EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team redeemed an earlier season loss to UW-Stout, earning a 55-47 win over the 18th-ranked Blue Devils here today at W.L. Zorn Arena.

The Blugolds improve to 15-8 on the season and 8-6 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play while Stout drops to 17-6 on the year and 10-4 in the WIAC. The win for the Blugolds snaps Stout's eight-game win streak.

The Blue Devils jumped out to an early 6-2 lead but the Blugolds responded with six unanswered to go on top 8-6. With the score knotted up at 14 points apiece, Eau Claire used a 7-0 run to take the first sizeable lead of the game midway through the first half. The Blugolds extended the lead to nine points with just less than six minutes remaining in the half, but Stout slowly chiseled away its deficit and took a 29-28 lead with 1:33 left in the half. Eau Claire had an answer for the comeback, as the Blugolds used a 10-2 run to close the first half with a 38-31 lead. Rachel Becker (Jr.-Gilmanton) hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to end the run.

After the Blue Devils pulled within three points early in the second half, Eau Claire scored eight unanswered points to take a 46-35 lead and its biggest advantage of the game. Stout cut the lead to as little as four points with 1:02 left in regulation but the Blugolds put the game away, scoring the final four points of the contest for the 55-47 victory.

Neither team was very solid from the floor, as Stout was just 15-of-60 (25 percent) while the Blugolds hit just 18-of-56 (32.1 percent).

Michelle Burns (Fr.-Eau Claire/North) posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. She was one of three Blugolds to post a team-high 10 points, joining Becker and Emilee Planert (Sr.-Eau Claire/North). Becker finished with 10 points, six rebounds, four steals, and three assists.

Erin Churchill led the Blue Devils with just nine points, as no player on the Stout roster reached double-digit scoring.

The game tonight was the final home game for the Blugolds this season. Eau Claire has two road games remaining in the regular season schedule, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. battle against UW-Oshkosh this Tuesday.

Eau Claire-Stout Box Score

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