It was the tale of two halves again for the Blugolds as they controlled the game through the first half and into the second, but a late rally saw the Cardinals take over.
The Blugolds zone defense held the Cardinals to just 31.7 percent (13 for 41) from the floor in the first half as Eau Claire took a 42-38 advantage into the locker room.
The beginning of the second saw Eau Claire knock down eight of nine shots while North Central went zero for eight and committed four turnovers during a four-minute stretch that brought the Blugold lead to 19 points, 64-45.
But the tables turned when the Cardinal offense started to heat up and the Blugolds began to turn the ball over. In the final 15 minutes of play, Eau Claire committed 13 turnovers and were outscored 56-25.
Lewis recorded a triple-double for the Blugolds with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Kristin Sahr (Sr.-Stillwater, MN) scored 16 while Teenie Lichtfuss (Jr.-Oshkosh, WI) and Madison Johnson (Jr.-Oseola, WI) each scored 14.
North Central's Tess Godhardt led all scorers with 34 points.
The Blugolds will host Stevens Point to open the conference season on Wednesday, Dec. 3. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
-JM-
