Just as the cold Midwestern winter weather is beginning to heat up, so is the Grinnell College women's basketball team.

The Pioneers used a strong stretch run, outscoring the visiting Lawrence University Vikings 15-7 in the last 3:07 to post a 78-72 Midwest Conference victory at Darby Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.

The victory, Grinnell's third in the past four games, improved the Pioneers' record to 3-5 in the league and 5-10 in all games. Lawrence fell to 1-7 in the league and 4-11 overall.

Hannah Wolf '08, needing just four points to reach the 1,500-point milestone for her career, did that just 88 seconds into the game with a jumper for Grinnell's fourth point. She went on to finish with 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. Jodi Watkins '09 added 14 points and Jessica Vaverka '11 had 13. Jessica Shotts '10 and Kate Norton '11 each had six rebounds. Lawrence got a game-high 19 points from Caresse Reiland.

The Vikings led much of the first half, going up by as many as eight at 24-16 at the 7:16 mark. But then it was the Pioneers' turn, as they gradually chipped away at the Vikings' lead and eventually went up 33-31 on a bucket by Shotts. Grinnell built its lead to five later in the half before going into intermission with a 38-37 lead.

After Lawrence went ahead early in the second half, the hosts came on strong with a 12-2 run for a 50-41 lead. Wolf had five points during the run, Watkins three and Shotts and Vaverka two each. But the visitors came back and went ahead 65-63 at the 3:07 mark on a jumper by Reiland.

Scharf countered for Grinnell, hitting a 3-pointer with 2:56 left to put Grinnell ahead to stay. Watkins added a trey a bit later and Miki Nakamura '10 hit a jumper at the 1:51 mark to put Grinnell up 71-65. After the visitors cut the lead to four, Watkins made two free throws and Brianna Gallo '11 hit two more with :30 left to put Grinnell up 75-67. The visitors never got closer than five after that.

Grinnell travels to Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., for a 5 p.m. game on Wednesday.
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