Spartans Advance to IIAC Semifinals
Feb 19, 2013 | J.Crane
DUBUQUE, IOWA - The University of Dubuque Women's Basketball team treated all 875 people in attendance to a thrilling game against Luther College (13-13) on Tuesday night. The Spartans and Norse needed overtime to finally decide a winner in the contest with UD outscoring Luther 17-11 in OT to go on to win 80-74. The win puts UD in the Semifinals of the IIAC Tournament against Wartburg College on Thursday, February 21st. Dubuque is now 19-7 on the season and improves to 10-1 at home.
After a rough first ten minutes which saw the Spartans down by as many as 11 points, UD closed out the first half with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 27-27. Despite shooting 25.8% from the field, Dubuque was still in the ball game thanks to 9-10 shooting from the free throw line and 13 turnovers forced. Mollie Whiting (Woodstock, Ill./Woodstock) scored the first 13 points of the game for UD. Whiting would go on to score a career high 41 points on the night, the fifth highest total in Division III this season.
The teams would go back-and-forth throughout the second half with the team exchanging the lead nine times and five instances with a tied score. Two of the biggest baskets of the half came with 24 seconds left in the game as Stephany Remakel (Dubuque, Iowa/Hempstead) stepped to the charity stripe and sank both free throws to give UD a 63-60 lead. Following a timeout, Luther’s Meagan Koepnick was able to shake free and hit a three-pointer with 15 seconds left to tie the game. Playing for the last shot, the Spartans ran the clock down to seven seconds left when Whiting had her game winner rim out and force overtime.
In the overtime period, UD held Luther to three points over the first four minutes as they jumped out to a 73-66 lead. The Spartan bench played in big part in the overtime period as Alexis Lozano-Dobbs (Keokuk, Iowa/Keokuk) scored the first four points of overtime and six total in the extra period. Dubuque finished the overtime period 11-12 from the free throw line as UD was able to wear down the Norse late. Ashley Barwick (Appleton, Wis./Xavier) scored four of her seven points in the overtime period.
The Spartans took their largest lead of the night after two Jessica Goetz (Sussex, Wis./Arrowhead) free throws with 14 seconds remaining in overtime put UD ahead 80-71. Goetz finished the game with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three steals. Remakel finished the game with a team high 11 rebounds, her fifth straight game as the leading rebounder.
The reigning Iowa Conference Women’s Basketball Performer of the Week, Whiting moved into second place in all of DIII at 23.4 points per game and is currently the leader in field goals made with 238. She extended her streak of 20+ point games to 16 games and has scored 15 or more points in 20 straight contests. She has scored at least 15 points in 23 of 26 games this season.
UP NEXT: UD will travel to Wartburg College for the Semifinals of the IIAC Tournament on February 21st at 7:00 pm. The Spartans and Knights split the regular season series with each team winning at home. UD has now made the Semifinals two out of the last three years.
