By Broderick Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team exploded in the first quarter after a slower start and kept their lead for the rest of the game off of efficient shooting. As a team, the Warhawks shot 61.2% from the floor, a Warhawk single-game record, breaking their 61.0% mark (happened 3 times: 1986 against Rust College, 1990 against UW-La Crosse, and 1991 against Wisconsin Lutheran).
Only four minutes into the game, Carroll only led 6-3 as both teams struggled to get anything going offensively. At the first media timeout, the Warhawks regained the lead after Maggie Trautsch (Sun Prairie, Wis./DeForest) hit a step-back three-pointer to put them up 7-6. That three-ball kick-started the offense and UW-Whitewater put together a 14-0 run to enter the first break up 18-6. The Warhawks held the Pioneers to 2-for-16 from the floor in the first quarter.
The Warhawks maintained their lead in the second quarter, bringing it up to eight to end the first half. The second quarter was fueled by three-point shooting from both teams, with UW-Whitewater nailing four out of their eight three-pointers in the quarter. Carroll went 2-for-5 from deep in the second quarter but was unable to overcome the first quarter deficit.
After the halftime break, both teams traded baskets evenly, but UW-Whitewater pulled ahead a little bit more, going up 58-44 at the third quarter buzzer.
Kacie Carollo (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater)found the holes in the defense in the third, recording three of her seven assists.
The Warhawks opened up the fourth quarter going 8-for-8 and not missing a shot from the floor until there was only two minutes left in the game. The Pioneers put together a 7-point scoring run as time expired but were unable to overcome the Warhawks.
Aleah Grundahl (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) led all scorers with 21 points. Grundahl also pulled down 7 rebounds, dished out 5 assists, and recorded 3 steals for an impressive all-around stat line. Carollo added 16 points of her own, with 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Traustch rounded out the scoring with 12 points of her own and was stellar on defense, rejecting 3 Pioneer shots.
The Warhawks will head out on a two-game road stretch, facing off against Illinois Wesleyan on Tuesday, Nov. 21 and Calvin on Saturday, Nov. 25.
