RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-River Falls women's basketball team delivered one of its most complete performances to end regular-season play Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 14-ranked UW-Whitewater Warhawks, 65-57, inside Don Page Arena.
The victory not only capped off Senior Night in emphatic fashion but also secured the #4 seed and home-court advantage for the Falcons in the WIAC Tournament next week. The Falcons will host UW-Platteville on Monday, Feb. 23 inside Don Page Arena, tip-off slated for 7 p.m.
Saturday's contest honored eight seniors –
Mari Ryberg,
Zoey Buchan,
Emily Kulstad,
Olivia Boily,
Olivia Hoerl,
Jocelyn Plonski,
Annamarie Aue, and
Karleigh Creasey. The Falcons responded with a performance worthy of the moment in front of 500+ fans.
After trailing 22-11 at the end of the first quarter, River Falls flipped the game entirely in the second. The Falcons erupted for 29 points in the second frame, outscoring the Warhawks 29-3. The Falcons held Whitewater to just 1-of-14 shooting (7.1%) while shooting nearly 70% themselves in the frame. A barrage of three-pointers, going 6-for-8, fueled the 29-3 run that turned an 11-point deficit into a 40-25 halftime advantage.
Zoey Buchan led the way with 18 points, knocking down two three-pointers and going 8-of-10 from the free throw line and two steals.
Taylor Clarey added 14 points, including two triples, while
Emily Anderson contributed 11 points on three from beyond the arc and nine rebounds.
Jocelyn Plonski filled the stat sheet with eight points, four boards and four assists,
Olivia Boily provided a spark off the bench with eight points and seven rebounds, while
Sidney Schmit brought down nine rebounds.
The Falcons' defense proved to be the difference. River Falls limited the Warhawks to 38.3% shooting from the floor and just 3-of-17 (17.6%) from beyond the arc. Whitewater attempted to chip away in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to three late, but River Falls answered in the fourth with key baskets and clutch free throws to seal the upset victory.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 15-10 overall and 8-6 in WIAC play, matching Whitewater in conference standings and earning the tiebreaker to host in the conference tournament next week.
