RIVER FALLS, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team couldn't overcome a third-quarter surge from UW-River Falls in an 81-70 road defeat at the hands of the Falcons on Wednesday. A three-point halftime deficit turned into a 10-point hole entering the fourth quarter, and a comeback wasn't in the cards for the 14th-ranked Blugolds.
The Blugolds and Falcons were neck-and-neck throughout the entire first period. Neither side led by more than five at any point in the opening quarter. UW-River Falls used a 5-0 spurt to go ahead 14-9 midway through the quarter, but the Blugolds promptly responded with a 5-0 run of their own. A layup by Kylie Strop (Jr. – River Falls, Wis.) with one second remaining leveled the score at 23-23 at the end of the quarter.
UW-River Falls opened the second period with a 6-0 run, but the Blugolds had an answer again. This time UW-Eau Claire scored seven straight points to pull in front, capped by a 3-pointer by Courtney Crouch (Sr. – White Bear Lake, Minn.). The final two minutes of the half were relatively quiet, but the Falcons scored with three seconds remaining to carry a 39-36 advantage into the locker room.
The Falcons gained their pivotal separation by outscoring UW-Eau Claire 19-12 in the third quarter. The Blugolds snatched the lead early in the period on a 3-pointer from Jessie Ruden (Sr. – Rochester, Minn./John Marshall), but UW-River Falls took it right back with a 3 of its own. The Falcons never trailed again. They closed the quarter on a 9-2 run to go ahead 58-48.
A 6-0 spurt to open the fourth period extended UW-River Falls' advantage to 16 with 6:30 remaining. Ruden scored six straight points as the clock ticked past the two-minute mark to pull the Blugolds within seven at 72-65, but they couldn't get any closer.
Ruden and Bailey Reardon (Sr. – River Falls, Wis.) had 15 points and four rebounds apiece. Kylie Mogen (Sr. – Menomonie, Wis.) had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Blugolds. Crouch finished with eight points and four assists, and Strop had seven points and five assists. Tyra Boettcher (Sr. – Menomonie, Wis.) scored seven points of her own.
UW-Eau Claire shot 42% from the field and tallied 36 points in the paint. The Falcons shot 49%.
The Blugolds will look to bounce back next week. They don't play this weekend and will return to the court on Wednesday, Feb. 1, to host UW-Oshkosh at Zorn Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. The team is hosting Team Night and Cancer Awareness Night.
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