Box Score

ST. PETER, Minn. (uwrfsports.com)- The University of Wisconsin-River Falls women's basketball team traveled to St. Peter, Minn. to compete in the Gustavus Tip-Off Tournament.
 
In their first game of the tournament, the Falcons defeated the Storm of Simpson College 72-63 to bring their record to 3-0 on the young season.
 
Sophomore forward Taylor Karge led the Falcons early in the first quarter, as she scored the first eight points for the Falcons.
 
Simpson College led throughout the first quarter, but the Falcons defense did not let the lead get bigger than six points. UWRF received great contributions off the bench throughout the whole game, as junior guard Hannah Pignato scored six points in the first quarter.
 
The score after the first quarter saw the Falcons trailing 18-19, and that would be the last time the Falcons trailed in the contest.
 
In their previous two victories, the Falcons used defense to distance themselves from their opponents. In the victory against Simpson, UWRF held the Storm to only three points in the second quarter, and the three points came on a three point shot.
 
It was not just defense that helped the Falcons to a 10-point lead at halftime. Four different Falcons scored points in the second quarter. Along with Pignato, junior forward Taylor Augustine contributed significantly off the bench, as she scored two of her eight points in the second quarter.
 
The third quarter was a quarter of runs. At one point, the Falcons extended their lead to 15 points, but the Storm cut the Falcon-lead to six by the end of the third quarter.
 
Any momentum that the Storm had gained in the third quarter, the Falcons took right back. Junior guard Katie Messman nailed a three-pointer 12 seconds into the fourth quarter to put the Falcons up 50-41.
 
The Storm did not go away quietly. At one point, Simpson trimmed the once double-digit Falcon-lead to four points. Senior guard Richell Mehus stepped up when Simpson cut the lead to single digits. Mehus scored 13 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter, and eight of those 13 points came at the free throw line.
 
Along with Mehus, the rest of the Falcons were clutch at the free throw line at the end of the game. The Falcons scored their final 10 points of the game at the free throw line.
 
Karge led the Falcons with 22 points and seven rebounds. Mehus and Messman scored 14 and 13 points, respectively. Pignato and Augustine led the Falcons off the bench with 11 and eight points, and the Falcons outscored the Storm 22-17 in bench points.
 
The Falcons also had more points off turnovers and points in the paint.
 
UWRF is back in action tomorrow at the Gustavus Tip-Off Tournament, as the Falcons take on the host team Gustavus-Adolphus. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.