Bloomington, Ill. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Women's Basketball opened the Midwest Challenge Tournament with a 64-53 defeat at the hands of #17 ranked Illinois Wesleyan University on Saturday night.
THE BASICS
Final Score: #17 Illinois Wesleyan University 64, #16
UW-La Crosse 53
Location: Shirk Center, Bloomington, Ill.
Records: UWL 5-2, Illinois Wesleyan University 3-2
National Rankings: UWL is ranked 16th while Illinois Wesleyan is one spot back at 17th on this weeks D3hoops.com Top-25 poll.
Next Up: Day two of the Midwest Challenge will see UWL face DePauw University in the consolation final at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 30.
Katie Waukau
HOW DID IT HAPPEN
- Trailing 9-7 with 2:57 left in the first quarter, UWL scored the final 10 points of the quarter to lead 17-9. Jenna Welsch started the run with a three-pointer and a put back while Molly Janke hit a jumper followed by a three-pointer to give the Eagles an early lead.
- Two Ali Sprangers free throws in the first minute of the second quarter would extend the Eagles lead to 19-9. However, the Titans would respond with a 12-0 run of their own to take a 21-19 lead with 5:24 left in the first half. Katie Waukau's three-pointer would stop the Titans run to give the lead back to the Eagles (22-21) but that lead would be short lived as Illinois Wesleyan scored the next eight points to lead 29-22 with 2:55 on the clock. Janke's layup with :07 left in the half would cut the Eagles halftime deficit to 33-26.
- Back-to-back baskets by Ava Bardic would extend the Titans lead to double digits (37-26) with 9:21 on the clock in the third quarter. The Eagles would then score 10 unanswered points to pull with in 37-36 with 6:56 left in the third quarter. That would be as close as the Eagles would get in the quarter as the Titans scored 17 of the final 23 points to lead 54-42 at the end of three periods.
- UWL would make one final push in the fourth quarter as they scored the first eight points to pull within 54-50 with 5:28 left in the contest. Back-to-back three-pointers for Waukau would spark the run for the Eagles. After two Titans layups on back-to-back possessions quickly put the Titans up 58-50 but Malia Nelson's three-pointer with 4:21 would make it 58-53. But that would be all of the scoring for the Eagles as the Titans scored the final six point including four free throws to seal the win.
FROM THE BOX SCORE
- As a team, the Eagles finished 21-of 57 (36.8%) from the floor including seven-of-25 (28.0%) from the three-point line. UWL was also four-of-eight (50%) from the free throw line.
- Janke led the Eagles with her first double-double of the season as she finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
- Waukau and Welsch each added nine points off the bench for the Eagles.
- Sprangers and Nelson each finished with six rebounds to help give the Eagles a 40-36 advantage in rebounding over the Titans.
- The Titans shot 26-of-45 (40.0%) from the floor including five-of-21 (23.8%) from the free throw line. Illinois Wesleyan was also seven-of-seven (100%) from the free throw line.
- Bardic led the Titans with 22 points and six assists while Asia Kobylarczyk added 18 points.
