Senior Lexi Fisher scored a career-high 36 points while fellow senior Jasmyn Flynn-Graves added 18, and the Buena Vista women's basketball team won its third straight game with an 83-70 road victory over Central College on Wednesday night to complete the season sweep.
Fisher had the hot hand all night for the Beavers and matched a career-high with seven three-pointers (7-of-16). She now has 207 career three-point makes and trails only Katie Maguire (238) on the program's all-time list. Susan Kies was the last player for BVU to reach 30 points when she turned in 35 against Bethany Lutheran early in the 2013-14 campaign.
BVU made 15-of-42 shots from long range in the contest and now has 12 games of at least 10 three-point makes this season, matching its highest single-season streak since 2005-06.
Junior Jordan Tynes hauled in seven rebounds with Fisher and freshman Morgan Muhlbauer chipping in with six. As a team, BVU outrebounded the Dutch, 43-34.
The game was much closer than the 54-point margin in the first meeting this season. It was tied 14-14 after the first quarter and Central went in front 17-14 early in the second. BVU took control with an 11-0 run and grabbed a 25-17 lead. Fisher hit a pair of treys during the spurt and helped the Beavers take a 38-26 lead into halftime.
BVU led by as many as 15 early in the third quarter before the Dutch hung around and got as close as seven (54-47) at the 3:34 mark. Fisher, however, pushed it back to 10 with another threel, and the Beavers closed the period on a 14-4 run to take a 68-51 lead to the fourth.
The lead grew to as much as 19 on a layup by Lacey Vokt just two minutes in, and the Beavers were able to maintain that lead throughout. Central tried to mount a rally by trimming the deficit to 14 midway through, but Fisher sank a pair from the free-throw line to make it a 16-point lead, and the Dutch really never threatened the rest of the way.
Buena Vista improves to 14-8 overall (8-3 IIAC) and remains one game behind Luther for the top spot with three games remaining. The Beavers will have a big game coming up on Saturday afternoon when they entertain Loras College (14-8, 7-4 IIAC) at 2:00pm on Senior Day. The Duhawks trail BVU by one game and defeated the Beavers, 73-71, earlier this season.