PELLA, Iowa - The Coe College women's basketball team won its second-straight A-R-C game on Saturday afternoon, defeating Central College 61-51 at P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium. The Kohawks benefited from a pair of impressive performances from
Kaalyn Petersen and
Molly Buck who combined to lead the attack with 17 points each. Central started the game well, outscoring Coe 13-11 in the first period but the Kohawks responded before the halftime break, dominating the second quarter to grab a 29-22 lead after 20 minutes. The hosts quickly cut into the deficit in the third, slicing the Coe lead to just four points with 3:41 left in the quarter but the Kohawks had a strong close and pushed their lead back to eight with one quarter to play. Central scored the first two of the fourth period yet Coe immediately answered, scoring 12 straight points to put the contest out of reach. Petersen added 12 boards to her point total, registering her sixth double-double of the season while also chipping in with four steals and three blocks on defense. Buck added five assists and two rebounds, shooting 7-of-16 from the floor en route to her 17 points.
Caydee Kirkham, who set a new scoring record in Coe's last game, struggled to find the mark but was still a major contributor for the Kohawks, adding seven assists and seven rebounds while guiding the offense. The win moves Coe to 15-5 overall and 7-4 in the American Rivers Conference while Central drops to 5-14 and 2-8 in the league.
GAME FACTS:
COE 61 - CENTRAL 51
- Central opened up a lead in the first few minutes of the contest, outscoring Coe 5-2 in the opening four minutes. The squads traded buckets over the remaining moments of the opener but the Kohawks slightly edged the Dutch 9-8 to trail by two after 10 minutes. The Kohawks got balanced scoring throughout the quarter, seeing four players record two points or more.
- The Kohawk offense came to life in the second quarter, shooting 50 percent from distance and 47 percent from the floor. Coe's big run came midway through the period, ripping off a 10-3 stretch during a three-minute span to grab a nine-point lead. Petersen led the run with a pair of layups with Macey Rogers, Kelly Knight and Buck adding two points each. Central and Coe both went quiet for the final two minutes of the quarter but a pair of free throws brought the hosts to within seven at 29-22 after two quarters.
- Central began to claw back in the third quarter, outscoring Coe 9-6 in the first six-plus minutes to make it a 35-31 game. The Kohawks answered back thanks to Buck, who put together a 7-0 scoring run, converting on a layup, floater and 3-pointer to give her team an 11-point advantage. The Dutch refused to go away, ending the quarter with three-straight points to slice the deficit to 42-34 with 10 minutes remaining.
- The hosts opened the fourth quarter with a layup from forward Allison Van Gorp, cutting Coe's lead to just six. Coe then answered and put the Dutch away for good, ripping off 12 unanswered points over the next five minutes. Katie Wilhelmi and Meagan Harvey were the catalysts of the spurt, scoring five points each while Petersen added a pair of free throws. Central scraped its way back within nine points of the lead late in the game, using a 13-3 run but Coe hung on with some clutch free throws, spurning any further comeback attempt from the Dutch.
Up next: Coe is back in action on Wednesday, February 1 at Kohawk Arena, hosting Loras College for the second matchup of the season at 5:30 PM.
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