FOREST CITY, IOWA – Thanks to a strong third quarter and gritty defense late in the game, the Grinnell Women's Basketball team knocked off Waldorf University on Friday night.  
 
Up by one at halftime, the Pioneers came out of the locker room hot and jumped out to a 13-point lead late in the third quarter. As a team, they shot 55% from the field during the quarter and fought off a fourth quarter Waldorf comeback to earn the win.  
 
Ellie Gubbrud '22 and Aidan Coalson '22 led the charge for the Pioneers, each posting their first career double-double. The pair of sophomores each also reached career-high point totals, Coalson with 11 and Gubbrud with 12. Steady scorer Tyria Heath '21 once again played a significant role in the Pioneer victory with 19 points.
 
Other notable performances included Kathryn Stender '21 with 10 rebounds, Sofia Ahooja '22 with 4 assists, and Kate Tomczik '22 with 8 points.
 
The first two quarters of the game were back-and-forth with neither team holding a lead greater than five points. An Aidan Coalson jumper with 49 seconds remaining in the second quarter gave the Pioneers a lead that they would never give up. Just as the Waldorf comeback appeared to be at it's peak, Emmy Nyquist '23 hit a huge three pointer with 4:48 remaining that all but cemented a pioneer victory.
 
Friday's game proved to be another example of the balanced roster that head coach Dana Harrold has been able to take advantage of this season. Eight different players put up points for the Pioneers, six different players had assists, and six different players had steals.
 
The win marks Grinnell's first in the matchup's history with their only previous encounter coming in a 35-60 loss last season. Grinnell improves to 4-5 on the year and Waldorf drops to 2-6.
 
After losing their previous two games, the Pioneers will be excited to end 2019 on a high note. Their next matchup will be against Lake Forest College in Darby Gymnasium on January 3rd.