The UW-Whitewater women's basketball team, ranked eighteenth in the D3hoops.com preseason poll, opened the season Friday night with a 92-46 win over number thirteen Millikin University in the first game of the Coaches versus Cancer Tournament hosted by Millikin in Decatur, Illinois.

box score

Whitewater built a 53-25 halftime lead and continued to add on in the second half.  The Warhawks shot 75% from the floor in the second half, including 3-5 from three point range.  Whitewater shot 54% from the field for the game, while limiting Millikin to 32%.

Kelsey Hendrickson (Monroe/Monroe) and Trisha Thill (Belgium/Ozaukee) combined for eleven of Whitewater's 23 steals.  The Warhawks also out-rebounded the Big Blue 45-27, with UW-W's Dana Thompson (Belleville/Belleville) grabbing a game-high eight.

The Warhawks were led in scoring by center Tiffany Morton (Beloit/Memorial)'s 21 points, with Hendrickson adding 14 and Meghan Schmidt (Port Washington/Port Washington) 12.  Point guard Mary Donohoo (Wauwatosa/West) had four assists and no turnovers for UW-W, who forced Millikin into 34 turnovers.

Millikin was led by Lindsay Ippel's 18 points and 7 rebounds. 

Whitewater will play the winner of Robert Morris College (IL) and Maryville University, a game played later Friday night.  The Millikin tourney title game will tip off at 4:00 at Millikin in Decatur.

read what Troy Hughes of the Decatur Herald-Review had to say about the game

Millikin Coaches vs. Cancer web site: