STORM LAKE, Iowa (Dec. 16, 2022) - Junior Lindsey Anhalt scored all of her career-high 22 points in the second half to help guide the Buena Vista women's basketball team back from a 14-point third quarter deficit to knock off visiting Martin Luther on Friday night, 68-65.

Anhalt finished the game making 7-of-13 shot attempts from the field and going 8-of-11 from the free-throw line and just missed out on a double-double with nine rebounds. Senior Vanessa Hamlett registered 11 points off the bench while Danika Demers chimed in with eight points and four steals to go along with a career-high 11 assists.

The Knights opened up an early 10-3 lead midway through the first quarter before BVU settled in and scored 14 straight points and led 17-12 at the end of the period. The Beavers cooled off a bit in the second hald as Martin Luther ouscored them by 11 to take a 34-28 lead into the half.

BVU fell behind 45-31 midway through the third quarter before Anhalt and the Beavers took over. She would go on to score the team's final 13 points over the final five minutes of the quarter and pulled the Beavers within 51-44 heading to the final frame. After a free-throw early on in the period made it 51-45, Hamlett then came to life and made back-to-back layups and added two free-throws to tie things up at 51-51 with just over seven minutes remaining.

The score was then tied at 53, 55, and 57 before Martin Luther connected on a three-point shot to grab a 60-57 advantage as the quarter closed in on the four-minute mark. Demers had the answer for BVU with a big step-back three in the far corner to again tie the game at 60-60. After the Knights nailed their second straight three-point bucket to go back in front 63-60, Anhalt came back with a big and-one to even things at 63-63 with only 2:07 to play. Demers then came up with a big steal on the next possesion and found senior Kayley Dresback for a mid-range jump shot that gave the Beavers their first lead since holding a 24-23 edge midway through the second quarter.

BVU again forced the Knights to turn it over and were able to sink just enough free-throws down the stretch to improve to 4-1 inside of Siebens Fieldhouse this season.

The Beavers finished the game shooting 38 percent from the field and made 5-of-23 from downtown and 15-of-21 at the free-throw line. 

Martin Luther (4-6) had three players score in double figures, led by Lydia Feidt's 18 points and seven rebounds. The Knights shot 37 percent from the field and buried 7-of-24 from beyond the arc.

Buena Vista heads into the holiday break having won two of its last three games to sit at 6-6 overall. The team is now off until Jan. 4 when it returns to American Rivers Conference play by hosting Simpson College at 5:30 p.m.