It was a long time coming for the Doane women's basketball team and on Wednesday night they were able to do something they haven't done in four years. The Tigers knocked off Hastings College, 67-66, in Crete. Hastings is ranked No. 17 in the NAIA.
Doane played solid defense in the first half, limiting the Broncos to 25-percent shooting. They were 0-of-7 from behind the three-point line. Hastings entered the contest second in the GPAC in three-point percentage and third in three-point field goals made with nearly eight per contest. Doane held the Broncos to three 3-pt field goals, two coming late in the game.
The Tigers' 10 point halftime lead held course over the first five minutes of the second half. The Broncos eventually used a 10-1 run to cut the Doane lead to three with 12:32 remaining. Doane built their lead back to seven but another Bronco run, this time 10-0, gave Hastings a three point lead with 7:17 left in the second half.
The two teams exchanged blows, going back and forth with the Tigers taking the lead at 61-60 with 2:36 remaining. With the shot clock running down, Kay Broekemeier knocked down a 22-foot shot to give Hastings a two point lead. Doane came back and tied the game on a pair of Amy Fox free throws.
The Tiger defense was again strong, forcing the shot clock to run all the way down but Hastings answered once again. Heather McKeon hit a three-point basket from straight on and about 27 feet away as the shoot clock horn went off to put Hastings up three with 1:23 remaining.
Doane wouldn't go away and after a pair of offensive rebounds, Lindsay Anderson knocked down a short jumper off a pass from Kristine Ortmeier. The Tiger defense stepped up to force a missed jumper and Doane took possession with under 30 seconds remaining.
The Tigers went to their All-American and Anderson knocked down a baseline jumper with 10 seconds remaining to give Doane the one point lead.
After an exchange of timeouts and Hastings with possession under their own basket, Kim Faimon found Broekemeier off of a screen on the inbounds. Broekemeier went up for a shot but was contested by Hannah Helman and instead tried to drop off a pass. The ball went directly to Fox and she held onto it until the final horn sounded.
Doane was led on the night by Helman's 17 points as she went 7-of-7 from the free throw line. Ortmeier added 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots. Fox posted a double-double, 11 points and 11 rebounds. Anderson finished with 10 points and five assists.
Hastings was led by Lindsay Ducey's 27 points and six rebounds. Rachael Isherwood and Alicia Statler finished with nine points each. Faimon collected four assists.
Up Next
Doane will host Mount Marty College at 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 21. The game can be heard on the Tiger Sports Network.