DUBUQUE, Iowa — The Coe College women's basketball team opened 2026 with a fourth-quarter comeback victory over Loras College Saturday afternoon, defeating the Duhawks 58-52. Coe and Loras were evenly matched across the opening 20 minutes, trading buckets throughout the first and second quarters but a layup from
Audrie Helmrichs sent the Kohawks to the break leading 26-23. Loras turned in its best quarter of the game in the third, outscoring Coe 14-9 to flip the score in its favor at 37-35 ahead of the fourth. The Duhawks pushed the lead to five in the early minutes of the final period but Coe refused to give in, answering with a 10-3 run that featured 3s from
Caydee Kirkham and
Kelly Knight. Loras regained the lead with back-to-back 3s but again Coe had an answer, ending the game with 11 unanswered points to seal the victory. Helmrichs scored a game-high 22 points and recorded her sixth double-double of the year with 12 rebounds. Kirkham (15) and Knight (14) finished off the major scoring contributions for the Kohawks while the former joined the double-double club with Helmrichs, pulling down 10 boards.
GAME FACTS
COE 58 - LORAS 52
- Helmrichs was dominant in the first quarter, scoring Coe's first eight points of the game as she did well to keep the Kohawks on pace. Knight made sure to cash in before the end of the quarter, knocking down back-to-back 3s as the senior helped put the Kohawks on to 14-13 after 10 minutes. There was more even action in the second quarter as the teams were hardly separable. The Kohawks managed to pull ahead again before the end of the half, scoring seven of the final 10 points which came from Helmrichs and another Knight trey. Loras established momentum in the third quarter, limiting the Kohawks to just four field goals while forcing four turnovers on the defensive end. The Duhawks took the opportunity and outscored Coe 14-9 in the quarter, using a late spurt to take a 37-35 lead into the final frame. A 5-2 start for Loras in the fourth quarter made it a 42-37 game with 8:57 to play but Coe had an answer, quick responding with a 10-4 run that was spurred on by 3s from Kirkham and Knight. Back-to-back 3s from the Duhawks made things interesting yet again as the hosts took a 52-47 lead but it proved to be the final points of the game for Loras as Coe scored 11 unanswered to close the game. Nine of the points came from the free throw line, with Coe attacking the basket and taking advantage of the charity stripe.
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