Box Score La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women's basketball team fell 59-56 to UW-Eau Claire Thursday night in Mitchell Hall in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championships Semifinal (presented by Culver's). The Eagles drop to 19-7 on the season while the Blugolds improve to 18-9. UW-Eau Claire will host UW-Oshkosh in the tournament championship game Saturday, February 29.
UWL, receiving votes on D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll, will await word if its earned an at-large bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships. The 64-team will be announced Monday, March 2 at 1:30 p.m.
Kyah Steiner had 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
The Eagles raced out to a 6-0 lead Thursday night and took a 12-4 advantage with 4:35 left in the first quarter on
Kyah Steiner's free throw. The Blugolds finished the quarter scoring the final seven points to cut the lead to 12-11.
UW-Eau Claire took its first lead of the game on Anna Graaskamp's jumper to start the second quarter, but UWL used a 12-0 run to take a 24-13 advantage with 6:40 remaining on a
Ava Kramer three-point field goal. The Eagles led, 34-24, at halftime.
Delaney Schoenenberger's jumper gave UWL a 37-26 lead with 9:03 left in the third quarter when UW-Eau Claire went on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 37-35 on Hallee Hoeppner's three-pointer with 5:37 left. Schoenenberger's three-point field goal with :49 remaining gave the Eagles a 46-40 lead. Graaskamp's jumper with :26 left cut the lead to 46-42 after three quarters.
Ava Kramer totaled 14 points and four rebounds.
UWL took a 51-48 lead with 5:14 remaining on Kramer's three-point play and a 53-50 advantage with 4:09 left on Steiner's layup. Katie Essen's layup with 3:54 remaining cut the lead to 53-52 and followed with a jumper with 1:55 left to give the Blugolds a 54-53 lead. After a missed UWL jumper, Hoeppner hit a pair of free throws to give UW-Eau Claire a 56-53 lead with :25 remaining.
Dani Craig tied the game for UWL with a three-pointer with :19 left, but Hoeppner hit the eventual game-winning three-pointer with :05 remaining to make it 59-56. Craig missed a potential game-tying three-pointer with :01 left.
UWL shot 30.8% from the field, including 35.7% (five-of-14) from three-point range, and 84.6% (11-of-13) at the line. The Eagles shot 20.6% (seven-of-34) from the field in the second half.
Schoenenberger led UWL with 15 points, going six-of-12 from the field, including three-of-four at the free throw line. Kramer totaled 14 points and four rebounds while Steiner finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Higgins had seven points and team-high 10 rebounds and three steals.
UW-Eau Claire shot 39.0% from the field, including 20.0% (two-of-10) from three-point range, and 84.6% (11-of-13) at the line. Hoeppner led the Blugolds with 17 points while Graaskamp finished with 15 points and team-high 15 rebounds. Katie Essen had eight points and Maizie Deihl seven. Elli Carver finished with six points and nine rebounds.
