EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team battled closely with Northwestern College (Minn.) in round one of the UW-Eau Claire Thanksgiving Showcase but came up short 57-54 at Zorn Arena tonight.

While the Eagles (3-2) jumped out to an early lead and got up by seven points less than eight minutes into the contest, the Blugolds (0-3) then went on a 14-0 run to take a seven-point lead at 18-11. The teams continued to battle and Northwestern finished the first half with a two-point lead.

In the second half, the teams once again battled and the score was tied six times in the first 12 minutes. Eau Claire could only get up by as much as three points but the teams exchanged leads until there were just over two minutes left to go and the Eagles went ahead for good. Northwestern held the Blugolds scoreless for the final two minutes of the game to preserve the win.

The Blugolds had almost twice as many turnovers, finishing with 17 to Northwestern's nine. The Eagles came away with 15 points off the Blugolds' turnovers while Eau Claire had just eight points. The Eagles outshot Eau Claire 45.3 percent (24-for-53) to 39.6 percent (21-for-53) but the Blugolds had the rebounding edge at 38-27.

Four Blugolds finished in double-figures as Hannah Mesick (Jr.-Chatfield, Minn.) and Leah Rempert (Fr.-Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger) led the team with 12 points. Laura Olson (So.-Osseo, Wis./Osseo-Fairchild) and Sarah Bingea (Fr.-Delano, Minn.) added 10 apiece. Mesick finished with a game-high nine rebounds.

The Blugolds will now face Carleton College (Minn.) in the third place game of the showcase, tomorrow at 6 p.m. Northwestern will take on the University of Dubuque in the championship game at 8 p.m.