NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team picked up their eighth win of the season on Saturday, defeating St. Norbert 71-60 at the Music City Classic.
Hallee Hoeppner (Jr. – Winona, MN) opened the game with a three-pointer, but St. Norbert responded with two three's of their own. Hoeppner struck again from behind the arc but the Green Knights would take the lead after that, leading by as many as nine points. The Blugolds would fight back and trail by five after the first quarter of play, 24-19.
UW-Eau Claire outscored St. Norbert 17-12 in the second quarter as the two squads took a 36-36 tie into the locker room. In the first half, the Blugolds shot 35.3 percent (12-of-34) from the field, 46.2 percent (6-for-13) from three and 66.7 percent (6-for-9) from the free throw line. Hoeppner led the Blugold offense with 13 first-half points.
The Blugolds came out firing in the third quarter, outscoring the Green Knights 18-8 to lead 54-44 going into the final frame. In the fourth, Eau Claire put St. Norbert away to earn a 71-60 win.
Hoeppner and Kelsey Bakken (Jr. – Marshall, WI) led Eau Claire with 25 and 22 points and seven and nine rebounds, respectively. Bakken filled out the stats sheet, also recording six assists and six steals. Hoeppner's 25 points is her 10th-straight game scoring in double digits and is the fifth time the junior has scored 20 points or more in 10 games.
Maddie Dunathan (Sr. – Hortonville, WI) dished out 10 of the Blugolds' 22 assists in the win, marking the third time this season the senior has recorded 10 or more assists. Brooke Harris (Jr. – Green Bay, WI/Bay Port) also has a solid showing for Eau Claire, recording eight points and nine rebounds.
The Blugolds (8-2) will face Beloit College Sunday at 3 p.m. in their second and final game at the Music City Classic. Follow the action on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app on your mobile device.