CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Luther College women's basketball is getting very proficient at winning close games. The Norse won their third game by fewer than one possession, opening the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) schedule with a 50-48 road win over Coe College. With the win, Luther's overall record improves to 5-1 and the team is now 1-0 in A-R-C play.
ROAD WARRIORS
Nothing could seemingly go wrong for the Norse in the first quarter, as they raced out to a 14-9 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play. Defensively, things went even better in the second quarter. Luther did not allow a single Kohawks basketball for nearly five full minutes of play, extending its lead to 22-9. However, while the Norse defense kept Coe at bay, their offense struggled in the second quarter, as Luther shot just .200 from the floor. A strong first half performance from Megan Miller (Urbandale, Iowa / Des Moines Christian), though, allowed the Norse to hold a comfortable 26-17 lead over the Kohawks entering the locker room at half.
The second half was much closer than the first, though the Norse still controlled the game for most of the third quarter. By the four minute mark, though, Coe managed to cut the Luther lead to 31-28, using a 6-0 serving run to whittle the lead to barely anything. Strong free throw shooting by Kailey Jones (Avoca, Iowa / AHSTW) and Emilee Burcham-Scofield (Menominie, Wis. / Colfax) allowed the Norse to regain a 36-28 advantage entering the fourth and final quarter of play.
That was when things got interesting. For the first nine minutes and 15 seconds, the Kohawks were unable to catch Luther, as the Norse shooters came up with play after play to retain their multi-possession lead. However, with 45 seconds remaining in the game, Coe finally managed to tie the game, using a layup-and-one to make it 48-48. Luther, though, perfectly executed its offensive game plan, whittling the shot clock to nothing before Lizzie Kauls (North Oaks, Minn. / Mounds View) drew a shooting foul under the basket. The senior drained both free throws, giving the Norse a 50-48 lead with 15 seconds remaining in regulation. From there, Luther's defense held strong, preventing a game-winning three and game-tying layup in the closing seconds to preserve the 50-48 victory.
TOP NORSE
- Megan Miller (Urbandale, Iowa / Des Moines Christian) had a breakout performance Tuesday night, scoring a team-high 19 points with one block and two steals. Lizzie Kauls (North Oaks, Minn. / Mounds View) added 11 points, including the game-clinching free throws, and six rebounds.
- Kailey Jones (Avoca, Iowa / AHSTW) added seven points and a team-leading 10 rebounds in the win.
UP NEXT
After playing four games in six days, the Norse will enjoy some time off before they return to action on Wednesday, November 30. Luther will host Wartburg College in its first home conference game of the 2022-23 season, with tip off scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT in the Regents Center Gymnasium.
