RIVER FALLS - The UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team shot only 28.8 percent from the field in losing to UW-River Falls 63-47 in the regular season finale here today at the Karges Center.

The 28.8 percent shooting was the second lowest of the year for the Blugolds and the 47 points tie for their lowest scoring output of the year.

Eau Claire never led as the Falcons hit a three-pointer just 11 seconds into the game to give River Falls a lead it wouldn't relinquish. The Blugolds stayed close early at 5-4 but the Falcons used a 14-4 run to go up 19-8 with 11:32 left in the opening half.

River Falls kept Eau Claire at bay going up 29-17 with 5:44 left. An Emilee Planert (Sr.-Eau Claire/North) jumper and four Jessica Dickey (Sr.-White Bear Lake, MN/Cretin-Derham Hall) points cut the Falcon lead to six. River Falls countered with a 9-2 run to send Eau Claire into half trailing 38-25.

The Falcons jumped on the Blugolds early in the second half going up 20 points with 13:46 left in regulation. Eau Claire slowly whittled the River Falls lead down to 10 following Joanna Leafblad's (Sr.-Eau Claire/Memorial) conference-best 49th three-pointer. The Blugolds weren't able to cut into the lead any further as the Falcons hit all five free throw attempts down the stretch.

Dickey and Planert led Eau Claire in scoring with 13 points a piece. Dickey's 13 points gave her a team-best 16 games in double figures. Michelle Burns (Fr.-Eau Claire/North) led the Blugolds with seven boards.

The Blugolds struggled from beyond the arc hitting only 3 of 17 attempts. River Falls was hot from behind the arc in the first half hitting 6 of 13 attempts. Eau Claire hit all six of its free throw attempts but sent the Falcons to the line 17 times with River Falls hitting 12.

Eau Claire falls to 8-8 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play and 15-10 overall with the loss. River Falls improves to 10-6 in the WIAC and 17-7 overall.

The 8-8 conference record leaves the Blugolds with the fifth seed in the conference tournament. Eau Claire will travel back to River Falls Monday to play the fourth-seeded Falcons in the WIAC Tournament Quarterfinals. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Eau Claire-River Falls Box Score

- JL -