Women's Basketball Nails Free Throws to Win at Home

CRETE, Neb. — Doane used a balanced scoring night, a plus-13 rebounding edge, and a near-perfect performance at the free throw line to fend off a furious fourth-quarter rally from Mount Marty, earning a 67-63 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) women's basketball victory Wednesday inside the Haddix Center.

The Tigers (8-10, 6-8 GPAC) led wire-to-wire on the scoreboard, building their largest advantage at 12 points midway through the third quarter. Mount Marty (11-9, 6-8) made its move late behind a parade to the line and timely perimeter shooting, pulling even at 56-56 with 2:02 remaining. Doane answered with poise from the stripe down the stretch, sealing the four-point win.

Rylie Rice paced Doane with 22 points, hitting three 3-pointers and going 9-for-9 at the free-throw line. Megan Chambers added 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for her double-double, while Mattea Kassebaum finished with 11 points and two steals. Doane's Keeleigh Knobbe chipped in 10 points, including a pair of second-quarter triples that helped the Tigers take control before halftime.

With 1:50 to go in the second quarter, Chambers stepped to the free throw and made a pair of free throws to become the 37th player in program history to join the 1,000-point club.

Doane carried a 32-24 lead into the break and stretched the margin coming out of the locker room, outscoring the Lancers 18-16 in the third to take a 50-40 advantage into the final period. Mount Marty surged with a 23-point fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to two early and eventually tying the game at 56-all, but Doane countered with a decisive response at the foul line.

The Tigers finished 27-of-28 at the stripe (96.4%), offsetting a challenging shooting night from the field (17-of-47). Doane also won the rebounding battle 43-30, including 13 offensive boards, and recorded 11 assists.

Mount Marty was led by Lacey Sprakel with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Alexis Folkers scored nine with four steals. The Lancers received a big lift from their bench, accounting for 21 points, and went 21-of-25 at the free-throw line.

Doane will continue GPAC play with its next contest at home against Morningside this weekend. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.

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