WAVERLY, Iowa - The fifth ranked Wartburg women's basketball team will continue American Rivers Conference competition on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 5:30 p.m. when it battles Luther College inside Levick Arena. The Knights will also look to extend their winning streak against the Norse to five consecutive games. 

Wednesday, Feb. 10 - 5:30 p.m. - Waverly, Iowa - Levick Arena
Wartburg Knights (8-1, 2-1 A-R-C) vs. Luther College (0-2, 0-1 A-R-C) 

Series Record: Wartburg leads 49-42
Last Five Meetings: 
Feb. 5, 2020 -- W, 79-59 (Decorah) 
Jan. 15, 2020 -- W, 80-69 (Waverly)
Feb. 21, 2019 -- W, 78-67 (Waverly)
Feb. 6, 2019 -- W, 64-39 (Decorah)
Jan. 9, 2019 -- L, 63-75 (Waverly)

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 dropped three spots in the latest d3hoops.com national poll after suffering their first loss of the season on Feb. 3 against Coe College. Wartburg is currently in a three-way tie for second place in the A-R-C with the University of Dubuque and Central College while No. 14 Simpson College is alone in first place with a 3-0 conference ledger. 

The Orange & Black are averaging 80 points per contest and have a scoring margin of 31.1. They are shooting at a 43.5% clip from the field, 30.8% from long range and 66.9% from the charity stripe. The Knights are out rebounding their opponents by 16.5 boards per game and have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.3. 

Senior forward Payton Draper leads to the team in scoring and rebounding with 12.9 points per game and 6.2 boards. Freshman forward Jaedon Murphy is also averaging double figures in scoring with 11.5. Freshman guard Britney Young has posted a team-best 3.2 assists per game while senior guard Ally Conrad is close behind with 3.1. 

Last Time Out
Wartburg returned to its winning ways on Friday, Feb. 5 when it took down Westminster College 104-54 in a nonconference matchup inside Levick Arena. The Knights improved to 5-0 all-time against the Blue Jays. 

The Knights broke out on a 15-3 run in the opening five minutes of the contest behind a stifling full-court trap that forced seven first-period turnovers for the Blue Jays. The Wartburg defense did not allow much as Westminster went 1-for-14 from the field in the opening frame and faced a 15-point deficit entering the second period. 

Each team got into a rhythm offensively when the Knights shot 52.6% from the floor in the second and Westminster got hot from long range, knocking in 66.7% of its shots from three. Freshman forward Murphy registered six points on 3-of-3 shooting in the second and senior forward Draper added nine to give Wartburg a 21-point lead at halftime. 

The third period was much like the first as Wartburg forced 11 turnovers and held a 17-0 advantage on points of turnovers. The strong shooting continued for the Knights when they erupted for 32 points and shot the ball at a 63.6% clip from the field. Senior forward Kaitlyn Volesky and freshman guard Sara Faber posted a combined 10 points in the period on 5-of-6 shooting. 

Wartburg held on to its comfortable lead throughout the fourth while posting 23 points and shooting 53.3% from the floor. The Knights' bench was in full force in the final period, outscoring the Blue Jays' reserves 20-8 and Wartburg cruised to a 50-point victory. 

The Knights were led offensively by Waverly native Draper who recorded 17 points on a season-high seven made field goals. Sophomore guard Macy Harris tied a career-high 16 points while Faber notched a career-best 13 points. Murphy also reached double figures in scoring with 11. Coming off the bench, senior Bailey Naig earned a season-high nine points and a team-high eight rebounds. Freshman guard Young tallied a game-high and career-best six assists. 

Defensively, Wartburg forced 26 turnovers on a season-high 15 steals and five blocks. The Knights held the Blue Jays to just 32.7% from the floor and 35.3% from beyond the arc. 

Luther College
Luther comes into the contest still searching for its first win of the campaign after losses against Buena Vista University and North Central University. 

The Norse have averaged 56 points per game and have a scoring margin of negative 19.5. They are shooting 35% from the floor, 24.5% from 3-point land and 53.8% from the free-throw line. Luther is out rebounding its opponents by 2.5 boards per game and have an assist-to-turnover ratio of .5. 

Sophomore forward Lizzie Kauls leads the team in scoring with an average of 11.5 points per contest while junior guard Kristen Elliott is close behind with 11. Senior forward Erin Saemrow has posted a team-best eight rebounds per contest and a team-high three assists. 

The Norse are forcing 17 turnovers per game on six steals and .5 blocks. Luther's opponents are averaging 75.5 points per game and shooting 42.4% from the floor, 31.7% from long range and 69.1% from the charity stripe.