By Chris Lindeke, Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding, UW-W
The No. 7 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team secured the program’s 10th Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship outright on Saturday with an 87-56 win against UW-Stout at Kachel Gymnasium.
The Warhawks (22-2 overall, 12-1 WIAC), who have now won three conference regular season titles in the last five years, also honored Courtney Oomens, Rebekah Schumacher and Johanna Taylor on Senior Day presented by Educators Credit Union in a halftime ceremony.
Aleah Grundahl registered a game-high 18 points to go with three rebounds and three steals to pace a group of seven UW-W scorers with eight or more points in the contest. Veronica Kieres collected 13 points and five rebounds, and Abby Belschner posted 12 points and five rebounds.
Taylor recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds to go with four blocks and two steals. Schumacher and Kacie Carollo totaled nine points apiece and Yssa Sto. Domingo added eight points.
UW-W turned 28 turnovers into 36 points on the other end and added 20 second-chance points on 20 offensive rebounds.
The Blue Devils (13-9, 8-4) scored the first four points of the game and held an 8-3 lead three minutes into the opening quarter. UW-Whitewater rallied for 11 straight points and never trailed again in the contest.
The Warhawks’ lead increased to double digits in the final minute of the period, and Taylor’s put-back layup made the score 24-13 through 10 minutes of play.
UW-Stout scored the first basket of the second before UW-Whitewater’s 8-0 run made it 32-15 just past the midway point of the quarter. The Warhawks maintained a double-digit advantage and led 47-32 by halftime.
UW-Whitewater scored six consecutive points to start the third quarter, including buckets by Schumacher, Kieres and Grundahl, for a 21-point advantage with 8:42 on the clock. UW-W led by as many as 27 points in the period and held a 69-46 advantage heading to the fourth.
All 19 players saw action in the fourth quarter for the Warhawks and eight of them found their way into the scoring column.
UW-Whitewater closes the regular season Wednesday at UW-Oshkosh. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
