EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team dropped a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) contest to UW-Platteville 53-36 on Wednesday at Zorn Arena. The Pioneers established a lead in the first quarter and held the Blugolds' offense in check to hold off a rally.
The Pioneers (12-8, 5-4) opened the game on a 9-2 run and scored 16 of the game's first 21 points. It gave them a foothold early, and the Blugolds (10-10, 4-5) couldn't recover on a night where they were hampered by a 21% shooting percentage.
After falling behind by 11 in the opening quarter, the Blugolds made a push in the second to make it a one-score contest. UW-Eau Claire held UW-Platteville scoreless across the first five minutes of the second quarter, riding a 6-0 run to pull within two of the lead at 21-19. However, the Pioneers responded with a 9-0 run to restore a double-figure lead. UW-Eau Claire entered halftime trailing 30-21.
UW-Platteville opened the second half with a 10-0 run to go ahead by 19, but didn't score across the final 4:50 of the period. The cold spell allowed the Blugolds to score seven unanswered and make it 40-28 entering the fourth quarter. The Pioneers kept the Blugolds at arm's length in the final period though, outscoring them 13-8 to hold on for the victory.
Evelyn Walker (Jr. - Madison, Wis./La Follette) had a big night for the Blugolds, tallying a career-high 13 rebounds.
Kylie Mogen (Sr. - Menomonie, Wis.) had seven points, six rebounds and four blocks.
Kyla Overskei (So. - Maple Grove, Minn.) and
Brianna Nelson (Sr. - Augusta, Wis./Eleva-Strum) had six points each, and Overskei added seven rebounds.
Lauren Meudt (So. - Waunakee, Wis.) scored a career-high five points in nine minutes off the bench.
The Blugolds held UW-Platteville to a 31% shooting percentage, including a 27% mark from 3-point range. The Pioneers held a slight edge in the rebounding department, 46-41.
UW-Eau Claire is on the road next, traveling to No. 23 UW-Oshkosh on Saturday, February 3. Tip-off is at 3 p.m.
