The No. 13 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team overcame a slow start offensively with tough defense and strong rebounding Monday afternoon to defeat Eastern Connecticut State 68-47 in a non-conference affair on the first day of the Cruzin' Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The Warhawks (8-0 overall) hit only five of their first 27 shots from the floor, but gained momentum late in the second quarter into the third quarter to pull away from Eastern Connecticut State.

Senior guard Malia Smith led UW-Whitewater with a game-high 16 points to go along with eight rebounds and four steals. Senior forward Andrea Meinert tallied 11 points, eight rebounds and two assists, and senior guard Brooke Trewyn collected 10 points, six rebounds and two assists.

Freshman guard Emily Schumacher posted eight points off the bench, and sophomore guard Camri Conley registered team highs in rebounds (nine) and assists (four) and added five points and three steals.

The Warhawks forced 25 turnovers and out-rebounded Eastern Connecticut State 55-32, including a 26-3 margin on the offensive glass. UW-Whitewater held advantages of 13-2 in second-chance points and 32-6 in points off turnovers despite shooting a season-low 29.7 percent from the field.

After the Warhawks scored the first two baskets to take a 4-0 lead less than one minute into the contest, the two teams competed neck-and-neck over the final nine minutes of the quarter as UW-Whitewater took a 13-12 advantage.

In the second, the Warhawks gained some separation at the 3:43 mark as Smith completed a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer that gave the team a 25-16 lead.

Smith drilled another 3-pointer 46 seconds in to the third period to give UW-Whitewater its first double-digit lead at 30-20.

The Warriors (3-6) narrowed their deficit to under 10 on two different occasions, but the Warhawks built momentum near the end of the quarter to match their largest lead of the game to that point at 47-33.

UW-Whitewater carried the momentum into the fourth, scoring the first eight points of the quarter to pull away from Eastern Connecticut State and remain unbeaten for the season.

The Warhawks finish tournament play Tuesday at 3 p.m. Central Time against Central (Iowa).