EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team continued NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament play on Saturday as they faced Millikin University in the second round. With a packed home arena and a close game in the final seconds, UW-Eau Claire came up short as the scoreboard hit zero and fell to the Big Blue, 59-56.
The first quarter held an electric atmosphere with both teams fighting to stay alive in the tournament. Eau Claire got into a grove early as they went on a 6-0 run in the seventh minute to gain a five-point lead. Courtney Crouch (Jr. – White Bear Lake, MN) led the scoring of the bat with six of her 11 total points coming in the first frame to help the Blugolds outscore the Big Blue 18-15.
The second quarter featured a dramatic shift in momentum as Millikin held UWEC to just 21.4% from the field and rattled off a game high 22 points in the second frame. A 7-0 run pushed the Big Blue to a ten-point lead going into halftime.
In the third quarter, the Blugold rallied behind the 1,000+ crowd in Zorn Arena and answered the call by outscoring Millikin 15-8 in the third. Six different Blugolds recorded points in the third as Eau Claire kept Millikin to 23.1% shooting from the floor. Jade Ganski (So. – Rothschild, WI/Newman Catholic) tallied three of her team leading eight rebounds in the third to help the Eau Claire defensive stand strong going into the final quarter. Bailey Reardon (Jr. – River Falls, WI) collected two blocks as she led the team with three blocks all game.
The fourth quarter came down to the wire as both teams traded as time winded down. Ganski followed her strong defensive play in the third with an opening quarter three-pointer to tie the game at 45-45. Eau Claire surrendered six free throws eight free throws in the final quarter, allowing the Big Blue to go 8 for 8 from the stripe. One final possession with three seconds remaining for UWEC was disrupted by Millikin's defensive with a steal by Aubrey Staton (MU) to knock UWEC out of the tournament.
The Blugolds finish their historic season with a record of 22-7 and 9-5 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play. Eau Claire will graduate their only senior, Ellie Clayton (Sr. – Lakeville, MN/Farmington), in the spring of 2022.
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