WHITEWATER, Wis. – The UW-Whitewater women's basketball team extended its winning streak to six games after defeating UW-La Crosse, 84-75, Wednesday night at Kachel Gym.
 
Photo Gallery (Credit Alex Saager)

The teams combined for 59 team fouls and made 50-71 from the charity stripe. The Warhawks shot 80.6% (29-36) from the line to help them remain perfect in conference play (14-3, 8-0 WIAC) and the Eagles shot 60.0% (21-35) as they fell to 8-9 (2-6 WIAC) on the season.
 
Mary Merg (Greendale/Greendale) led the scoring for UW-W with 13 points while Abbie Reeves (Salem/Westosha Central) added 11 and bothKaitlyn Thill (Belgium/Ozaukee) and Amy Mandrell (Forsyth, IL/Maroa-Forsyth) scored 10. Thill had five takeaways on the game and Mandrell gathered seven boards for the Warhawks. La-Crosse's Rachel Atchison came off the bench to lead all scorers with 20 points and Mallory Cramer had a game-high eight rebounds.
 
La Crosse scored first with a layup and added a free throw to take an early lead.  UW-W came back and tied the game at four when Mary Merg(Greendale/Greendale) converted on a pair of free throws.
 
Just under five minutes into the game, Merg buried a three to take a five-point lead, 13-8, before the Eagle's Katie Ehlen hit a pair of free throws to pull back within three. UW-W answered with an 11-4 run to extend the lead to 10, 24-14, at the 11:18 mark in the first.  UW-L pulled back within eight with 4:07 left in the half, but UW-W extended its lead to 14, 49-35, going into the break.
 
Whitewater had one of its better halves shooting, shooting 46.9% (14-32) from the floor and 82.4% (14-17) from the free throw line. The Warhawks were able to capitalize on the Eagles' 18 first-half turnovers, scoring 23 points off La Crosse's miscues.
 
UW-W started off the second half with a 10-2 run to widen the gap to 24 in the opening minutes of the second half. After trading baskets, Whitewater was able improved its lead to 32 (82-50) with 6:36 left in the game.
 
La Crosse didn't go down without a fight. UW-L ended the game with a 25-2 run but the run came up just shy in the end.
 
The Warhawks struggled shooting the ball in the second half, shooting only 32.3% (10-31) from the floor and missing all six long range shots. UW-L shot 41.9% (13-31) in the second half and hit 3-11 from behind the arch.
 
UW-Whitewater will remain at home for its next game when it hosts UW-River Falls for Alumni Night, Saturday at 3:00 pm.