EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team fell down big early tonight and ran out of time in the end as rival UW-Stout defeated the Blugolds 67-54 to end the Blugolds four-game winning streak.

The loss drops the Blugolds to 9-10 overall and 4-6 in conference play. The victory gives the Blue Devils an overall record of 12-6 and a conference record of 7-3.

In front of a big crowd in Zorn Arena, the Blugolds scored the first three points of the game on a Rachel Becker (Sr.-Gilmanton, WI) three-pointer. However, the Blue Devils would score the next 17 points of the game to go up 17-3 with 15:01 to play in the first half.

Stout would build the lead to as much as 23 on two occasions in the first half. The Blugolds would outscore the Blue Devils 10-2 the final six minutes of the first half and would trail at halftime 38-23.

The Blue Devils shot 46.7% in the first half, while the Blugolds shot just 25.9%. Stout was 5-of-10 from beyond the arc in the half.

The Blue Devils' lead would stay about the same for the first 15 minutes of the second half. The Blugolds would then go on a 12-2 run to cut the Blue Devil lead to seven with 1:16 to play following a Brooke Hakanson (Fr.-Wheeler, WI/Boyceville) three-pointer. That would be the last points the Blugolds would score as Stout went 6-of-8 from the line in that span and went onto win 67-54.

Both teams shot about the same in the second half from the field as both were around 34%. The Blue Devils outscored the Blugolds 30-10 in the paint for the game.

Rachel Becker led the Blugolds in scoring with 12 points. She also led the team in rebounding with seven. Brooke Hakanson had nine points off the bench for the Blugolds. Conference leading scorer Kelsey Duoss led all scorers with 25 for the Blue Devils.

Next, the Blugolds will host UW-Platteville in the first game of a men's and women's doubleheader to be held in Zorn Arena on Saturday night. The tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.

Eau Claire-Stout Box Score

- JR -