UW-L Earns Road Win at Luther

For Immediate Release: Friday, December 19, 2008

Decorah, Iowa – The UW-La Crosse women's basketball team improved to 6-3 on the season with a 72-66 non-conference victory at Luther College Friday night. The Norse fall to 1-7 on the year.

Luther jumped out to a 7-0 lead as UW-L missed its first four field goal attempts of the contest. The Norse led by as many as 11 points in the first half at 15-4 with 13:52 remaining, but the Eagles went on a 18-5 run to lead 22-20. Luther came right back and went on a 16-5 run itself to lead 36-27 and it took a 38-29 halftime lead.

The Eagles opened the second half on a 18-6 run as Lindsay Wahl scored 10 points. UW-L led 47-42 with 12:47 left and never trailed again. The game was tied 55-55 with 8:28 remaining after Luther's Sam Jewell hit one-of-two free throws. Wahl hit two free throws with 8:03 left to make it 57-55 and the Norse could get no closer the remainder of the contest.

UW-L led 65-63 with 2:39 remaining and finished the game on a 7-3 run with Mackenzie Hunter four-of-four at the free throw line.

Hunter led UW-L with 22 points, finishing eight-of-15 from the field and six-of-seven at the line. She also had three rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. Wahl totaled 18 points and tied for the team lead with six rebounds. She was five-of-11 from the field and eight-of-12 at the free throw line. Dana Churchill finished with 16 points, six rebounds and three steals. She was five-of-seven from the field, including one-of-two from three-point range, and hit five-of-seven free throw attempts.

Anna Halat had four points, six rebounds, three assists and game-high seven steals for the Eagles.

UW-L shot 47.2% from the field, including 37.5% (three-of-eight) from three-point range. The team was 19-of-26 (73.1%) at the free throw line.

Jewell and Marci Furlong led Luther College with 16 points each while Amanda Dahlseng added 12 points and game-high 12 rebounds. The Norse shot 43.3% from the field, including 27.3% (three-of-11) from three-point range. Luther finished 11-of-16 (68.8%) at the line.

UW-L returns to action Monday, December 29 against Presentation College (S.D.) at the Wartburg College (Iowa) Holiday Classic at 5 p.m.