Whitewater jumped out to a 12-2 lead and saw it increase to 25-10 with 9:50 left in the first half, again held a 15 point margin at 30-15 at the 4:34 mark, and went into the locker room with 36-22 lead.

The Warhawks shot 33% (11-33) from the field, 20% (2-10) beyond the three-point line, and built most of their lead on the strength of 12-18 free throw shooting.  Wartburg was 8-23 (35%), 3-11 (27%) from beyond the arc, and just 3-6 free throws.  Whitewater had a 23-18 rebound advantage in the half.  Junior guard Katie Burton (Crystal Lake, IL/Crystal Lake South) led the Warhawks with 11 points, and junior guard Carly Jacbos countered with ten for the Knights.

UW-W scored the first basket of the second half, putting the Warhawks up 38-22 -- but then the tide turned.  Wartburg connected on five threes to key a rally that saw the Knights out-score UW-W 25-5 to put Wartburg in front 47-43 with 7:13 left in the game. 

Whitewater regained the lead with a 7-0 spurt for a 50-47 lead.  The teams were knotted at 52-52 with 2:53 remaining, but UW-W teeter-tottered back to a 63-52 lead with another run, 11-0, ending with 0:50 seconds left, the only double digit bulge in that span.

The Warhawks pulled out the win at the free throw line.  UW-W made 20-29 charity tosses, Wartburg 10-18.  Junior guard Kaitlyn Thill (Belgium/Ozaukee) led UW-W to a 15-5 advantage in steals, with Thill accounting for ten.  The ten steals equals the second highest single game ever in UW-W basketball.  (Thill holds the record at 13.)  Those steals also showed up in the turnover column, where UW-W committed 11, but forced 24.

Burton wound up leading UW-W with 15 points, with Thill adding 14, and junior guard Mary Merg (Greendale/Greendale) 12.  Merg also dished out five assists, and senior center Cortney Kumerow (Bartlett, IL/South Elgin) topped the team with eight rebounds.  Wartburg was led by senior guard Abbi Wiedemann and Jacobs, both with 16 points.  Baileigh O'Brien, a senior forward, chipped in with 14 points and a game highs in both assists, seven, and rebounds, nine. 

UW-W will play the winner of the Iowa Wesleyan-Monmouth game being played later Saturday.  That tourney title game will be played at 3:00 Sunday.

The Warhawks will open the home portion of the 2012-2013 season Saturday, November 24 at 5:00, hosting Edgewood College in Kachel Gym of Williams Center.