EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball started the season with a win at home on Friday, defeating UW-Superior 71-55.
The Blugolds had a fast start, leading 22-14 after the first quarter of play. Eau Claire cooled down in the second but still led 31-27 heading into the locker room.
The home squad came out strong in the third quarter, out-scoring the Yellowjackets 25-15 in the half thanks to shooting and impressive 56.3 percent (9-16) from the field and 60 percent (3-5) from the three-point line in the quarter. The Blugolds would slow down slightly in the fourth but would still cruise to the 16-point victory.
Anna Graaskamp (So. – Eau Claire, WI/Memorial) turned in a top performance, leading all scorers with 26 points and brought down a game-high 11 rebounds.
Kayla Hanley (Sr. – Chippewa Falls, WI/Chi-Hi) and Hallee Hoeppner (So. – Winona, MN) also scored in double figures, recording 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Kelsey Bakken (So. – Marshall, WI) dished out a game-high six assists while Jenni LaCroix (Sr. – Verona, WI) added five. As a team, the Blugolds tallied 23 assists on the night.
Overall, Eau Claire shot 45.5 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from behind the arc while holding the Yellowjackets to 32.1 percent and 30 percent, respectively.
The Blugolds (1-0) will look to keep things rolling Saturday as they host Dubuque at 5 p.m., following the 3 p.m. match-up between UW-Stout and UW-Superior. Follow all the action on Blugold Game Day.