Home Opener Results in V-Hawks Victory

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Viterbo University Women's Basketball team earned their first win of the season, 65-59 in their home opener against Graceland University (Iowa) on Friday night. The V-Hawks improve to 1-3 on the year, while the Yellowjackets fall to 2-2.

The V-Hawks scored the first points of the game on three by Emma Wagner, and free throws by Megan Miedema brought it to 6-2. After neither team scire for almost three minutes, GU ended the drought, then went up 13-10. Pearla Teko-Folly scored on three straight possessions for Viterbo, and Macy Stellner's jumper closed the first quarter, 19-15.

Marley Hughes hit a triple early in the second to go up 22-18, and Teko-Folly followed her own layup by finding Wagner for another three and a 32-23 lead with 3:36 left in the half. Janiyah Davis made it just a five-point game with under a minute left, but Emily McCurdy's layup made it 38-31 going into the break.

McCurdy quickly found Teko-Folly out of the half, then hit a jumper of her own, but the Yellowjackets were able to close it to a single possession game at 4:20, 44-41. The V-Hawks gave themselves a bit of breathing room on a Wagner layup, leading 48-43 going into the final period.

The teams traded baskets to start the fourth, and while there were multiple different times Graceland closed it to three points, Viterbo held onto their lead. Nicole Johnson made both of her free throws at 5:20, and after a Teko-Folly Jumper, the Yellowjackets were forced to foul, and the V-Hawks made their shots, securing the 65-49 win.

Teko-Folly led all players with 16 points, while Wagner added 14 and six boards. Alana Swift had 14 for Graceland and two players grabbed seven rebounds. Viterbo shot better both from the floor, 42.6% - 29.4%, and from three, 23.5% - 18.8%, but the difference was made at the charity stripe, as Viterbo made 15, while Graceland only attempted six.

Viterbo returns to action on Saturday, November 11 as they host Mount Mercy University (Iowa).