EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team took over sole possession of first place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with an 85-59 win over rival UW-Stout on Wednesday at Zorn Arena. An excellent third quarter made the difference as the 16th-ranked Blugolds pulled into first place in the conference.
The Blugolds outscored the Blue Devils 32-16 in the third quarter to break open the highly anticipated contest. It turned a five-point halftime lead into a straightforward finish.
"I really felt like tonight that because we've played such great competition (this season), when we get in these games, we're used to it," Blugolds coach Tonja Englund said. "It just felt like my team kind of dug in and really clicked."
There wasn't much separation between the two sides in the first half. The Blugolds opened the game with a 7-1 run, but the Blue Devils quickly recovered. UW-Eau Claire still held the lead for the entire period though, scoring five of the final eight points put on the board in the quarter to enter the break with a 16-12 advantage.
The second quarter was as back-and-forth as the first. UW-Eau Claire used a 14-5 run midway through the period to go ahead 31-24, but the Blue Devils had an answer again. They closed the gap with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 31, but the Blugolds closed the half in a big way to carry momentum into the locker room. Kylie Mogen (Sr. – Menomonie, Wis.) made a 3-pointer, and Courtney Crouch (Sr. – White Bear Lake, Minn.) turned a steal into a layup at the buzzer to send the Blugolds into the break up 36-31.
The Blugolds caught fire in the third quarter to put the game away. They made 11 of 14 attempts, including seven 3-pointers, to pull away. They shot 79% from the floor in the period and 78% from 3-point range. Jessie Ruden (Sr. – Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) made three 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the quarter. Mogen made two 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the period as the Blugolds opened with an 11-5 spurt. A 10-0 run in the late stages of the quarter helped seal the result.
UW-Eau Claire outscored UW-Stout 17-12 in the fourth quarter. The Blugolds held the Blue Devils to 25% shooting from the field to close out the win.
Ruden scored a game-high 18 points and pulled down five rebounds. Mogen had 16 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and three assists. Tyra Boettcher (Sr. – Menomonie, Wis.) had 13 points, six rebounds and five assists. Crouch finished with 11 points, three steals and three rebounds. Bailey Reardon (Sr. – River Falls, Wis.) had 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Evelyn Walker (So. – Sun Prairie, Wis./La Follette) chipped in with six points and five rebounds.
UW-Eau Claire now sits atop the WIAC at 6-1. The Blugolds are back in action on Saturday, Jan. 21, when they visit UW-La Crosse. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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