CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa  – The Luther College womens' basketball team is headed back to the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Tournament Semifinals. It wasn't necessarily the easiest victory the Norse earned in the 2022-23 season, but they 100% earned their upcoming trip to the semis. No. 5 seed Luther used a dramatic, fourth quarter comeback to defeat No. 4 Coe College 70-64, outsourcing its host 8-0 in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter. With the win, the Norse advantage to the A-R-C semifinals for the ninth consecutive season and improve to 14-12 this season. 

COMEBACK KIDS
The Norse matched the Kohawks shot for shot to open the first quarter, working their way to an 8-8 draw by the five minute mark. Turnovers, though, proved costly for Luther late in the quarter, as it allowed Coe to gain a seven point advantage in a three minute time span. By the end of the first quarter, the Kohawks led 18-13, a manageable deficit for the Norse, who came back down six in their final game of the regular season. 

Luther went to work to open the second quarter, whittling Coe's lead to 20-17 on free throws by Kate Hosking (Slinger, Wis. / Slinger). Like the first quarter, though, Luther's offense hit a snag, and the defense had no answer for Coe's offense. Fueled by a 12-0 run, the Kohawks jumped out to a 32-20 lead, and the Norse tried to make up the difference. Baskets from Megan Miller (Urbandale, Iowa / Des Moines Christian) and Grace Prokosch (Oakdale, Minn. / Hill-Murray) kickstarted Luther's run, while strong defense helped the Norse turn the tides against Coe's offense. In the closing three minutes, Luther outscored the Kohawks 9-0, closing the gap to 36-31 by halftime. 

Two minutes into the third quarter, the Norse had their first lead, as Kailey Jones (Avoca, Iowa / ASHTW) and Lizzie Kauls (North Oaks, Minn. / Mounds View) scored six unanswered points to give Luther a 37-36 advantage. Things took an unfortunate turn in the ensuing two minutes, though, as Coe answered with a 7-0 run of its own to regain a 43-37 advantage. The Norse responded in kind, making it 45-44 with 2:55 remaining in the quarter. In the final three minutes, Luther would score just four points and trailed 51-47 to open the fourth. 

While the Kohawks maintained their lead, the Norse hung in there, staying within striking distance until a three-pointer by Jordan Rubie (Winona, Minn. / Cotter) tied things up at 53-53 with 5:47 left in regulation. A little over two minutes later, Luther possessed the lead again, this time on a Hosking three to make it 59-58 with 4:07 left in the game. The Norse couldn't hold the lead, though, and found themselves down one with 2:45 to play. 

Those final two minutes and 45 seconds were a crazy wild ride. Luther hung with Coe, chipping away at its opponents lead before Rubie gave the Norse a critical 66-64 lead with 55 seconds remaining on the clock. The junior then extended Luther's lead to three at 67-64, ensuring the Kohawks could not win the game with a three. Only tie. Still, Coe had the ball with under 30 seconds to play. It didn't matter in the end. With eight seconds still on the clock, the Kohawks attempted a layup under the basket and watched as the rebound fell into Prokosch's arms. The Norse called timeout, and Coe resorted to free throws to try and regain possession. Hosking, though, was clutch in the moment, sinking two free throws to secure the 69-64 victory for Luther. 

TOP NORS 

• Kate Hosking (Slinger, Wis. / Slinger) led Luther in scoring Tuesday evening, tallying 15 points on 3-6 shooting, including a 2-4 clip from three-point range. Additionally, the sophomore guard hit the game clinching free throws with 5.5 seconds on the clock, securing victory for the Norse.
• Jordan Rubie (Winona, Minn. / Cotter) closed the game with 14 points and scored the go-ahead layup with under two minutes remaining in regulation. Kailey Jones (Avoca, Iowa / AHSTW), Grace Prokosch (Oakdale, Minn. / Hill-Murray) and Megan Miller (Urbandale, Iowa / Des Moines Christian) scored in double-digits for Luther, tallying 12, 11 and 10 points respectively. 
• Lizzie Kauls (North Oaks, Minn. / Mounds View) led the team with 14 rebounds in the victory.

UP NEXT
As the No. 5 seed, Luther will head to Waverly, Iowa for the semifinal round of the A-R-C Tournament. The Norse will face top-seeded Wartburg College at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 23. The winner will advance to play in Saturday's Championship and will face either Simpson or Loras on the road.