MENOMONIE (January 4, 2013) - Despite four players scoring in double figures, the Blue Devils were unable to overcome poor shooting from downtown and the free throw line as they fell 73-57 to UW-Eau Claire. Kyleigh Hebert (So, Spencer) led Stout with 15 points on 7-14 shooting as Katelynne Folkers (Jr, Fall Creek) added 14 and a game-high 7 rebounds.

For the game, Stout (5-8, 1-3) shot only 1-13 from beyond the arc and just 6-14 from the charity stripe. Comparatively, the Blugolds (3-10, 1-3) shot 8-18 from three point range and 17-21 from the line.

Stout jumped out to an early 6-0 lead, which would prove to be the biggest lead for either team in the first half. Eau-Claire closed the gap quickly and the teams would go back and forth in a half that featured 11 lead changes and seven ties.

With the Blue Devils leading 34-32 with less than 10 seconds to go in the half, a desperation three-pointer by Teenie Lichtfuss at the buzzer gave Eau Claire a 35-34 lead going into the break.

Stout would trail for the remainder of the game.

Hebert, Folkers and Brea Boomer (Jr, Grand Portage, Minn.) combined for 27-of-34 first half points and 40-of-57 overall. Boomer finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds for Stout.

Folkers, who had 12 points in the first half, went on two separate 6 point runs. She scored three consecutive Blue Devil baskets early in the game to push Stout to an 8-6 lead and then again to pull Stout from a 24-25 deficit to go up 30-27 with just under four minutes to go in the first.

A 15-7 Eau Claire run to start the second half put the Blue Devils down by nine with 15 minutes remaining. On the ensuing possession, a Tara Matter (Fr, Spencer) three pointer brought Stout back within six, 44-50. Matter finished with 10 points on 4-6 shooting in only nine minutes on the floor.

That would be as close as Stout would get, as Eau Claire would end the game on a 12-3 run over the last four minutes to put the game out of reach. Eau Claire's Courtney Lewis led all scorers with 19 points on 6-8 shooting.

Up next, Stout will travel to Stevens Point to take on the Pointers next Wednesday, January 8, 2014.