The Warhawk women's basketball team, ranked eighteenth in the D3hoops.com top 25 poll, defeated the University of Dubuque 91-68 Tuesday night in Kachel Gym in Whitewater, WI.

Box Score
Photo Gallery courtesy of Ryan Kolter...all photos are for sale

The Spartans led by four with 10:58 left in the first half but three pointers from freshman guard Mary Merg (Greendale/Greendale) and junior guard Jamie Swanson (Fox Lake, IL/Grant Community) bolstered a 12-0 Whitewater run that gave UW-W a 26-18 lead with 8:19 left in the first half. UW-W wouldn't trail the rest of the way posting a 16-3 run stretching almost five minutes to take a 20 point lead, the largest of the half, with 1:51 remaining. The teams went into the locker rooms with Whitewater up 47-29. The Warhawks held Dubuque to 33% shooting from the field allowing just nine field goals in the first half.

Dubuque scored first to start the second half on a three pointer by junior guard Aimee Reyzer to force the smallest lead of the half, 15, with the score 47-32 and 19:44 remaining on the clock. The Warhawks gradually built their lead to 33 on a free throw by freshman forward Amy Mandrell (Forsyth, IL/Maroa-Forsyth) to make the score 91-58. Whitewater coasted the rest of the way to a 91-68 win at the final buzzer.

UW-W posted advantages in multiple categories including steals (12-4), assists (25-11), rebounds (45-40) and free throws making 20-27 (74%) to Dubuque's 13-22 (59%).

Senior center Dana Thompson (Belleville/Belleville) led Whitewater with 13 points and grabbed six rebounds. Junior guard Megan Theune (Whitewater/Whitewater) added 12. Junior forward Chantel Burg (Hartford/Hartford Union) and Merg joined Thompson and Theune in double figures scoring 11 points each. Burg added six rebounds. Melissa Olsen (Carol Stream, IL/West Chicago Community), a senior forward, led UW-W with seven rebounds in the game. Freshman guard Kaitlyn Thill (Belgium/Ozaukee) recorded game highs with six assists and four steals.

Sophomore guard Mollie Whiting led all players with 18 points. Jessica Jentz contributed with 11 points in the game. Junior center Jena Darwin posted the game high rebounds with nine.

The Warhawks will travel to San Diego, CA for the Surf 'N Slam Tournament to take on Point Loma Nazarene University (CA) Tuesday, December 28 at 5:00 pm and Bethany Lutheran College Wednesday, December 29 at 7:00 pm. (Games played at 5 and 7 Pacific time!)

UW-W will return to Whitewater to host Edgewood College Wednesday, January 5 at 7 pm.

For additional information: Keri Carollo