EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - The UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team bounced back from a tough loss last weekend with a 59-44 victory over UW-Oshkosh tonight at Zorn Arena.

The sixth-ranked Blugolds are now 13-1 overall and 5-1 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action while the Titans drop to 6-9 on the season and 1-6 in conference play.

The game started out at a slow pace and neither team scored for almost the first two minutes of the game. The Blugolds were the first to strike but Oshkosh answered on the following trip down the court to tie it back up. Once the Blugolds found the basket again they never looked back and steadily increased their lead throughout the half. Eau Claire did not allow the Titans to break into double-digits until the last 36 seconds of the period and took an 18-point lead (30-12) into halftime.

While the Blugolds continued to increase their lead in the second half, getting up by as much as 22 at one point, Oshkosh would not go away and put pressure on the home team late in the game. Oshkosh closed to within 10 with just over four minutes to go, but Eau Claire stayed strong and pushed its lead back to 15 by the end of the game, taking the 59-44 victory.

Hannah Mesick (So.-Chatfield, Minn.) led the way for the Blugolds with 18 points, while also pulling down five rebounds. Heather Witt (Sr.-Kendall, Wis./Royall) added 14 points for Eau Claire and also led the game with eight rebounds. She also had a game-high four steals and tied for a game-high five assists with Heidi Arciszewski (Sr.-Thorp, Wis.). Missy Fremstad (Sr.-Osseo, Wis./Osseo-Fairchild) reached double-figures as well with 13 points and grabbed five boards along with Arciszewski.

Three Titans reached double-figures with Michelle Boeder leading the way with 12 points. Laura Ebbens added 10, while Shelby Churchill also contributed 10. Ebbens and Churchill both lead Oshkosh with six rebounds and Boeder came up with five.

This Saturday the Blugolds will be back at home for the second game of a doubleheader with the men against UW-River Falls. The Blugold men will play at 3 p.m. and the women's contest will follow.

Eau Claire-Oshkosh Box Score

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