Box Score ST. PAUL, Minn. (uwrfsports.com)- The University of Wisconsin-River Falls women's basketball team opened up its 2015-2016 campaign on the road to face the Hamline University Pipers.
A rule change that has gone into effect for the season is that instead of playing halves, teams will be playing quarters.
The Falcons (1-0, 0-0 WIAC) used big second and third quarters to defeat the Pipers by the score of 73-55.
UWRF opened up the scoring when junior guard
Brynn Liljander drilled a three point shot to put the Falcons on top. In Liljander's first game as a Falcon, she was second on the team with 14 points.
It was a back-and-forth quarter for both teams, as neither team had a lead bigger than five points. The Falcons trailed the pipers at the end of the first quarter 15-16.
UWRF took control in the second quarter. The score was tied at 21-21 with 7:01 to play in the second quarter, and from that point in the quarter, the Falcons outscored the Pipers 13-5. Junior guard
Katie Messman and junior guard Cassy Sexton paced the Falcons as they scored 10 of the final 13 points in the final seven minutes of the second quarter.
The Falcons went into halftime leading 34-26.
UWRF increased its lead early on in the third quarter when sophomore forward
Taylor Karge got post position in the paint and made a layup. That would be the smallest lead that the Falcons would have in the second half.
The Falcons would outscore the Pipers in the third quarter 23-14 to bring the score to 57-40 heading into the fourth quarter.
By that point, the Falcons had put the game away. The Falcon-lead did not get smaller than 18 points. The final deficit was 18 points, as the Falcons defeated the Pipers 73-55.
UWRF dominated every facet of the game. The Falcons had more second chance points, points in the paint, and bench points, and they dominated the boards. UWRF outrebounded the Pipers 46-30.
The Falcons were paced by multiple players. Karge was credited with 17 points and six rebounds and Liljander was credited with 14 points and seven rebounds. The Falcons leading scorer from last season junior forward
Kate Theisen had 10 points and five rebounds.
The Falcons improve to 1-0 and are back in action on Tuesday, November 17 when they welcome Carleton College to Karges Center. The tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
