RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-River Falls women's basketball team opened its 2026-27 season Saturday afternoon at Don Page Arena, falling 59-41 to Gustavus Adolphus.
The Falcons (0-1) were led by
Taylor Clarey, who finished with a team-high 12 points, while
Emily Anderson added 11 points and four blocks. UW-River Falls outscored Gustavus 17-13 in the third quarter but was unable to overcome a 12-point halftime deficit.
The opening quarter featured a back-and-forth battle, with the lead changing hands six times. Anderson put the Falcons on the board with a three-pointer to take an early 3-2 advantage before
Savannah Leopold connected from beyond the arc to give UWRF a 6-4 lead.
Madisyn Berggren added a jumper to put the Falcons ahead 8-7, but the Gusties closed the quarter with a three-pointer to take a 10-8 lead. Gustavus began to pull away in the second quarter, using a 20-point frame to build a 30-18 halftime advantage.
The Falcons responded in the third with their strongest offensive quarter, shooting 38.9 percent from the field and outscoring the Gusties 17-13. Anderson led with seven points in the period, while Clarey added six points. A late basket from Anderson brought UWRF within eight points, 43-35, heading into the final quarter.
Gustavus regained momentum in the fourth, holding the Falcons to six points while scoring 16 of its own to secure the 59-41 victory.
Clarey finished with 12 points, three steals and two rebounds, while Anderson totaled 11 points, four blocks and two three-pointers.
Kate Janssen added four points off the bench, while Bergstad added three points and four rebounds. Berggren,
Braelyn Beiler and
Sidney Schmit each collected four rebounds.
As a team, UW-River Falls shot 25 percent from the field and recorded seven blocks and seven steals. Gustavus finished the night shooting 38.3 percent and held a 37-24 advantage on the boards.
The Falcons will now hit the road for the Catholic University Classic in Washington, D.C., where they will face Gettysburg College on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m. (ET), followed by Penn State Altoona on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m. (ET).
