DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Loras College men's basketball team took down the Luther College Norse, 63-58, on Wednesday night inside the Lillis Athletic and Wellness Center.
Tonight's victory marks the 100th career A-R-C win for head coach Chris Martin in his 10th season as a Duhawk. This matchup marks the final A-R-C matchup between the Duhawks and the Norse as Luther will depart the conference and join the Midwest Conference at the end of the 2025-26 academic year. The Duhawks will finish 47-25 all-time against the Norse in conference play.
The game got off to a slow start for both teams. Loras (17-6 overall, 11-3 A-R-C) jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first minute of the game on baskets made by Gavin Sarvis and Damyen Jackson, but neither team was able to score for the next five minutes of play until a Luther (7-15, 2-11) layup made the score 5-2. The game remained close throughout the first half as neither team was able to find consistent success offensively. Three-pointers from Nolan Berendes and Johnny Semany, paired with some strong Duhawk defense allowed the Purple and Gold to maintain their lead and head into the halftime break leading, 25-19.
Sarvis got the scoring started in the second half with a layup, but an ensuing 9-2 Luther run closed the Duhawk lead down to one (29-28). A deep ball from Luther's Jeremy Andera tied the game up at 31-31 a few minutes later. A Jack Haynes jumper gave Loras its lead back, never giving it up again despite strong efforts from the Norse, who kept the score within five for the majority of the second half. The Duhawks implemented a full-court trap to stifle any chance of a Norse comeback in the second half, and a pair of made free throws from Berendes solidified the Loras victory, 63-58.
The Purple and Gold were led by Haynes who had 20 points and 12 rebounds on 47 percent (8-of-17) shooting. Berendes pitched in nine points and eight rebounds, while Sarvis and Jackson added 11 and nine points respectively. As a team, the Duhawks shot 29.5 percent (18-of-61) from the field and 13.6 percent (3-of-22) from beyond the arc.
Up Next: The Duhawks welcome conference-leader, Nebraska Wesleyan University, to Lillis Court on Saturday, Feb. 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
