The No. 8 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team used strong defense close to the basket and a big shot late by senior guard Rebekah Schumacher Wednesday night to survive 13 made 3-pointers by UW-La Crosse in a 56-54 victory at Kachel Gymnasium in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest.

With 38 seconds to play, Schumacher found Aleah Grundahl near the basket, and Grundahl finished the layup to tie the game at 54-54. After a defensive stop, Schumacher pushed the ball up the floor and hit a pull-up jumper near the free-throw line to give the Warhawks a two-point lead with six seconds on the clock.

The Eagles' last-second shot attempt was partially blocked by Schumacher as time expired.

Kacie Carollo totaled 14 points and five rebounds off the bench to lead the Warhawks (19-2 overall, 9-1 WIAC), who held UW-La Crosse to 30.0 percent shooting and just five made two-point field goals for the game.

The Eagles (12-8, 4-5) shot 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from 3-point range and outrebounded the Warhawks by a 41-29 margin. UW-W finished at 44.0 percent shooting from the floor and outscored UW-L 26-8 in the paint.

Veronica Kieres posted 12 points, three steals and two blocks, while Aleah Grundahl collected 10 points, three assists and two steals. Johanna Taylor finished with nine points, 11 rebounds, four assists and five blocks, and Schumacher added seven points.

UW-Whitewater scored the first five points of the contest and held a 15-10 advantage through one quarter thanks to a layup by Grundahl with 34 seconds remaining.

UW-La Crosse pulled to within one just over two minutes into the second before a 9-2 UW-W run later in the quarter, punctuated on a 3-pointer by Carollo with 2:32 on the clock, made it 31-20.

The Eagles rallied with 11 unanswered points over the final two-plus minutes of the period to tie the game at 31-31 at halftime.

Neither team led by more than three points in a tightly contested third quarter. The Warhawks held UW-La Crosse to 3-of-18 shooting in the period, but the Eagles hit 3-of-5 from 3-point range and 4-of-4 at the free-throw line for a 44-43 lead heading to the fourth.

UW-L led by six just before the midway point of the fourth quarter. Carollo knocked down a 3-pointer and Taylor converted a layup to bring UW-W within one at the 4:18 mark.

UW-La Crosse hit another 3-pointer on the next possession, but UW-Whitewater held the Eagles scoreless and produced enough offensively over the final 3:52 for the win.

The Warhawks, who remain in first place in the conference standings by two games, visit UW-River Falls Saturday at 5 p.m.