Box Score RIVER FALLS, Wis. - Senior guard Kaitlyn Thill (Belgium/Ozaukee) posted 19 points, needing only three to notch her 1,000th career point as a Warhawk, to lead UW-Whitewater in a 73-62 win over UW-River Falls on the Road Saturday afternoon. Thill is the fourteenth Warhawk in program history and second this season (Mary Merg (Greendale/Greendale) scored her 1,000th point earlier this season) to break the 1,000 point mark. UW-W is unbeaten in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play so far this season, 3-0, and 9-3 overall. The Falcons are 3-9 and 2-2 in league play.

UW-Whitewater took an early lead in the game going ahead 11-5 with 14:33 left in the half. UW-RF rallied back to tie the score at 13-13 with 12:07 showing on the clock. The Warhawks scored 11 of the next 14 points, six off the hot hand of Kaitlyn Thill (Belgium/Ozaukee) from long range, to take a 24-16 lead with 8:00 remaining the half. The eight point lead was the largest margin in the half for UW-W. The Falcons scored the last bucket of the half to send the teams into intermission with Whitewater leading 31-28.

River Falls shot 57% (12-21) from the field in the first half compared to Whitewater's 36% (13-36) to keep the game close. 

The Warhawks opened the second half with six straight points to extend the lead to nine, 37-28, with 17:04 left in the game. Whitewater's lead hit double figures at the 14:12 mark after a Reilly Stewart (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton North) layup made the score 41-31 with 14:12 showing on the scoreboard. The margin hung around the double digit range with the largest lead for Whitewater, 15 points, recorded at 3:41 after a jumper from Clare Gloede (Madison/La Follette) pushed the lead to 71-56. 

UW-RF continued to shoot well in the second half, 52%, but UW-W increased their shooting percentage to match the Falcons at 52%. The Warhawks created the gap with a 15-2 advantage in points off turnovers and 18-9 margin in bench scoring. The Warhawks outscored River Falls 24-6 off turnovers in the game and enjoyed a 35-28 advantage on the glass. 

Thill led the Warhawks with 19 points including 7-10 from the field and 3-4 from downtown, seven steals and four assists. Abbie Reeves (Salem/Westosha Central) and Amy Mandrell (Forsyth, IL/Maroa-Forsyth) dropped in 10 points apiece for UW-W. Mary Merg (Greendale/Greendale) led Whitewater on the boards with five rebounds adding four assists in the game. River Falls' Richell Mehus led all players with 25 points. 

UW-W will head back to Whitewater to host UW-Oshkosh Wednesday, January 8 at 7:00 in Kachel Gym. The game is designated the Warhawks' annual youth day.



AK/pmp