STORM LAKE, Iowa  – The Luther College women's basketball team is back in the "W" collum just in time for Christmas. After a disappointing non conference loss Wednesday, the Norse rebounded with an impressive 76-72 win over Buena Vista University, using a furious fourth quarter rally to earn their hird American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) win of the season. The win gives Luther a 7-3 record overall and the Norse are 3-1 in A-R-C play. 

BEAVER DOWN
It was a closely contested game from the get go, as neither Luther nor Buena Vista could gain much of an offensive advantage in the first quarter. In fact, after the first 10 minutes of play, the two teams played to a 17-17 draw, and the second quarter was just as close. Thanks to Jordan Rubie's (Winona, Minn. / Cotter) sharp shooting from three-point range, the Norse were able to hold the advantage over the Beavers at the half, as they clung to a 39-37 advantage after 20 minutes of play. 

The second half was as entertaining as the first, though it seemed like Luther had a pretty good handle on things from the start. Norse raced out to a near double-digit lead at 57-48, as Kailey Jones (Avoca, Iowa / AHSTW), Megan Miller (Urbandale, Iowa / Des Moines Christian) and Chelin Isaacson (Superior, Colorado / Monarch) all got in on the scoring action. Still, Buena Vista wasn't about to go away quietly, as the Beavers cut the Luther lead to 57-54 by the start of the fourth quarter. 

The fourth quarter had it all. Lead changes, big shots, and, most importantly, a Norse comeback. After Buena Vista outscored Luther 6-2 to open the quarter, the Norse found themselves in a 68-62 deficit with 5:44 remaining in the game. That was when Luther put together its comeback, which was ignited by Miller's layup in the paint on the team's next offensive possession. Two steals and a Lizzie Kauls (North Oaks, Minn. / Mounds View) basket later, the Norse cut the deficit to 68-66 before taking a 69-68 lead on another Kauls basket. The senior's basket completely shifted the momentum to Luther's side of the court, as Layken McGuire (Danvers, Ill. / Lexington) single-handedly regained a 72-68 advantage for the Norse. While the Beavers managed to whittle the lead back down to two, they could never quite catch Luther, as the Norse won by a final score of 76-72. 

TOP NORSE

• Jordan Ruibe (Winona, Minn. / Cotter) led Luther in scoring Saturday afternoon, scoring 16 points on 5-11 shooting with five rebounds, two assists and a steal. 
• Lizzie Kauls (North Oaks, Minn. / Mounds View) recorded her third double-double of the season, as she scored 15 points and led the team with 10 rebounds on the night. Megan Miller (Urbandale, Iowa / Des Moines Christian) closed the night with 15 points as well. 
• Kailey Jones (Avoca, Iowa / AHSTW) was the final Norse to score in double digits, tallying 11 on the night. 

UP NEXT
The Norse will be a bit far from home for their next contest, as they are set to compete in Hawaii-Hilo's Big Island Holiday Classic December 18-19. Luther is scheduled to face Lake Forest in its first game of the tournament at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 18.