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Women's college basketball: Blugolds defeat Pioneers to advance in WIAC tournament

sam janssen, the leader-telegram, eau claire, wis.
·4 min read

Feb. 21—The UW-Eau Claire Blugolds women's basketball team is moving on in the WIAC tournament.

The third-seeded Blugolds defeated the sixth-seeded UW-Platteville Pioneers 65-55 on their home floor at Zorn Arena on Tuesday night.

It was close for the majority of the game, but the Blugolds went on a run in the fourth quarter to win by ten at home and advance in the tournament.

Next up for the Blugolds, they face the second-seeded UW-Stout in the semifinals on Friday in Menomonie.

To begin the game, the Blugolds had a 10-6 lead midway through the first quarter. They found some early baskets inside and from mid range to get their offense going early.

Senior Tyra Boettcher hit the Blugolds' first three pointer of the game, putting the Blugolds up 13-6 with four minutes left in the first quarter.

The Blugolds led 15-11 after one quarter of play after Pioneers sophomore guard Brynlee Nelson hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the quarter.

The Blugolds held the Pioneers to 26.7% shooting from the floor in the quarter.

Blugolds senior guard Jessie Ruden hit the Blugolds' second three-pointer of the night to make it 20-13 UW-EC with seven minutes until halftime. Senior forward Kylie Mogen added a three-pointer a minute later.

Midway through the second quarter, the Blugolds led 23-15. A minute later, Boettcher got a steal and took it to the hoops for a layup, putting UW-EC up by double digits, 25-15.

At the end of the first half, the Blugolds led 33-20. Ruden and Boettcher led the Blugolds with nine points each.

The Blugolds held the Pioneers to 29.6% shooting in the first half. UW-EC shot 40.6%, including 3-13 on three-pointers.

The Blugolds got off to a slow start on offense in the third quarter, only scoring two baskets in the first six minutes. After a three-pointer by Platteville freshman Ella Mackiewicz, the Blugolds' lead was trimmed down to 35-31.

Ruden hit her second three-pointer to make it 40-33 with four minutes left in the third quarter.

After the Blugolds went up 45-35, a 6-0 run by the Pioneers to end the quarter made it 45-41 Blugolds entering the fourth quarter. Both teams shot 35% from the floor in the quarter.

The Blugolds hit their stride on offense feeding the ball into the paint in the fourth quarter. Back to back low post scores by senior forward Bailey Reardon made it 58-49 Blugolds with five minutes left.

A score on a tough drive to the lane by senior guard Courtney Crouch turned three-point play at the free throw line gave UW-EC their largest lead of the game, 63-51, with three minutes left.

Platteville's sophomore guard Macey Banasik hit a three-pointer to make it 65-55 with two minutes left, but the Pioneers were running out of time.

The Blugolds owned the paint on both sides of the floor in the fourth quarter, out-rebounding the Pioneers 10-4. They outscored the Pioneers in the paint 34-16 in the game.

The Blugolds went 7-12 shooting from the floor in the fourth quarter as they closed out their 65-55 win.

Reardon led the way for the Blugolds with 18 points, while Ruden had 18 points, Boettcher had 11 and Mogen had eight. For the Pioneers, Mackiewicz and sophomore guard Brynlee Nelson had 14 points apiece and freshman guard Madalyn Reichmann had 11 points.

The Blugolds' defense held the Pioneers to 35% shooting from the floor in the game.

UW-EC head coach Tonja Englund credited her team's effort on the defensive end for the win against a "tough" Pioneers team.

"That's probably one of our best defensive games all year," Englund said. "That's a positive that this time of the year defensively we're starting to peak. I thought that was really the key to the game."

Englund also credited her team's ball movement and their play in the post, particularly Reardon's 19-point performance.

Next up for the Blugolds, they will travel to UW-Stout in the tournament semifinals round on Friday. Englund said her team relishes the opportunity to face UW-Stout again after their disappointing 63-45 loss to them in the last game of the regular season.

"We're ready. I guarantee that time around this group will go over there and it will be a tremendous game," Englund said. "Our team the entire year, every time that we've taken one of those losses, we've gotten better because of it."

Tip-off at Johnson Fieldhouse at UW-Stout in Menomonie will be at 7 p.m. on Friday night.