Box Score UW-Whitewater shot the lights out in the second half on the way to an 80-57 win over Whitworth College at a tournament hosted by Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois Saturday.

Box Score

The last time that UW-Whitewater did not lead in the game was 7-7 with 17:06 left in the first half.  At the 14:57 UW-W began an 11-1 run that gave the Warhawks their biggest lead of the half, 22-10 at the 8:37 mark.  Whitworth came back with seven unanswered points to make it 22-17.  UW-W had one more double digit lead in the half, 27-17 at 6:30, but the lead was just 35-31 at the half.

UW-W had 13 points off turnovers, and fourteen points contributed by the bench, to just three in each category for the Pirates.

WC's Lauren Picha hit a three-pointer at 17:37 to pull her team within one, 37-36, but the Warhawks used an 11-1 spurt to open a 48-37 lead.  A 14-4 run midway through the second half pushed Whitewater's advantage to 67-47 with 9:22 on the clock.  The margin eventually reached 26 points, 80-54 with 3:18 left on the clock, and Whitworth made three free throws for the only scoring in the last three minutes.

Whitewater shot 17-26 for 65% from the floor in the final 20 minutes while limiting Whitworth to 9-34, 26%. 

The Warhawks had four players score in double digits.  Junior center Cortney Kumerow (Bartlett, IL/South Elgin) had 15, sophomore guard Mary Merg (Greendale/Greendale) added 14, senior guard Jamie Swanson (Fox Lake, IL/Grant Community) 12, and junior guard Sam Quandt (Hayward/Hayward) 11.  Merg was one of three Warhawks with five rebounds, joining senior guard Emily Bestor (North Fond du Lac/Horace Mann) and sophomore forward Morgan Dahlke (Portage/Portage).  Sophomore guard Kaitlyn Thill (Belgium/Ozaukee) dished out six assists and stole the ball three times. 

Whitworth senior forward Lexi Belcher led both teams with 18 points with Picha adding ten.  Sophomore guard Kayla Johnson had a game high ten rebounds.

UW-Whitewater, 2-0, will face host Millikin Sunday at 3:00.  The Warhawks will be back home Wednesday for a 6:00 tipoff against Illinois Wesleyan University in Kachel Gym of Williams Center.

For additional information:  Keri Carollo, UW-W coach