EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team got out to a hot start in its season opener, but ultimately fell to Puget Sound 74-55 on Friday at Zorn Arena. The Blugolds began the final season of play at Zorn with their annual Tip-Off Tournament, a four-team, four-game event that spans Friday and Saturday.
UW-Eau Claire, featuring a new-look lineup after losing last year's influential graduating class, started on the right foot during its debut. A trio of 3-pointers by
Kyla Overskei (So. - Maple Grove, Minn.) helped the Blugolds race out to a 17-4 advantage in the first five-plus minutes of the game. The Loggers used an 8-0 run later in the period to slash the deficit to three points, but UW-Eau Claire closed the opening quarter on a quick 4-0 spurt to lead 22-15 at the first intermission.
Puget Sound's shooters caught fire in the second period to help the Loggers surge into the lead, which they never relinquished. They shot 6 of 9 from 3-point range in the second quarter, putting 27 points on the board to bring a 42-33 advantage into halftime. They outscored the Blugolds 27-11 in the pivotal period.
The Loggers didn't slow down in the third period either, scoring 26 of the 34 points put up by either team in the quarter. They hit five more 3-pointers at a 63% clip to help pull away.
UW-Eau Claire cut into the deficit a bit in the final quarter, outscoring the Loggers 14-6 in the period.
Overskei led the Blugolds with 14 points.
Kylie Strop (Jr. - River Falls, Wis.) had eight points and three assists.
Anna Koth (So. - Maple Grove, Minn./Wayzata) and
Kylie Mogen (Sr. - Menomonie, Wis.) scored seven points apiece, with Mogen also pulling down seven rebounds.
Olivia Pekron (Jr. - Forest Lake, Minn.) had six points and six rebounds, and
Evelyn Walker (Jr. - Madison, Wis./La Follette) grabbed 10 rebounds.
The Blugolds (0-1) will look to bounce back on the final day of the Tip-Off Tournament. They host Central College (0-1) at 6 p.m. at Zorn Arena, the final game in a basketball tripleheader at the Arena on Saturday, Nov. 11.
