Spartans Pick Up First A-R-C Win
Jan 12, 2019
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The University of Dubuque women’s basketball team used a spirited effort on Saturday afternoon to take down the Buena Vista Beavers, 86-77, and earn their first conference victory of the season.
With the Spartans trailing for most of the first quarter and trailing 20-15 with 1:14 left in the first quarter, two Amari Sims free throws sparked a UD run. Lexi Daniels then drilled a three off a pass from Sims to give UD their first lead of the game with six seconds left before the end of the quarter. Morgan Meerstein then got a steal on the ensuing inbounds pass and hit a pull-up jumper from the free throw line as time expired to send the Spartans into the second quarter on a high note and a 24-20 lead.
The Spartans carried that momentum over from the end of the first half and extended their lead all the way to 10 by halftime. In the first half, the Spartans shot a sizzling 62.1%, while limiting Buena Vista to 44.1%.
By the midway point of the third quarter, the Spartans had slowly built their lead up to 15 points but a foul plagued rest of the quarter allowed the Beavers to get to the free throw and would help Buena Vista shrink the UD lead down to five after three quarters.
The Beavers made the first basket of the final quarter to make it a 63-60 game but that was the closest the Spartans would allow them to get over the final 9:20. The Spartans would go on a 7-0 run from the 6:47 mark to 3:48 to help seal the victory.
Josie Thomas was nearly unstoppable for the Spartans on Saturday afternoon, scoring a season-high 19 points, going 6-8 from the field and a perfect 4-4 from three point territory. Amari Sims make her mark by forcing her way to the free throw line 10 times, making seven of them on her way to 13 points. McKenzie Maahs rounded out the top UD scorers with 10 of her own while also grabbing six rebounds.
Miah Smith continues to be a force on the boards, grabbing 15 rebounds against the Beavers.
The Spartans limited the Beavers to just 28.6% shooting from behind the arc on Saturday, while shooting 55.6% themselves.
The Spartans have the week off before returning to action next Saturday, Jan. 19th, when they travel to Waverly to take on Wartburg at 5:00 p.m.
