The Loras College women's basketball team advanced to the Iowa Conference Tournament semifinals to face #2 seed Simpson College with their 74-66 win over the Wartburg Knights in Waverly on Tuesday night. Senior guard Lindsay Bava led the Duhawks with 26 points, going 5-of-10 from the field and 13-of-14 from the free throw line.

The Duhawks and Knights essentially traded baskets over the first 18 minutes before Loras closed the half on a brief 6-0 run to take a 36-32 lead into halftime. Five players had at least five points in the first half, including freshmen center Melissa Herrmann's seven points. Wartburg jumped on the back of Abbey Hempen in the opening frame, riding her to the tune of 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting from behind the three point arc.

Herrmann would finish with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four blocks (two in the game's opening three minutes). Alex Hudson also scored 10 points and added eight rebounds and three steals. Lindsey LaBadie and Lisa Morrissey each added seven points, and Brit Kent and Niki Rivera chipped in with six apiece.

Loras won the rebounding and turnover battles on Tuesday night as well. They never trailed in the second half, opening up an 18-point lead at one point. Hempen finished with 24 points for Wartburg. Katie Zittergruen finished with a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds).

The Duhawks advance to play the #2 seed Simpson Storm on Saturday and will tipoff at 7:00 pm in Indianola, Iowa. Simpson swept the regular season series from the Duhawks in 2009-10, but needed overtime to do so back on January 9 in the game the Storm hosted. Simpson won 82-63 in the AWC on January 30^th. Tuesday's game can be heard live online at duhawks.com beginning at 6:45. This is the second consecutive year Loras has made it to the semifinals.