RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-River Falls women's basketball team punched its ticket to the WIAC Tournament Semifinals Monday night, grinding out a 42-40 victory over UW-Platteville inside Don Page Arena.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 16-10 overall and earn their third victory over the Pioneers this season.
In a defensive battle, neither team shot above 33 percent from the field. The Falcons shot 32.6 percent (15-of-46) while holding Platteville to just 28.1 percent (16-of-57). The Pioneers were limited to just 12 total points in the second half, including five in the third quarter.
Platteville jumped out to an early 9-0 lead in the opening quarter before River Falls responded behind three first-half triples, two from Sidney Schmit. The Falcons trailed 14-11 after one but used a 19-point second quarter, shooting 46.2 percent from the field, to take a 30-28 lead into halftime.
In the third, River Falls held the Pioneers to 1-of-13 shooting in the frame and built a seven-point lead after baskets from Emily Anderson and Jocelyn Plonski extended the margin to 37-30 late in the period.
The Pioneers battled back in the fourth, tying the game at 40-40 with 3:43 remaining. From there, Savannah Leopold delivered the game-winning basket, finishing a layup at the 3:13 mark to give the Falcons a 42-40 lead.
The Falcons' defense sealed the win down the stretch. River Falls forced difficult looks in the final possession, as Platteville missed a pair of three-point attempts in the closing seconds.
Sidney Schmit led the Falcons with nine points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting performance from beyond the arc. Savannah Leopold added eight points and five assists, including the winning bucket. Zoey Buchan finished with seven points, while Olivia Boily contributed six points and four rebounds off the bench. Jocelyn Plonski anchored inside with 10 rebounds.
With the victory, the Falcons advance to the WIAC Tournament Semifinals for the first time since 2017 and will travel to UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday, Feb. 25 for a 7 p.m. tip.
