STORM LAKE, Iowa (Jan. 17, 2026) - Junior Mary Walker led a balanced Buena Vista offensive attack with 18 points and five assists as four players scored in double figures to help lead the Beavers to a strong 73-61 home victory over visiting Luther College on Saturday.

Walker was held to only 4-of-17 shooting but went 8-of-9 from the free-throw line to help aid in her point total. Sophomore Bradi Krager chalked up her fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 boards. Walker and Krager each made a pair of long range buckets and combined to make four of the team's five from behind the arc. Sophomore Tyme Boettcher chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds while freshman Adeeya Yanga added 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Both teams came out and shot over 50 percent from the field in the opening quarter with BVU taking a 25-19 lead to the second. It was a defensive battle for both offenses in the second with only a combined 15 points scored and 5-of-31 shooting. The third quarter was back-and-forth with the Beavers unable to extend their lead to any larger than six until a layup by Krager with just less than 90 seconds to play gave the team a 56-48 cushion heading to the fourth. Walker made a pair of free-throws early in the final stanza for the game's first double-digit led at 58-48. 

The Norse cut the deficit in half three minutes later but it was Walker coming up big again with an and-one basket with under four minutes on the clock that put BVU in front 63-55. Boettcher made a pair of big baskets down the stretch with the second being from downtown that made it 68-57 with 1:17 left.

Senior Danika Demers put the game away by making all free-throw attempts inside the final minute and finished with eight points, a career-high 11 rebounds, as well as four steals.

Buena Vista shot 36 percent from the field overall and only 5-of-19 from long distance, but capitalized at the free-throw line by making 18-of-22. The Beavers held the Norse to only 33.8 percent shooting and only 6-of-6 at the line. They forced 19 turnovers and held a slim 48-47 edge on the glass en route to their first win over Luther since Jan. 29, 2022.

BVU improves to 9-7 on the year and surpasses last year's win total. The Beavers are now 3-4 in conference play which matches its league total from a year ago. The team returns to the court on Wednesday, Jan. 21, hosting Nebraska Wesleyan (4-12, 1-6 A-R-C) at 5:30 p.m.