WHITEWATER, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The 14th-ranked UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team snapped a four-game winning streak today, losing to UW-Whitewater 61-41 at Kachel Gymnasium.
Despite the game's outcome, Ellen Plendl (Sr.-Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell) had a good night. She finished with a double-double with a game-high 19 points and 12 rebounds and also had six blocks, breaking a school record for most blocks in a career with 219. The previous record was 213, set in 1995 by Arlene Meinholz. With 74 blocks for Plendl this season, she needs just eight more to break her own school record of 81, which she set last season.
While the Blugolds took the opening lead after a Sarah Bingea (Jr.-Delano, Minn.) free throw, Whitewater went on an 11-0 scoring run over the next three minutes to build a 10-point lead.
The Blugolds steadily chipped away at the lead and got to within one (17-16) midway through the first half but the Warhawks didn't give in and found their way to an eight point lead (35-27) by halftime.
Things went downhill for Eau Claire in the second half, scoring just one point over the first five minutes as Whitewater built a 17-point lead. The closest the Blugolds got the rest of the way was 12 points while Whitewater led by as much as 20.
The Blugolds had their worst shooting performance of the season, finishing 26.5 percent (13-for-49) from the field. They had their second-worst free throw shooting performance of the season, 59.1 percent (13-for-22).
Eau Claire drops to 16-4 overall and 9-2 in the WIAC, moving into a tie for first place with UW-Stevens Point. The Warhawks improve to 15-5 on the season and 7-4 in conference play.
Wednesday, the Blugolds will be home to face UW-Oshkosh for Youth Night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in Zorn.
-KM-