If the pioneers (small "p") had stumbled like this the United States might be calling Missouri "the west".  Trailing just 35-30 at halftime, the wheels came off the Pioneer wagon as UW-Whitewater outscored UW-Platteville 27-8 the first eight minutes of the second half in a 69-54 win at Williams Fieldhouse in Platteville, Wisconsin Wednesday night.

With the game tied 6-6 Whitewater scored seven straight to lead 13-6 on a Dana Thompson layup with 13:32 left in the first half.  UW-W, which led for last eighteen-plus minutes of the half, built a seven point lead, twice, 17-10 and 19-12.  The Pioneers came back to tie the game 25-25 with 2:23 on the clock, but Whitewater closed out the half with the final five points to lead 30-25 at intermission.

Platteville shot just 28% from the floor in the first twenty minutes, and the teams combined to shoot 1-10 from three point range.  Thompson, a senior center, led both teams with 10 points.  Three Pioneers scored six each in the first half.

Whitewater led 57-33 with 12:07 left in the game.  Platteville got it back to 12, 66-54 on a jumper by freshman forward Kim Wellnitz with 1:55 left, but that was the closest the game got.

Whitewater's defense limited UW-P to 34% shooting from the floor, while the Warhawks hit 49%.  Whitewater finally made a couple of three's, going 2-3 in the second half.  Platteville ruled the boards, 38-26, and had fewer turnovers, 22-25, but UW-W outscored UW-P 42-18 in the paint and 25-17 in points off the bench.

Thompson led both teams with 24 points, connecting on 9-14 from the field.  Junior forward Chantel Burg led UW-W with seven rebounds, junior guard Megan Theune led with three assists, and junior guard Jamie Swanson had a game high four steals.  Junior center Ashley Callahan led UW-P with 13 points and nine rebounds, with sophomore forward Ashley Henry adding ten points.  Sophomore guard Liz Lawinger dished out a game high eight assists.

UW-W is 15-2 overall and 7-1 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  UW-P is 5-12 and 1-7 in the league. Whitewater's next game is at UW-Stevens Point, Wednesday, January 26 at 7:00 in a showdown for first place in the WIAC between nationally ranked teams.