STORM LAKE, Iowa (December 4, 2021) - The Buena Vista women's basketball team hosted Loras in the final game inside of Siebens Fieldhouse this semester but it was the Duhawks handing the Beavers their first conference loss of the year with a 74-56 victory.

Sophomore Vanessa Hamlett scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help lead BVU as Taylor Krager added nine points, six boards and four assists.  Buena Vista shot 39 percent from the field overall but just 3-of-15 from long range.  The Beavers also missed 17 free-throws on the afternoon, finishing 16-of-33 at the charity stripe.

Loras was 10-of-18 from the field, including 3-of-6 from downtown, in the opening quarter and led 24-13 heading to the second.  Loras made just one more field goal than BVU, but the Beavers went just 5-of-12 at the free-throw line in the quarter as the Duhawks extended their lead to 15 (41-26) at the half.

The Beavers made it back to the charity stripe 14 more times in the third quarter, making 9-of-14, but shot just 28 percent from the field overall and trailed 64-43 entering the fourth.  Lindsie Graff made a three-point bucket and cut the deficit to 16 with 7:07 remaining, but from there the two teams went scoreless for the next four minutes before the Duhawks used a 6-0 spurt to extend their lead to 72-51 with just over one minute to play.

Four players scored in double figures for Loras (5-2, 2-1 A-R-C) led by Sam Martin's 16.  Martin also grabbed six rebounds and recorded three steals.

Buena Vista is now 3-4 overall and 1-1 in the A-R-C and is scheduled to travel to Nebraska Wesleyan (2-5, 0-2 A-R-C) on Wednesday, December 8.  The Prairie Wolves were forced to forfeit their first two conference games this week due to health and safety protocols.