GPAC

[Women's Basketball] Second Half Burst Lifts Women's Basketball to Victory

Doane Women's Basketball returned to the home hardwood for the final time in 2022 on Friday evening as the Tigers hosted Viterbo (Wis.). The  trip to Crete was the first for the V-Hawks since 2000. Doane never trailed in the game as they pulled away in the second half for a 96-65 win.Doane opened the game by scoring the first nine points as they held Viterbo scoreless through the opening 3:30 of play. The V-Hawks cut the deficit to five on two occasions only to see the Tigers extend the lead to 11 points by the end of the first quarter, 26-15.The V-Hawks clawed their way back into the game in the second quarter as they held the Tigers to 23-percent shooting. Viterbo pulled within two points, 34-32, with 1:23 to go but a Libby Trausch (FR/Juniata, Neb.) 3-point basket started a 7-0 run over the closing minute and Doane led 41-32 at the break.A big third quarter for the Tigers opened up the game as they out-scored Viterbo by 17 points to take a 74-48 lead. A 10-0 run started with three free throws by Trausch as she was fouled attempting a 3-point shot and capped by Rylie Rice (FR/Chapman, Neb.) knocking down one of her three 3-point baskets.Doane's largest lead of the game was 36 points, 87-51, which came on a Kate Jansky (SR/Milligan, Neb.) jumper.For the game, the Tigers received 36 points and 13 rebounds from Mak Hatcliff (SO/Beatrice, Neb.). She added a team-high four steals and dished out two assists. Trausch finished with 19 points, hitting five 3-point baskets and she added six rebounds. Rice chipped in with 11 points.Kali Staples (SO/Broken Bow, Neb.) led the Tigers with five assists on the night and pulled in nine rebounds, tying a career-high, to go with seven points. Macy Holtz (SO/Plainview, Minn.) scored nine points and dished out four assists while picking up three steals. Boston Boucher (SO/Wood River, Neb.) added seven points off the bench.Natalia Leguizamon led the V-Hawks with 20 points and Emily McCurdy finished with 10 points off the bench. As a team, Viterbo shot 34.8-percent from the floor and 24-percent from behind the arc. They were 13-of-15 at the free throw line. Doane finished the game shooting 41.4-percent from the floor, 35.7-percent behind the arc, and 28-of-34 from the free throw line.It will be a quick turnaround for the Tigers as they hit the road on Saturday, December 10, with a trip to Manhattan, Kansas, to take on Manhattan Christian for the first time in program history.