EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team rode a strong start to defeat UW-Stevens Point 57-38 on Saturday at Zorn Arena. The 14th-ranked Blugolds stayed tied atop the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with the victory.
A standout first period set the tone for the Blugolds in the victory. UW-Eau Claire held the Pointers to 25% shooting from the field, limiting them to only six points in the opening quarter. Meanwhile, the offense picked up steam and closed the period on an 11-2 run to take a 17-6 lead into the first intermission. Jessie Ruden (Sr. - Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) scored seven points in the quarter.
The Blugolds continued to stretch their lead in the second. The advantage hit as high as 16 on multiple occasions, with Bailey Reardon (Sr. - River Falls, Wis.) leading the charge with five points. UW-Eau Claire shot 46% from the floor and continued to play good defense, holding UW-Stevens Point to a 30% clip from the floor — including 1 of 7 from 3-point range. The Blugolds led 33-19 at halftime.
UW-Eau Claire scored seven of the first 11 points put on the board in the third quarter to establish a 17-point cushion, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Ruden. The Pointers recovered a bit from there by closing the period on a 10-4 run, but the Blugolds still held a 44-33 advantage entering the final quarter.
UW-Eau Claire pulled away for good by outscoring UW-Stevens Point 13-5 in the fourth quarter. Strong defense paved the way again as the Blugolds forced the Pointers into a 15% shooting performance with six turnovers in the period. Tyra Boettcher (Sr. - Menomonie, Wis.) scored six points across the quarter to help UW-Eau Claire see out the victory.
Ruden finished with a game-high 16 points for the Blugolds. The guard also had five rebounds and four steals. Boettcher added 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. Evelyn Walker (So. - Sun Prairie, Wis./La Follette) had nine points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Reardon chipped in with nine points and three rebounds off the bench to go along with six points and four rebounds by Lucia Hauge (So. - Hugo, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran Academy).
The victory moved UW-Eau Claire to 5-1 in the WIAC this season, which is tied with UW-Stout for the top mark in the league so far. The Blugolds square off with the Blue Devils as part of a rivalry doubleheader on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Zorn Arena. The women's game is set to begin at 8 p.m., with the winner taking over sole possession of first place in the conference.
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