WAVERLY, Iowa - The fifth ranked Wartburg women's basketball team will meet Edgewood College in a nonconference contest for the second time this season on Friday, Feb. 12 at 5:30 p.m. inside Levick Arena. The two programs met during the season-opener for the Knights and the Orange & Black took home a 60-51 victory. 

Friday, Feb. 12 - 5:30 p.m. - Waverly, Iowa - Levick Arena
Wartburg Knights (9-1, 3-1 A-R-C) vs. Edgewood College (6-2, 5-0 NACC) 

Series Record: Wartburg leads 4-0
Last Meeting: Jan. 3, 2021 (Wartburg won 60-51 in Waverly, Iowa) 

Attendance Policy
Two people per each participant (student-athlete/coach/staff member) will be permitted to attend basketball, volleyball, and wrestling home events inside Levick Arena. Seating for spectators will take place in the west bleachers across from the team benches. 
 
SPECTATORS WILL BE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW CAMPUS MASKING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES. LEARN MORE HERE.

Season Notes
The Knights currently possess a 9-1 overall record and 3-1 American Rivers Conference ledger. Wartburg is in a three-way tie for second place in the conference behind No. 14 Simpson College. The Orange & Black have reached triple figures in scoring three times this season. 

The Knights are averaging 79.4 points per contest and have a scoring margin of 31.5. They are shooting 43.1% from the floor, 29.6% from long range and 68.9% from the free-throw line. Wartburg is also out rebounding its opponents by 13.6 boards and have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.2. 

Senior forward Payton Draper leads the team in rebounding with 6.3 boards and in scoring with 14 points per game and is shooting 52.8% from the field. Freshman forward Jaedon Murphy is also averaging double figures with 10.9 points. Fellow freshman Britney Young paces the team in assists per game with three. Defensively, senior Ally Conrad has tallied a team-high 2.1 steals per contest. 

Last Time Out
Wartburg took home a 74-39 victory over rival Luther College on Wednesday, Feb. 10 inside Levick Arena. The Knights have now won the past five games against the Norse. 

It was an evenly matched first period as both programs struggled to find a rhythm offensively. The Knights forced eight turnovers in the opening frame but failed to capitalize on those mistakes and headed to the second period with only a two-point advantage. 

Wartburg got going in the second when forwards Kaitlyn Volesky and Draper went a combined 7-of-7 from the floor and totaled 15 points. The Knights shot 53.3% from the field in the period and held their opponents to just four made field goals. Wartburg enjoyed a 15-0 run midway through the period behind a stifling full-court trap and hot shooting. The Knights won the frame 19-10 and went into halftime with an 11-point lead. 

It was much of the same in the third period as Wartburg's defense continued to be troublesome for the Norse. The Knights got to the foul line early and often in the period and finished the third 10-of-13 from the charity stripe. Wartburg's supporting cast out scored Luther's bench 11-4 and the Knights entered the final period with a comfortable 17-point advantage. 

The Knights' defense continued to shine in the final frame as Luther managed to score just two points on 1-of-11 shooting. Senior Draper added six points in the fourth and finished the contest with a career-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the floor as Wartburg cruised to a 35-point victory. 

Mount Vernon, Iowa native Volesky tallied a season-high 13 points while fellow senior Bailey Naig added a season-best 10 points off the bench. Waverly native Draper added a team-high seven rebounds to go along with her career high point total. The Knights finished the contest 39.4% from the field, 18.8% from long range and 84.2% from the free-throw line. 

Defensively, Wartburg forced 29 turnovers on nine steals and nine blocks. The Norse ended the contest 28.1% from the floor, 7.7% from 3-point land and 54.5% from the charity stripe. 

Edgewood College
The Eagles come into the contest riding a five-game winning streak with their last loss coming against Wartburg. Edgewood has rolled through their Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference matches by an average of 16.4 points. 

Edgewood has averaged 68.1 points per game and have a scoring margin of 9.2. The Eagles are shooting 43.3% from the floor, 25.4% from beyond the arc and 61.9% from the foul line. They are out rebounding their opponents by 2.2 boards and have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.0. 

Senior guard Alyssa Lemirande leads the program in scoring with 14.4 points per game. Sophomore Emma Klein and junior Bria Lemirande are also averaging double figures in scoring with 10.9 and 10.5 points, respectively. Bria Lemirande is averaging a double-double with 11.4 rebounds per game to go along with her double-digit point total. Alyssa Lemirande has posted a team-high 4.9 assists per match. 

Defensively, Edgewood is holding its opponents to 58.9 points and have forced 16.4 turnovers per contest. The Eagles' opponents are shooting 33.8% from the floor, 27.9% from 3-point land and 63.8% from the charity stripe.