UW-Eau Claire 68, UW-La Crosse 62

La Crosse, Wis. - The UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team held off UW-La Crosse Saturday afternoon to record a 68-62 victory in Mitchell Hall. The Blugolds improve to 7-11 overall and 6-3 in the WIAC while the Eagles fall to 6-3. UW-Eau Claire has now won the last eight meetings with UW-L.

The game was tied four times in the first half and UW-L led by as many as five points in the first half before taking a 36-35 halftime lead.

The Eagles missed their first nine field goals of the second half before Dana Churchill scored on a layup with 7:43 left in the game. The Blugolds went on a 19-3 run to start the second half to lead 54-39. Churchill's layup cut the margin to 54-41.

UW-Eau Claire led 56-46 with 5:46 remaining, but UW-L's Melissa Lang hit back-to-back three-pointers to cut the margin to 56-52 with 4:08 left. After a pair of free throws from the Blugolds' Ellen Plendl, Taylor Larson hit a three-point field goal to cut the deficit to 58-55 with 2:20 remaining. Jodi Lindner hit one-of-two free throws with 1:43 left, but Churchill made it 59-57 with a pair of free throws with 1:31 remaining.

Hannah Mesick and Lang exchanged jumpers and UW-Eau Claire's Laura Olson and Lang both made a pair of free throws to make it 63-61 with :31 left. The Blugolds' Sarah Bingea made two free throws with :18 remaining and the Eagles' Lindsey Litrenta made one-of-two with :12 left. Olson then gave UW-Eau Claire a 67-62 lead with :09 remaining after a pair of free throws.

Lang led UW-L with 13 points while Litrenta finished with 12. Larson and Stacie Van Handel each had 11 points for the Eagles. Van Handel and Danielle Frank tied for the team lead with six rebounds.

UW-L shot 38.0% from the field, including 27.3% (six-of-22) in the second half. The Eagles shot 39.3% (11-of-28) from three-point range and 76.5% (13-of-17) at the free throw line. The 11 three-point field goals set a school record, breaking the record of 10 set against UW-Whitewater February 17, 2001. The 28 three-point attempts are the second-most in single-game school history (school record of 33 vs. UW-Stout, February 8, 1992).

Mesick led UW-Eau Claire with 20 points while Plendl finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Laura Olson added 13 points and Bingea 10 for the Blugolds. Lindner also grabbed eight rebounds. UW-Eau Claire shot 52.1% from the field, including 50.0% (three-of-six) from three-point range. The team shot 71.4% (15-of-21) at the line.

UW-L returns to action Wednesday, Jan. 27 at UW-Stout at 7:05 p.m.