La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women's basketball team concluded its regular-season schedule with a 87-68 victory over UW-Eau Claire Saturday afternoon in Mitchell Hall on Senior Day. The Eagles improve to 12-13 overall and 5-9 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) while the Blugolds drop to 10-15 overall and 4-10 in the conference.

With the win, UWL clinches the fifth-seed for the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver's). The Eagles will travel to fourth-seed UW-Platteville for the first round on Monday, February 19 at 7 p.m.

UWL senior Paige Schumann was honored at the end of the game. 

UWL raced out to a 9-4 lead after a pair of Kailee Meeker free throws, but UW-Eau Claire scored the game's next six points on three-pointers from Brianna Nelson and Kylie Strop. The Eagles responded with a 6-0 run of their own to take a 15-10 advantage. Lauryn Milne made back-to-back jumpers and Lindsey Knuth's three-point field goal gave UWL a 15-10 lead with 5:04 left in the first quarter. UWL would never trail the rest of the game. 

Lucia Hauge made a three-pointer for UW-Eau Claire to cut the deficit to 19-15, but an 11-0 run to end the quarter extended UWL's lead to 30-15. The Eagles shot 75.0% (12-of-16) from the field in the first 10 minutes.

UW-Eau Claire cut the lead to 34-29 with 4:15 remaining in the second quarter on a Hauge three-point field goal. Knuth's free throw and Ali Sprangers' three-pointer gave UWL a 38-29 advantage. Hauge's three-pointer cut it to 38-34 with :07 left, but Schumann hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Eagles a 41-34 lead.

The Blugolds cut it to 41-38 with 9:15 left in the third quarter, but would get no closer the rest of the game. The Eagles went on a 9-0 run to take a 50-38 lead on a Meeker three-pointer. Milne had six of the nine points in the run. UWL took a 67-49 lead on Knuth's layup at the end of the third quarter.  

UWL led by as many as 23 points in the fourth quarter. 
 

UWL shot 56.9% from the field on Saturday, including 34.5% (10-of-29) from three-point range, and 68.8% (11-of-16) at the line. Milne led the Eagles with a career-high 26 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Meeker and Knuth finished with 14 points each while Schumann totaled 13 points and career-high 11 assists. Meeker added seven rebounds. Knuth tied her career-high with her 14 points.

UW-Eau Claire shot 35.6% from the field, including 33.3% (12-of-36) from three-point range, and 50.0% (four-of-eight) at the line. Strop led the Blugolds with 20 points while Nelson and Kyla Overskei each finished with 11. Evelyn Walker had a team-high eight rebounds.