GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Panthers saw a battle with Concordia (Mich.) Wednesday night as they started the final week of their regular season. DU would fight off a Cardinal comeback attempt in the third quarter before extending their lead to as many 22. The Panthers captured at least a share of their 10^th consecutive WHAC championship as they pulled away in the fourth quarter to a 78-56 victory.

The Panthers dominated the first half of play behind senior guard Alex Law as she recorded 11 points to lead all scorers. DU would shoot 46.9% from the field in the first half to take a 38-21 lead to halftime. The Panther defense played stout to hold Concordia to shooting just 25.8% as a team while they dominated the glass by a 27-17 margin.

The third quarter saw the Cardinals come alive as they would climb within four points of the Panthers. Concordia would cut the Davenport deficit to 44-40 with 3:24 left in the third quarter. Brianna Rowe would lead this comeback attempt from the Cardinals as she totaled 13 points in the second half on 4-for-7 shooting.

The Panthers responded immediately with a quick 6-0 run led by Law who recorded a pair of points and assisted on an Emily Severn layup to help extend the Panther lead to 10-points and DU did not look back. The Panthers added to their lead with an overwhelming 13-0 run that extended into the fourth quarter over a four minute stretch of the game as the Panthers extended their lead to 20 points, 64-44.

Amanda Merz contributed with an all-around performance as she totaled 11 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and a career-high three blocks. The Panthers dominated the game inside as they outscored Concordia 40-18 in the paint and outrebounded the Cardinals 43-34. Molly Babbs led the Panthers on the glass with an 11-rebound performance. DU earned its victory with an efficient day from the field as they shot 53.4% as a team. Severn (7-for-9) totaled 15 points and Momo Neal (4-for-7) scored 12 points to contribute to the offense along with Law who recorded 18 points.

The Panthers will look to clinch the outright WHAC championship on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 20) in a game against Cornerstone University at 1 p.m. in the Student Center. This will be senior day for Alex Law, Shaina Johnson, Kendra Cook, and Tiesha Stokes.