WHITEWATER, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team fell on the road to UW-Whitewater 84-52 on Saturday. The 17th-ranked Blugolds fell behind early and couldn't overcome the deficit against the 23rd-ranked Warhawks.
UW-Whitewater set the tone early by scoring the first 10 points of the game, a run which featured a pair of 3-pointers. The Blugolds eventually started knocking down shots and pulled within five of the lead in the first period, and trailed 17-11 entering the second.
Showings of 20-plus points in each of the final three quarters helped UW-Whitewater continually add to its lead. The Warhawks led by 11 midway through the second quarter, but a 7-0 run from UW-Eau Claire cut the deficit to four at 26-22 with 4:19 to go. However, the Warhawks later closed the half on a 10-2 run to bring a 40-26 advantage into the locker room.
Jessie Ruden (Sr. - Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) made a 3-pointer to open the third period, pulling the Blugolds within 11 points of the lead. That was the closest the game would be for the rest of the second half. The Warhawks answered the 3 with an 8-2 run to pull away.
The Warhawks outscored the Blugolds 21-12 in the fourth quarter to finish off their victory.
Ruden and Courtney Crouch (Sr. - White Bear Lake, Minn.) shared the team lead with 12 points. Crouch also had five rebounds. Tyra Boettcher (Sr. - Menomonie, Wis.) had eight points and three rebounds. Bailey Reardon (Sr. - River Falls, Wis.) had six points off the bench.
The Blugolds out-rebounded the Warhawks 43-38. UW-Eau Claire shot 33% from the field, while the Warhawks shot 48%.
UW-Eau Claire will look to bounce back when it hosts UW-Platteville on Wednesday, Feb. 8. The Blugolds will honor their seniors on Senior Day, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.
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