LA CROSSE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team outlasted UW-La Crosse 64-60 in overtime on Saturday at Mitchell Hall. The Blugolds outscored the Eagles 10-6 in the extra period to stretch their win streak to four and remain in first place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The 16th-ranked Blugolds made some key stands defensively at the end of regulation and overtime. Courtney Crouch (Sr. - White Bear Lake, Minn.) and Jessie Ruden (Sr. - Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) led the charge at the other end of the court with 19 points apiece. Ruden made a go-ahead 3-pointer with one minute left in overtime, and UW-Eau Claire led the rest of the way.
Regulation was back-and-forth for the most part, but the Eagles led at the end of each of the first three quarters. The Blugolds went ahead 10-8 with 5:37 left in the first quarter, but the Eagles kept them off the board for the rest of the period. UW-La Crosse closed the period on a 5-0 run to take a 13-10 lead entering the second quarter.
The Eagles' largest advantage in the second period was six, but the Blugolds quickly closed it to remain within striking distance. It was a one- or two-possession game for much of the quarter, and Kylie Mogen (Sr. - Menomonie, Wis.) made a layup with 31 seconds left to bring UW-Eau Claire within two at 25-23. The score stayed there until halftime.
UW-La Crosse led for the entire third quarter, although the deficit fluctuated between one point and six points the entire way. A 3-pointer from Mogen and a layup from Crouch brought the Blugolds to within one point of the lead on two separate occasions, but they couldn't quite break through to get in front. Ruden connected on a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining to send the game to the fourth quarter with the Eagles leading 41-38.
The Blugolds tied the game several times throughout the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, but took their first lead since the first period when Mogen hit a layup with 3:55 to go. A UW-La Crosse jump shot tied the game at 54 with 2:03 remaining, and neither team scored again in regulation. Mogen made a block as time expired to send the game to overtime.
An Eagles 3-pointer with 1:12 left in the extra period put UW-La Crosse ahead 60-58, but Ruden immediately answered with the go-ahead 3-pointer at the 1:00 mark to give UW-Eau Claire the lead for good. She was fouled on the make and added a free throw for good measure. Bailey Reardon (Sr. - River Falls, Wis.) made two free throws with five seconds left to make it 64-60, and there wasn't enough time left for the Eagles to answer.
In addition to her 19 points, Crouch added seven assists and four rebounds for the Blugolds. Ruden had five rebounds and two steals. Mogen finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Tyra Boettcher (Sr. - Menomonie, Wis.) had a game-high 14 rebounds and added three steals defensively. Reardon scored nine points.
The Blugolds limited the Eagles to a 32% shooting clip from the field. UW-Eau Claire held the edge in points off turnovers and second-chance points.
UW-Eau Claire (16-3, 7-1) continues its road trip around the conference when it visits UW-River Falls on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Page Arena.
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