The Beloit College women's basketball team topped Lawrence University 60-46 on the road Saturday afternoon. The win is the 20th for the Buccaneers in the last 22 meetings with the Vikings as Beloit extends its advantage in the overall series with LU to 40-30.
A huge first quarter bolstered the win as Beloit came out of the gates on fire. With the score knotted 2-2, Beloit ran off the next 20 points. The Bucs hit 65% (11-17) of their shots including 4-of-6 from three-point range to jump out to a 26-11 lead after the first period.
BC cooled off in the second quarter but still outshot their opponent to extend the margin to 16, 39-13 at the half.
The Bucs' offense struggled in the second half shooting just 21% (6-28) but the big first half provided enough cushion to hold off the Vikings. Lawrence was able to cut the Beloit lead down to 12 in the second half but the Buc lead never fell below double figures. LU outscored the Bucs 23-21 but Beloit added the tally in the win column.
Senior Shelby Kline continues to work her way up the ranks in career scoring in the Beloit College women's basketball record book. She led all players with 22 points bringing her career total 1,034 surpassing Nancy Habetler (1977-81) for 12th all-time. Kline added a game-high seven assists and notched three steals in the contest.
Dani Strejc was pivotal in the Bucs' first half surge scoring all 12 of her points in the game in the first 20 minutes of play as she drained 4-of-6 from long range.
Candace Cunningham notched her 10th double-double of the season and fifth in the last six games with 14 points and 10 boards.
Beloit will head south for a weekend in Illinois in six days. The Bucs will visit Galesburg to take on Knox Friday evening followed by a stop in Jacksonville for a meeting with Illinois College Saturday afternoon.
