EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - The eighth-ranked UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team came up with a statement win tonight, as they downed second-ranked UW-Whitewater 71-50 in front of a packed house this evening at Zorn Arena.

With the win, the Blugolds claim sole possession of second place in the WIAC standings, and avenge a loss to the Warhawks earlier this season. With six regular season games remaining, Eau Claire is 17-2 overall and 9-2 in conference. The loss is the Warhawks' second in as many games, dropping them to 17-3 on the season and 8-3 in the WIAC.

The Blugolds brought a fast-paced and up-tempo style to today's matchup, one that the Warhawks struggled to keep up with. Starting the 6'2 Hannah Mesick (So.-Chatfield, Minn.) and the 6'5 Ellen Plendl (Fr.-Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell) in the paint for Eau Claire, the Blugolds contained a high power Whitewater offense that coming into tonight's game averaged a conference-high 74.4 points per contest. Eau Claire also got significant minutes from its reserves, something that Head Coach Tonja Englund said will be a key heading down the stretch.

"We were able to get some solid play from our bench, especially our seniors," said Englund. "Heading into February, it's going to be extremely important that we can get fresh legs in and play well like we did tonight."

One reserve in particular had a standout night for the Blugolds. Senior Pam Kaye (Milwaukee, Wis./Brookfield Central) gave Eau Claire 24 minutes off the bench, scoring 12 points and pulling down six rebounds. Her three-pointer with three seconds left in the first half gave the Blugolds momentum and a 33-22 lead at halftime.

The second half was all Eau Claire, running and gunning to create several fast break opportunities. Heather Witt (Sr.-Kendall, Wis./Royall) and her quick play benefited greatly from the fast pace, converting on a handful of fast break lay-ups.

"Our rebounding really opened the floor up for us and allowed us to get the ball out and go," said Witt, who scored a game-high 28 points for Eau Claire. "We were able to put pressure on them defensively, and it created a lot of scoring opportunities."

Eau Claire shot 41.3 percent from the field, while holding Whitewater to just 31.8 percent. The Blugolds found success down low, scoring 28 points in the paint along with 18 points off turnovers.

Along with her 28 points, Witt also had a game-high four steals and four rebounds. Heidi Arciszewski (Sr.-Thorp, Wis.) chipped in with 13 points and five rebounds, and Mesick dropped in six points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Heidi Sonntag led Whitewater with 11 points, and Tiffany Morton pitched in with nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Blugolds are on the road for the next three games, the first coming against UW-Oshkosh. Eau Claire beat the Titans earlier this season by a score of 59-44. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Eau Claire-Whitewater Box Score

- CL -