Waverly, Iowa - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women's basketball team fell 67-60 at Wartburg College (Iowa) Monday afternoon in the championship game of the Wartburg (Iowa) Holiday Tournament. The Eagles, ranked 11th on the D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll, falls to 9-2 on the season while the Knights, ranked seventh on D3hoops.com, improves to 11-1.
It is the Knights' second win over the Eagles this season. Wartburg (Iowa) earned a 72-62 victory over UWL on November 15 at the UW-Eau Claire Tip-Off Classic.
Wartburg (Iowa) took a 10-5 lead Monday on Ally Conrad's three-pointer with 3:24 left in the first quarter. The Knights took a 13-7 lead on Tori Hazard's three-point play with 1:24 remaining, but back-to-back three-pointers from UWL's Ava Kramer and Emma Gamoke forced a 13-13 tie. Wartburg (Iowa) took a 15-13 lead after the first quarter.
Neither team led by more than three points in the second quarter with the first half ending in a 27-27 tie.
Back-to-back jumpers by Dani Craig gave UWL a 36-34 lead with 5:56 remaining in the third quarter, but Wartburg (Iowa) used a 16-5 run to end the quarter and lead, 50-41.
The Knights took a 52-41 lead on an Emma Gerdes' layup with 9:29 left in the game and Wartburg (Iowa) later led, 59-49 with 4:06 remaining. UWL cut the deficit to 61-56 with 1:27 remaining on a Carly Coulthart three-pointer, but could get no closer the rest of the game. Wartburg (Iowa) scored its final eight points of the game at the line, going eight-of-10.
UWL shot 32.8% from the field, including 28.6% (10-of-35) from three-point range, and 66.7% (six-of-nine) at the free throw line. Craig led the Eagles with 16 points while Gamoke had 10 points. Delaney Schoenenberger had eight points and team-high three steals. Lexi Higgins led the team with five rebounds.
Wartburg (Iowa) shot 42.6% from the field, including 31.8% (seven-of-22) from three-point range, and 74.1% (20-of-27) at the line. Gerdes led the Knights with 14 points and seven assists. Payton Draper finished with 12 points while Hazard and Amanda Brainerd each totaled 10. Hazard had a team-high seven rebounds.
Craig and Gamoke were two of six players named to the Holiday All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the game.
UWL returns to action Saturday, January 4 starting Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play hosting UW-Oshkosh at 3 p.m.
