WASHINGTON, D.C. – The UW-River Falls women's basketball team opened play at the Catholic University Classic Saturday afternoon, falling 82-49 to No. 17-ranked Gettysburg College at Franny Murray Court.
Emily Anderson led the Falcons with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, recording her first double-double of the season.
Madisyn Berggren added eight points off the bench, while
Taylor Clarey finished with seven points and four rebounds.
The Falcons came out strong offensively, opening the contest with a three-pointer from
Savannah Leopold before Clarey connected from beyond the arc to give UWRF an early 8-3 advantage. Gettysburg responded with a 9-0 run to take a four-point lead, but the Falcons closed the opening quarter with back-to-back three-pointers from Anderson, to take a 17-16 lead into the second quarter.
UWRF extended its advantage to 23-19 following a fast-break layup from
Braelyn Beiler with 6:09 remaining. However, the Bullets responded with an 18-1 run to close the half, holding the Falcons without a field goal over the final six minutes to take a 37-24 lead into the break.
Gettysburg carried its momentum into the second half, opening the third quarter with a three-pointer to extend its lead to 16. The Falcons answered with a strong stretch midway through the quarter, using a 9-0 run highlighted by six consecutive free throws from Berggren to cut the deficit to 47-37 with 4:25 remaining. The Bullets regained control down the stretch, closing the quarter on a 16-2 run to take a 63-39 advantage into the final frame.
The Bullets maintained their lead throughout the fourth quarter, outscoring the Falcons 19-10 to secure the 82-49 victory.
Anderson finished 4-of-12 from the field, including two three-pointers, while adding three assists. Berggren was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line, and Leopold contributed six points on a pair of three-pointers.
Sidney Schmit led the Falcons defensively with four steals.
As a team, UWRF shot 29.2 percent from the field and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line, converting 16 of 18 attempts. The Falcons collected 40 rebounds and received 20 points from their bench.
The Bullets shot 37.8 percent from the field and connected on 10 three-pointers.
The Falcons will conclude their trip to Washington, D.C., tomorrow facing Penn State Altoona in their final game of the Catholic University Classic. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. (ET).
