EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team dropped a War on 94 rivalry matchup to UW-Stout 96-64 on Saturday at Zorn Arena. The Blue Devils, fueled by a 14 3-pointers, pulled away with hot shooting in the opening half to clinch a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) victory.
Kylie Strop (Jr. – River Falls, Wis.) and
Kylie Mogen (Sr. – Menomonie, Wis.) scored 12 points apiece to lead the Blugolds (10-13, 4-8). But UW-Eau Claire couldn't keep pace with a Blue Devils team that shot 51% overall and 56% from 3-point range. It meant the two rivals would split their regular-season series after UW-Eau Claire won the first meeting in January.
The Blue Devils (16-7, 6-6) opened the game on an 8-3 run, but the margins were thin by the midway point of the opening period. However, UW-Stout turned a 10-9 advantage into a 28-11 lead by the end of the quarter by outscoring the Blugolds 18-2 across the final five and a half minutes. The Blue Devils shot 65% from the field in the opening period.
A 10-0 run early in the second quarter helped UW-Stout extend its lead further, but the Blugolds countered with a 9-0 spurt to negate it immediately afterward. The Blue Devils' shooting stayed hot though, and they ended the half on an 11-2 stretch. UW-Stout led 51-25 at halftime.
The Blugolds found more scoring in the second half, putting up 19 points in the third quarter and 20 in the fourth. It wasn't enough to overturn the deficit though as the Blue Devils continued to knock down shots.
Strop and Mogen had six and five rebounds, respectively.
Evelyn Walker (Jr. – Madison, Wis./La Follette) tallied eight points and seven rebounds, and
Lauren Meudt (So. – Waunakee, Wis.) scored seven points.
UW-Eau Claire shot 33% from the field and grabbed 40 rebounds.
The Blugolds will play their final regular season game at historic Zorn Arena on Wednesday, February 14. The team will host UW-Stevens Point at 7 p.m., with Senior Night and Fast Break Club Appreciation Night festivities throughout the evening.
