APPLETON, Wis. -- The Lawrence University women's basketball team started hot Tuesday and went on to a 75-63 Midwest Conference victory over Beloit College at Alexander Gymnasium.
    Lawrence went 15-for-32 from the floor, including 5-for-10 from 3-point range, en route to building a 42-24 advantage at halftime.
    Maggie Culver went 6-for-9 from the floor, including 4-for-5 from beyond the arc, on her way to a game-high 20 points for the Vikings. Culver made it a double-double with 11 rebounds, and she picked up two steals.
    Lawrence's Charlotte Brennan added 15 points, going 7-for-7 from the foul line, and handed out a team-high six assists. Nikola Kuzmanovic came off the bench to score 13 points for Lawrence and added four assists and a pair of rebounds. 
    The Vikings built a nine-point lead midway through the opening quarter and a 3-pointer by Culver and a layup from Brennan gave the Vikings a 22-10 lead. Lawrence pushed the lead to 31-15 on a Kuzmanovic jumper midway through the second quarter, and the Vikings had their biggest lead of the opening half when Lydia Lueck made a 3-pointer for a 42-24 edge at the break.
    Culver's layup to start the second half gave Lawrence a 20-point edge at 44-24, and the Vikings led 55-40 heading to the fourth quarter. 
    The Bucs quickly trimmed the lead to 55-47, and Beloit pulled to within six at 64-58 with 2:32 remaining. Libby Crandall answered with a 3-pointer for the Vikings, and Beloit was forced to foul in the final minute.
    Lawrence went 8-for-8 from the foul line over the final 1:04 to seal the victory. 
    The Vikings (5-1, 1-0 MWC) have won the Midwest Conference opener for three consecutive seasons and will return to league play on Saturday when they travel to Grinnell College.