Third quarter the difference as Bees down V-Hawks
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Viterbo (2-7, 2-2) | 19 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 69 |
|
St. Ambrose (IA) (4-4, 2-2) | 19 | 14 | 24 | 18 | 75 |
Trailing visiting Viterbo 34-33 at the half, St. Ambrose used a big third quarter to pull away for a 75-69 win Tuesday night in Lee Lohman Arena.
Caitlyn Thole and Abby Wolter led the third-quarter charge.
The two combined to shoot 8-of-12 from the floor for 20 points over those 10 minutes, and the pair led a game-changing run in the period.
With the team down 42-40, Hayley Flores tied the game with two free throws. Thole and Wolter then combined for the next eight points to cap a 10-0 run that gave the Bees a 50-42 lead.
St. Ambrose (4-4, 2-2 CCAC) took a 57-50 advantage into the fourth.
Mary Gruber and Wolter each hit a 3-pointer early in the final frame to push the lead to 63-53. Back-to-back baskets from Gruber and Isabella Hutchinson opened up a 68-56 lead, and two Gruber free throws extended the lead to 70-57 with 3:30 to go.
Viterbo (2-7, 2-2 CCAC) made a final push to get within 70-65 inside the final minute but Erin Jolin, Hutchinson and Thole combined for five free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
The Bees locked down the V-Hawks after Viterbo got off to a fast start. The V-Hawks hit six of their first eight shots from the field, including three 3-pointers, in building a 15-10 lead just four minutes into the contest.
From that point on, Viterbo was just 17-of-54 (31.5 percent) from the floor.
SAU shot better than 44 percent for the game, finishing 26-of-59.
Wolter led the Bees with 22 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, six steals and two blocked shots.
Thole scored 20 to go along with five rebounds.
Gruber scored nine points while Flores and Olivia Harter each scored eight. Hutchinson netted four points and Jolin and Jayla Stirgus dropped in two points each.
SAU will visit Waldorf next Wednesday.