The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team led almost wire-to-wire Saturday afternoon in a 68-55 victory over UW-Eau Claire in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest at Kachel Gymnasium.
The Warhawks (13-7 overall, 6-3 WIAC) extended their winning streak to five games by holding the Blugolds to 35 percent shooting from the floor, finishing with a 37-27 rebounding advantage and collecting nine blocks.
UW-Whitewater made 18-of-24 (75 percent) from the free-throw line, including 13-of-17 in the fourth quarter to preserve the win.
Senior forward Olivia Freckmann registered her fourth straight double-double and seventh of the season with 15 points, 16 rebounds and three assists, while junior guard Becky Raeder tallied 14 points and seven rebounds. Junior guard Camri Conley posted 12 points, and sophomore guard Emily Schumacher hit four 3-pointers on her way to 12 points, six rebounds and two steals.
The Warhawks jumped out to a 10-4 advantage four minutes into the game and led 13-6 at the 4:10 mark following a layup by junior guard Megan Corcoran, who totaled eight points in the contest. The team held a 19-14 advantage by the end of the period thanks to a layup by Freckmann in the final minute.
UW-Eau Claire (13-7, 4-5) took a one-point lead two minutes into the second quarter. The two teams traded the lead before a free throw by senior center Sarah Schumacher with 3:14 left gave UW-Whitewater the lead for good.
Emily Schumacher hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions later in the frame, and Raeder gave the Warhawks a 35-28 lead into halftime on a buzzer-beating jumper.
UW-Whitewater recorded six straight points early in the third quarter on a jumper by Sarah Schumacher and consecutive makes by Freckmann for a 41-29 advantage with 7:55 on the clock.
The Blugolds trimmed the Warhawk lead to seven by the 3:05 mark, but Conley converted a bucket just over a minute later and Emily Schumacher knocked down a 3-pointer in the waning moments of the quarter for a 51-39 lead.
Layups by Raeder and Freckmann built the UW-W lead to 16 one minute into the fourth, and UW-Whitewater held a double-digit lead until the 1:59 mark. Conley hit 3-of-4 from the free-throw line over the next minute to build the Warhawk lead back to double digits for good.
The Warhawks host No. 12 UW-Oshkosh Monday at 7 p.m. at Kachel Gymnasium. The game was originally scheduled to be played last Wednesday but was postponed due to inclement weather.