RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-River Falls women's basketball team picked up a 68-61 WIAC victory over UW-Eau Claire Wednesday night in Don Page Arena. The Falcons closed the game strong, while also celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day in front of a crowd that highlighted Falcon athletes from all women's athletic programs.

The Falcons battled through a tight opening half, trailing 29-27 at the break after both teams traded runs and struggled to create consistent separation. Eau Claire opened the night with an early push, but River Falls stayed within striking distance behind aggressive defense and steady free-throw attempts to keep the game close heading into halftime.

River Falls took control coming out of the locker room, outscoring the Blugolds 22-15 in the third quarter, grabbing momentum as they headed into the fourth. The Falcons flipped the script as they shot over 50 percent from the field in the third to build a lead they would not give up.

Zoey Buchan led all Falcons with 18 points, going 10-of-13 from the free-throw line while adding two rebounds and two assists. Emily Anderson followed with 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Savannah Leopold chipped in 13 points, including three three-pointers, to give River Falls a trio of double-figure scorers. Taylor Clarey added eight points and four assists, helping facilitate the offense throughout the night.

The victory moves UW-River Falls to 12-8 overall and 5-4 in WIAC play as they turn their sights on nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh Titans. The Falcons will travel to Oshkosh this Saturday, tip-off at 3 p.m.