DUBUQUE, Iowa (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team had its five-game win streak snapped with an 88-79 loss at Loras College on Saturday night. In a back-and-forth contest, the Duhawks took the lead for good on back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the fourth quarter. The Blugolds pushed back, but Loras made enough free throws down the stretch to hold off a comeback.
The ninth-ranked Blugolds fell behind early after Loras got out to a hot start. The Duhawks opened the game on a 15-5 run, forcing the Blugolds to rally to get back within striking distance. UW-Eau Claire trailed 18-11 at the end of the first period. Jessie Ruden (Sr. - Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) scored five of the Blugolds' 11 points in the quarter.
UW-Eau Claire trimmed the deficit with a solid second quarter. The Blugolds started the period on a 7-2 run to cut the lead to two points, and pulled within one point of the Duhawks twice later in the quarter. Loras led 33-30 at halftime.
The Blugolds took their first lead of the game early in the third quarter. Kylie Strop (Jr. - River Falls, Wis.) hit a 3-pointer to put UW-Eau Claire ahead 40-37, and they remained in front for most of the remainder of the third period. Loras made a layup with 27 seconds left in the third to tie the score at 57 entering the final quarter.
UW-Eau Claire pulled in front 64-63 on a 3-pointer by Kyla Overskei (Fr. - Maple Grove, Minn.) with 7:10 remaining. But the Duhawks hit back-to-back 3-pointers from there to build a five-point lead, and the Blugolds couldn't make up the deficit. Ruden made a basket twice to pull the Blugolds within one of the lead, but Loras made 15 of 16 free throw attempts across the final two minutes to hold on.
Ruden led all scorers with 30 points, which tied her season high and stands as the second-best total in her career. Bailey Reardon (Sr. - River Falls, Wis.) had 17 points and six rebounds, and Overskei finished with a career-high 12 points while also grabbing four rebounds. Strop scored eight points and Courtney Crouch (Sr. - White Bear Lake, Minn.) added seven. Tyra Boettcher (Sr. - Menomonie, Wis.) had four steals.
The Blugolds shot 46% from the field, compared to 49% for Loras. The Duhawks made 17 of 20 free throw attempts in the game.
The Blugolds are off until Dec. 29, when they travel to Greencastle, Indiana, for a tournament. They open their stint in Indiana with a game against No. 18 Trine on Dec. 29 at 3 p.m.
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