The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater defeated host Illinois Wesleyan University 87-63 in a National Collegiate Athletic Association regional final championship game on Saturday night.  UW-W, 26-3 will face Simpson College, 27-2 in a sectional match up March 14.  The other sectional matchup will include Amherst 27-2 facing DePauw 26-3.  Game times and locations of the sectional matchups will be announced Sunday afternoon.  UW-Whitewater's national tournament site

box score 

With 6:56 left in the first half and the score 24-22, UW-W went on an 11-0 run over the next three minutes to make the score 35-22 with 3:39 left in the half.  Whitewater was able to hold at least a double digit advantage through the whole second half and built the lead to a high of 38 with 6:50 to play in the ball game. 

UW-W's "MO" through this season has been beating teams with a deep bench.  Case in point:   the Warhawks had five players score in double figures, with three playing the post position.  Senior center Lindsey Buechner (Cross Plains/Middleton) had 15,  junior center Tiffany Morton (Beloit/Memorial) 15, and sophomore post Dana Thompson (Belleville/Belleville) 14.  Also in double figures were sophomore guard Kelsey Hendrickson (Monroe/Monroe) and junior Heidi Sonntag (Milwaukee/Wisconsin Lutheran) contributed 14 each.  Thompson led UW-W with eight rebounds, and senior guard Trisha Thill (Belgium/Ozaukee) led the team with five steals.

Sophomore center Christina Solari topped Illinois Wesleyan with 16 points.  Junior guard Clare Sheehan had 14, and junior guard Mallory Heydorn 10.  Senior guard Sarah Bull had a game high six steals, and senior guard Crystal Dye a game high nine rebounds.

Whitewater made more free throws (16-25) than IWU attempted (13-14).  IWU put up 28 three's, and made six (21%) in an attempt to close the deficit, Illinois Wesleyan ended its season 26-3.

For further Information:
UW-W's tournament championship website
IWU's tournament website
Keri Carollo, UWW Women's Head Coach