MENOMONIE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team got back on track with a 66-53 victory over rival UW-Stout on Wednesday at Johnson Fieldhouse. The Blugolds used a 16-0 run in the second quarter to pull ahead and broke the game open in the fourth quarter to snap a three-game losing streak.
With the win, the Blugolds continued a strong run against their rivals over the last 10-plus years. UW-Eau Claire has won 22 of the last 30 meetings with UW-Stout. Wednesday's victory was as key as any of them, getting the Blugolds (8-8, 2-3) back to .500 this season by defeating a team that has spent much of the campaign ranked in national polls.
Defensively, the Blugolds held the Blue Devils (11-5, 1-4) 20 points below their scoring average. UW-Eau Claire nabbed 12 steals and blocked six shots to help hold UW-Stout to a 26% shooting percentage.
On the other end of the court,
Kyla Overskei (So. – Maple Grove, Minn.) and
Kylie Strop (Jr. – River Falls, Wis.) led the Blugolds with 17 points apiece. Strop also had five assists.
Anna Koth (Jr. – Maple Grove, Minn./Wayzata) had 10 points and a career-best four steals.
An even first quarter saw each team trade baskets, with the Blugolds' 11-6 lead serving as the largest of the period. Overskei used a personal 5-0 run to give UW-Eau Claire that advantage, hitting a layup and a 3-pointer just past the midway point of the quarter. The Blue Devils responded though, trimming the Blugolds' lead to 13-12 entering the second period.
With just over six minutes remaining until halftime, the Blugolds embarked on a massive 16-0 run over the next five and a half minutes to build a 15-point lead. UW-Stout went scoreless for nearly the final six minutes of the half, only breaking the drought with a basket in the final minute. It gave UW-Eau Claire a 32-19 halftime lead. Strop had six points during the run, and Koth added five of her own.
The first half couldn't have gone much better defensively for the Blugolds, who held the Blue Devils — a squad that entered the contest with a 47% shooting percentage — to a 23% shooting clip. UW-Eau Claire had nine first-half steals and forced 13 turnovers before the break.
UW-Stout narrowed the gap a bit in the third quarter, cutting the deficit down to nine points by the end of the period. But the Blugolds hit some big 3-pointers down the stretch in the fourth quarter to keep the Blue Devils at bay. UW-Eau Claire opened the fourth period on a 10-1 run to break the game open.
Olivia Pekron (Jr. – Forest Lake, Minn.) had eight points and 10 rebounds for the Blugolds. Nine different players scored for UW-Eau Claire.
UW-Eau Claire has now won four of its last five games against UW-Stout.
The Blugolds will look to start a win streak when they host UW-La Crosse on Saturday, January 20. Tip-off is at 5 p.m. at Zorn Arena.
