Duhawks' postseason run alive.

Martin led the team with 16 points and Thiele added 15 points off 5-9 three-point shooting. Bachmann shot 75 percent from three-point range and tallied 13 points and Fleckenstein also posted double figures with 11 points and led the team with five assists. Madison Haslow was key for the Duhhawks on defense with eight rebounds and Megan Murray came away with three steals. The Duhawks had a strong third quarter with 62 percent shooting from both the field and beyond the arc, finishing the game 47 percent from the field and 42 percent in three-pointers, stifling the Kohawks' offense to shooting 30 percent from the field and 21 percent from three-point range.

The Duhawks will face No. 18 Wartburg College in the semifinal game on Thursday, Feb. 24 with tip-off set for 7 P.M. in Waverly, a rematch of the regular season finale that saw the game go to double-overtime.