Pride play the fourth quarter they needed to advance to NAIA Round of 16

DUBUQUE, Iowa - In what would be their final game in the Kehl Center of the 2022-23 season, the Clarke University women's basketball team sent their home fans out with a thrilling 63-58 win over Freed-Hardeman University in the Second Round of the NAIA Tournament on Wednesday night.

The Lady Lions gave the Pride all they could handle as the first and second quarters played to an even tie at 28-28 to the halftime break as FHU seemingly controlled the third quarter to lead by eight points at 48-40, the largest lead for any team in the game.

Clarke would start the fourth exactly how they needed to regain a little sense of momentum and cut it to 48-46 after a pair of Tina Ubl buckets and a nicely run set play to get Emma Kelchen a layup. 

After trading buckets back and fourth, CU went to Taylor Haase as she hit a layup through contact to hit the free throw to give Clarke a 54-53 lead, their first since 2:45 left in the second quarter at a 26-24 lead at that time.

Down the stretch, the Pride maintained a slim lead as and Elli Chumley layup made it 60-58 Clarke as the Lady Lions followed that up with a defensive possession that forced a turnover into a fast break but a hustle play from Ubl as the trail defender stole the ball back to the Pride with the shot clock off, forcing FHU to foul Giana Michels, who would step up to the line and knock down both free throws to make it a four point game, that they would close out to the win.

Haase had potentially the best game of her season when the Pride needed her to have it the most as she finished with a game-high 19 points and six rebounds on 7-of-9 (77.8%) shooting from the field while going 5-of-6 (83.3%) from the free throw line.

Clarke needed that game in the paint from Haase especially because of their shooting struggles from three-point ranges as they went just 2-of-23 (8.7%) as a handful of open looks rimmed out or just missed the mark.

Ubl was the only other member of the Pride in double figures with 13 points as she also added six rebounds while three other CU starters had nine points in Michels, Skylar Culbertson, and Emma Kelchen. 

Freed-Hardeman also had just two players in double figures led by KJ White's 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field as she was backed up by 12 from Chumley who also added a game-high seven rebounds.

Clarke women's basketball will now head to Sioux City, Iowa for their fourth-straight Round of 16 appearance as they will go to the final site to face Duer Quadrant No. 3 seed Lewis-Clark State with that game scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. CT start in the Tyson Events Center.