EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – Despite leading for the first 24 minutes of tonight's game against 19th-ranked UW-Oshkosh, the UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team couldn't get by the Titans, falling 58-45 on Ken Anderson Court in Zorn Arena tonight.
The Blugolds never trailed in the first half, getting up by as many as 10 points. Over the first four minutes, Eau Claire outscored Oshkosh 7-2, and while the Titans were within two points (14-12) with less than nine minutes to play before halftime, the Blugolds then went on an 8-0 run to get up by 10.
The Titans didn't score any points during a six-minute stretch in the half but outscored Eau Claire 9-4 over the final 2:40 to get back to within five (26-21) by halftime.
Over the first five minutes in the second half, the Titans outscored the Blugolds 9-4 to tie the game at 30 and took their first lead of the night at 14:11. Oshkosh didn't look back after that, steadily building its lead the rest of the way. The Titans led by as many as 15 points, twice in the final three minutes.
Courtney Lewis (Jr.-Prairie du Chien, Wis.) led the Blugolds in scoring with 10 points while Ellen Blacklock (Fr.-Winona, Minn.) led the game in rebounding with eight. She also had a game-high seven blocks, three short of the Blugolds' school record.
The Blugolds went 19-for-48 (39.6 percent) from the field while Oshkosh shot 40.7 percent (22-for-54). The Titans finished with 10 points at the free throw line while Eau Claire had five. The Titans also outrebounded the Blugolds 35-29.
Eau Claire drops to 3-14 on the season and 1-7 in conference play while Oshkosh improves to 16-1 overall and 7-1 in the WIAC.
Saturday, the Blugolds will be home for a doubleheader with men against UW-Stout. The women will face the Blue Devils at 3 p.m. and the men's game will follow at about 5 p.m.
-KM-
