SUPERIOR, Wis. – The UW-Whitewater women's basketball team came back from a 13-point half time deficit to earn its seventh Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory. UW-W remains perfect in the WIAC (13-3, 7-0 WIAC) and the Yellowjackets suffer their fourth conference loss (9-6, 3-4 WIAC).

 
Amy Mandrell (Forsyth, IL/Maroa-Forsyth) recorded a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 6-8 from the free throw line and 10-16 from the field. Mary Merg (Greendale/Greendale) had 11 points while Kaitlyn Thill (Belgium/Ozaukee) had 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists for UW-W. Kristen Ruchti (Brodhead/Brodhead) came off the bench to add 10 points and six rebounds for the Warhawks. As a team, UW-Whitewater was 25-28 from the free throw line.
 
The Warhawks scored the first basket of the game when a Thill layup put them up early, but UW-Superior went on an 8-0 run to take the lead with 18:02 remaining in the first half.
 
The Yellowjackets extended their lead to 10, 22-12, with just under 13:00 left in the first half, but the Warhawks stayed within striking distance in the ensuing minutes before Superior extended its lead to 19, (42-23) at the 2:52 mark. Whitewater was able to go into the locker room with some momentum, as it ended the half on a 9-3 run to pull within 13 (45-32) going into the locker room.
 
The Warhawks shot only 31.6% (12-38) from the field in the first half while the Yellowjackets were 18-42 (42.9%). UW-S went into the half with a 31-20 advantage on the boards and had two players scoring in double figures.
 
UW-W came out in the second half with momentum on its side, opening the half on a 6-2 run to cut the deficit to nine (47-38). UW-S stretched its lead back out to 14 points (56-42) but the Warhawks went on an 8-0 run to pull back within six with 13:25 left to play in the game.
 
Superior had a nine-point lead with 6:50 remaining, when Mandrell sparked a late run with a jumper to pull within seven (70-63). Merg had a layup to pull within five and Andrea Olsen (East Troy/East Troy) converted on two free throws to bring it to a one-possession game. Ruchti made a pair of layups to give Whitewater its first lead since the 19:44 mark in the first half. The Warhawks converted on 13-14 from the charity stripe down the stretch to earn a hard-fought victory.
 
The Warhawks' shooting was a different story in the second half, hitting 16-34 from the field and converting 20-22 from the free throw line. Mandrell had 18 points and seven rebounds in the second half, shooting 6-8 from the field while Merg had eight points, going 4-4 from the line.
 
The Warhawks have won 26 of the last 27 meetings between the two teams with the only loss coming in a 67-59 competition on the road last year.
 
UW-Whitewater will return to Kachel Gym to take on UW-La Crosse Wednesday, January 22 with tip scheduled for 7:00 pm

UWWSports.com release