Box Score LISLE, Ill. (WLCSports.com) - The Wisconsin Lutheran College women's basketball team was unable to hold onto a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, as league unbeaten Benedictine forced overtime and came away with a 59-56 win over the Warriors on Wednesday night inside the Rice Center. Junior Amanda Brug (Sturtevant, Wis.) scored a career-high 23 points to lead three players in double figures for WLC, which dropped its fourth straight game in Lisle.
- Final Score: Benedictine 59, Wisconsin Lutheran 56 (OT)
- Records: Wisconsin Lutheran (14-5, 12-3 NACC), Benedictine (18-2, 15-0 NACC)
- Location: Dan and Ada Rice Center, Lisle, Ill.
- The Eagles jumped in front 4-0 just over a minute and a half into the game before the Warriors evened the score after jumpers from sophomores Jenna Mace (Wisconsin Dells, Wis.) and Morgan Tramburg (Fall River, Wis.). Benedictine went back ahead 9-6 with 3:03 left in the first quarter, but a three from sophomore Ally Gough (Horicon, Wis.) and a jumper from Brug gave WLC an 11-9 lead after one quarter. Both teams struggled from the floor as Wisconsin Lutheran shot 33.3 percent (5-for-15) compared to BenU's 21.4 percent (3-for-14).
- Benedictine once again netted the first four points of the second quarter to take back a two-point lead. The Green and White scored the next seven points, capped off by a three from senior Tierney Woodward (Poynette, Wis.) for an 18-13 lead with 5:22 remaining before halftime. The Eagles scored their final points of the half at the 5:02 mark and Morgan Tramburg and Brug added a field goal each to send the Warriors into intermission with a 22-15 lead. WLC shot 45.5 percent (5-for-11) in the frame, while limiting Benedictine to just 27.3 percent (3-for-11).
- Wisconsin Lutheran jumped out to a pair of eight-point leads early in the third quarter after a triple from senior Kelly Tramburg (Fall River, Wis.) and a jumper from Brug. BenU then went on a 10-0 scoring run over the next three and a half minutes to take its first lead since the early goings of the second quarter. The Green and White didn't trail for long though after a free throw from Kelly Tramburg and a layup from Brug over the last three minutes put the visitors in front 30-29 through three quarters.
- The Warriors opened the fourth quarter with a 10-2 scoring run, highlighted by back-to-back triples from Morgan Tramburg and Kelly Tramburg to take a game-high nine-point lead at 40-31 with 5:51 left in regulation. The Eagles netted the next six points to close within three and soon after made it a two-point game on an Alex Fanning triple with 1:46 left. WLC held a 47-42 lead after a pair of Mace free throws with 0:27 seconds left, and was still ahead by four when Kelly Tramburg sunk two more with 0:17 ticks on the clock. After Benedictine answered with a quick bucket, Mace made the front end of two free throws and the hosts called timeout with nine seconds left. Fanning knocked down a contested three from the top of the key out of the timeout and Wisconsin Lutheran was unable to get off a final shot as the game was sent to overtime deadlocked at 50-50.
- The two teams traded points through the first 3:20 of overtime and the score stood tied at 54-54. The Green and White grabbed its first lead of the extra session when Brug finished off a Mace missed layup for a 56-55 lead with 0:24 seconds left. BenU went right back in front six seconds later on a layup and a foul, but grabbed the offensive rebound off the missed free throw and made two additional foul shots after the Warriors were forced to quickly foul. WLC had one last attempt to tie the game, but Kelly Tramburg's contested three from the right corner was unsuccessful and Benedictine came away with the three-point win.
- Brug finished with a career-high 23 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors, who shot 30.2 percent (19-for-63) for the game.
- Kelly Tramburg and Morgan Tramburg rounded out WLC's double-figure scorers with 12 and 10 points each.
- Mace led the team with four assists while adding seven rebounds.
- Wisconsin Lutheran was narrowly out-rebounded 45-44, but owned a 16-13 advantage on the offensive glass.
- Alex Fanning finished with 25 points, 20 rebounds, and five blocks for the Eagles, who shot 33.3 percent (20-for-60) for the game, but a game-high 47.1 percent (8-for-17) in the fourth quarter.
- The Warriors return home on Saturday when they host Concordia Chicago (7-13, 6-9 NACC) in a backend Winterfest doubleheader with the same two men's teams scheduled to tip-off at 3:15 p.m. Live stats and video will be available for the game at WLCSports.com.
