WAVERLY, Iowa (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team held a late lead, but fell to eighth-ranked Wartburg 62-59 on Saturday at Levick Arena. The Blugolds pushed the highly-ranked Knights to the limit though. UW-Eau Claire led by eight with six and a half minutes remaining, but the unbeaten Knights closed the game on a 14-3 run to remain undefeated.
The Blugolds gave their top-10 opponent all it could handle. UW-Eau Claire shined defensively, holding the Knights to 34% shooting from the floor and nabbing six steals. The Blugolds out-rebounded Wartburg 45-39.
The game was even for almost its entire duration, with the teams tied at the end of the first quarter and halftime, and only one point separating them entering the fourth period.
UW-Eau Claire (2-3) started the game well, opening with a 7-2 spurt to take an early lead. A 3-pointer by
Kylie Strop (Jr. - River Falls, Wis.) put the Blugolds ahead by five just over three minutes into the contest. The lead stayed in their favor for most of the first quarter, until Wartburg (5-0) closed on a 9-4 run to make it 15-15 headed into the second period.
The two sides traded leads for much of the second quarter, but neither team led by more than four before halftime. A Strop 3-pointer with 3:15 until the break put UW-Eau Claire ahead 28-24, but Wartburg responded and the squads entered the locker room tied at 30.
The third quarter was even closer, with neither team able to go ahead by more than three points. With each side trading scores and stops, Wartburg managed to take a slim one-point lead entering the fourth period thanks to a go-ahead layup with 34 seconds left.
The Blugolds got out to a tremendous start to the fourth quarter. They opened the period with an 11-3 run, with a 3-pointer by
Brianna Nelson (Sr. - Augusta, Wis./Eleva-Strum) putting UW-Eau Claire up 56-48 with 6:32 left. But that was one of th efinal made field goals of the night for the Blugolds, as the eighth-ranked Knights surged to close the game and escape with a victory on their home floor. Wartburg took the lead for good on a layup with 3:36 left.
Nelson finished with a team-high 16 points for the Blugolds. She also secured five rebounds. Strop tallied 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Kyla Overskei (So. - Maple Grove, Minn.) had nine points and eight rebounds.
Kylie Mogen (Sr. - Menomonie, Wis.) had seven points and 10 boards.
Lucia Hauge (Jr. - Hugo, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran Academy) added seven points and three rebounds.
UW-Eau Claire hosts Bethany Lutheran (0-5) for its next contest. The game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 1, at Zorn Arena, with tip-off at 7 p.m.
