Sophomore guard Heidi Sonntag (Milwaukee/Wisconsin Lutheran) scored 27 points to lead UW-Whitewater to an 86-54 win over UW-River Falls at the Karges Center in River Falls, Wisconsin Saturday afternoon.
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Sonntag's output is also a team season high for a Warhawk. She made five of six three point attempts and ten of eleven free throws. The five threes is tied for fifth in the Warhawk record book, and her .833 accuracy from beyond the arc is also fifth best in UW-W history. Sonntag scored 16 of her points in the first half when she hit all three of her long range attempts.
The Warhawks totaled eleven three point field goals in the game, equaling the school record that had been accomplished three times previously, most recently January 9, 1999 against UW-River Falls. UW-Whitewater shot better from three point range, 11-22 for .500, than it did from the floor overall, 24-55 for .436.
The Warhawks led 14-12 with 14:26 left in the first half, then held the Falcons scoreless for the next 6:12, in the process bumping the lead to 29-12. UW-W's defense held UW-RF scoreless for three minutes or more four times in the game.
Also scoring in double figures for UW-W were junior guard Rachel Woolever (Colfax/Colfax) and sophomore forward Nicole Bundy (Fredonia/Ozaukee), both with 12 points.
UW-RF was led by senior guard Jana Benitz, who scored 18 points and dished out a game high five assists. Benitz, however, turned the ball over ten times. The Falcons totaled 32 turnovers, the fourth time this year a UW-W opponent has commited 30+ turnovers.
The win extended Whitewater's best ever start to thirteen consecutive wins. The 1986-87 had been the squad with the previous best beginning to a season at 7-0. The win also brought this year's team one step closer to the school record win streak of eighteen, established by the 1985-86 team (began January 11 vs. North Park, ended March 3 in the NCAA III quarterfinals at Rust College).
UW-W, ranked second in the D3hoops.com national poll, is 13-0 overall and 4-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. UW-RF is 6-7, and 0-4 in league play.
Whitewater will host UW-La Crosse Wednesday, January 9 at 7:00 in the Kachel Gym of Williams Center.
