PLATTEVILLE, Wis. - After a week off, the 11th-ranked UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team got back in track in dominating fashion, beating UW-Platteville 60-35 tonight at Bo Ryan Court.

A thunderous first half from the field for Eau Claire put the game out of reach early. Although the Blugolds shot just 9-28 in the second frame, it proved to be enough with the Pioneers shooting a mere 11.5 percent from the field in the half.

With the win, the Blugolds remain in third place in the WIAC standings, improving to 11-4 in conference and 20-4 overall. The 20th win marks the 16th time in program history Eau Claire has reached the 20-win plateau. Platteville falls to 5-10 in the WIAC and 8-15 overall. The win gives the Blugolds a season sweep in the regular season series, having defeated the Pioneers 59-47 at Zorn Arena.

Heather Witt (Kendall, Wis./Royall) got Eau Claire on the board first with a jumper 30 seconds into the game and from then on the Blugolds steadily increased their lead. The Blugolds led by as many as 17 points in the first and took that sizable lead with them into halftime, at 38-21.

Platteville's cold shooting went into effect through the second half, and Eau Claire increased its lead, holding on to a double-digit lead the entire 20 minutes.

With the big win, 14 out of 16 Blugolds saw action, with 10 players finding the basket. Heidi Arciszewski (Sr.-Thorp, Wis.) led the balanced scoring attack with 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Hannah Mesick (So.-Chatfield, Minn.) chipped in with 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Eau Claire concludes the regular season on the road, taking on WIAC opponent UW-Stout on Saturday afternoon. The Blugolds beat the Blue Devils earlier this season by a score of 73-68 at Zorn Arena. The women's game, scheduled for 5 p.m., is the second game of a doubleheader following the men's contest.

Eau Claire-Platteville Box Score

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