EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team held off a challenge from Bethel for a 55-52 win on Saturday night at Zorn Arena to close out the Tip-Off Tournament. It was a second straight win for the Blugolds after a season-opening victory over Wartburg on Friday.
The 13th-ranked Blugolds trailed by nine in the first half and overcame a five-point halftime deficit. They outscored the Royals 18-12 in the third quarter to surge in front, but the two squads traded leads in the fourth. Bethel led by three after making a layup with three minutes remaining, but Jessie Ruden (Sr. - Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) made a layup and Courtney Crouch (Sr. - White Bear Lake, Minn.) made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:23 left. Crouch's shot put the Blugolds in front for good.
The Royals trailed by two in the final seconds, but Ruden came up with a pair of steals to thwart their comeback effort. A last-chance heave at the buzzer missed the mark and pushed UW-Eau Claire to 2-0 this season.
The Blugolds shot 39% from the field but overcame it with strong defense. They forced 13 turnovers and tallied six blocks, and held the Royals to 14% shooting from 3-point range.
Kylie Mogen (Sr. - Menomonie, Wis.) led all scorers with 21 points. The forward added six rebounds for the Blugolds. Crouch finished with nine points and five rebounds, and Kylie Strop (Jr. - River Falls, Wis.) scored eight points. Ruden had seven points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists.
UW-Eau Claire is back at home on Tuesday, Nov. 15, to host Minnesota-Morris. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Zorn Arena.
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