LINCOLN, Neb. (March 7, 2021) - The Nebraska Wesleyan women's basketball team (1-8, 1-7 A-R-C) fell to Luther College (1-9, 0-8 A-R-C), 65-44, in the opening round of the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Championship. NWU was missing three starters due to health and safety concerns. 

The Prairie Wolves burst out to an early 15-8 first-quarter lead as it ended the quarter with a 10-2 run. The momentum continued at the beginning of the second quarter with a three-pointer from Delaney Roberts to push the lead to nine points, the largest in the half. Luther would chip away at the lead with a 24-11 scoring advantage in the second quarter and took a 32-26 halftime lead. 

The second-half was controlled by Luther as they held Nebraska Wesleyan to just seven points in the third quarter. The short-handed Prairie Wolves bounced back in the fourth quarter, shooting 36.4 percent from the field but three three-pointers in the final quarter by the Norse allowed them to pull away. 

Notable Stats and Performances
-Nebraska Wesleyan shot a season-best 81.8 percent from the free-throw line.
-Johanna Vandenack finished with 14 points and a game-best nine rebounds, a rebound shy of her fourth double-double this season and second in a row.
-Avery Halliday netted a season-high 11 points and three three-pointers. She shot 40 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three-point stripe.
-Delaney Roberts scored nine-points, it is the second straight game she scored at least nine points.
-Luther's Kristen Elliott had a game-high 21 points.