By Tommy McGowan, UWEC Sports Information
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com)- The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team defeated UW-Stevens Point on Saturday night, 57-44. It is their fourth straight victory, all coming in conference play.
Neither team was able to develop much of a lead in the first quarter, with the Blugolds up 14-13 at the end of the period. Katie Essen (Jr.-Farmington, MN/Rosemount) was the leading scorer in the quarter for Eau Claire, going a perfect 3-3 on field goals.
An 8-0 run from the Blugolds near the end of the half helped them build a ten-point lead going into the break. UWEC forced five Stevens Point turnovers during the second quarter, with two steals from Kelsey Bakken (Sr.-Marshall, WI).
Eau Claire would extend their lead by as much as 19 in the third, and they never allowed the Pointers back into the game. The Blugolds went just 1-12 from the field in the final period, but strong defense helped seal the win.
That defense was the decisive factor all night for UWEC. They forced the Pointers into 25 turnovers on the night, with a whole bunch of Blugolds racking up steals. Bakken finished the night with six.
Essen ended the game with 12 points, but it was Hallee Hoeppner (Sr.-Winona, MN) who was the leading scorer for the Blugolds. Off the bench, Bakken also added 10 points and was a flawless 8-8 from the free throw line.
The victory makes Eau Claire 9-6 overall and now 4-1 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Now second in the league standings, they have the chance to keep things rolling at home, with UW-River Falls up next. That game will be on Wednesday, with things scheduled to tip at 7 PM. Follow the action on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app from your mobile device.
