DECORAH, Iowa - Freshman guard
Caydee Kirkham set a new single-game scoring record for the Coe women's basketball program on Wednesday evening, scoring 37 points in the Kohawks' 65-55 victory at Luther. Kirkham, a Carthage, Illinois native, broke the record of 34 points which has stood since 1991 when Cori Allen achieved the feat. Caydee and the Kohawks started the game on top, outscoring the hosts 22-16 in the first period. Kirkham, who had 13 in the opening period, continued her hot start and scored eight more to lead her team to a 39-27 halftime lead. Coe quickly extended its lead in the third quarter, getting an early 8-2 run to push the advantage to 18 but Luther refused to go away. The Norse dominated the next 15 minutes of game time, outscoring Coe 26-12 to claw all the way back within four points at 59-55 with 2:19 to play. Kirkham then clinched the game for good, hitting six straight free throw attempts while the Kohawk defense withstood the final charge. Kirkham contributed throughout the game for Coe, adding nine rebounds, four steals and two assists to her impressive scoring line.
Kaalyn Petersen finished as the only other Kohawk in double figures, posting 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks. The win moves Coe to 14-5 overall and 6-4 in the American Rivers Conference while Luther drops to 11-8 and 6-4 in the league.
GAME FACTS:
COE 65 - LUTHER 55
- The hosts started on top, scoring five-straight points in the first two minutes to jump ahead. Coe fought back in its next two chances, answering with back-to-back buckets including a 3 from Kirkham. The Kohawks took control over the next minute, ripping off a dominant 12-0 stretch that featured 10 points Kirkham. Luther fought back before the expiration of the first-quarter clock, edging Coe 8-5 in the final four minutes to slice Coe's lead to 22-16 after one.
- Kirkham remained dominant in the early minutes of the second, scoring Coe's first six points of the period to help stretch the lead to 10. The squads both struggled to score after the first couple of moments but later on traded buckets as Coe held on to its comfortable lead. The Kohawks scored the final four points of the quarter, getting a jumper from Alyse Southard and a layup from Theo Mba as the pair helped give the visitors at 39-27 lead at the break.
- Coe stayed hot to start the third quarter, going 4-of-4 from the field in the first two-plus minutes. The hot shooting led the Kohawks on an 8-2 run, pushing their lead to 47-29 with 7:41 left in the period. Luther dominated the final five minutes and 40 seconds of the third, ripping off a 12-2 outburst to slice the deficit to eight before the fourth quarter. Coe shot just 1-of-9 during the run while Luther was 4-of-10 and got seven points from Kailey Jones.
- Petersen and Kirkham went back-to-back to open the fourth, scoring on consecutive possessions for the Kohawks to help restore a double-digit lead. Luther continued its comeback charge one minute later, outscoring Coe 10-3 over the next 3:52 to pull within five points at 56-51. Kirkham then hit a crucial 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, pushing the lead back to eight with little over three minutes remaining. The Norse continued to fight over the final few minutes but struggled to find the mark as Kirkham sealed the game with six-straight free throws in the final minute-plus.
Up next: Coe stays on the road this weekend, traveling to Pella on Saturday, January 28 for a matchup with the Central College Dutch.
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