Related Links:
D3hoops.com Women's Top 25, Week 5
WBCA USA TODAY Division III Coaches' Top 25
2015-16 Schedule (includes live coverage links)
UW-River Falls Women's Basketball Web Page
UW-La Crosse Women's Basketball Web Page
 
Coming off its first loss of the 2015-16 season, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team continues Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play this week, visiting UW-River Falls Wednesday before hosting UW-La Crosse Saturday.
 
Wednesday's game at UW-River Falls is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
 
Saturday's contest, which also marks Parents' Day at Kachel Gymnasium, is slated for a 3 p.m. tipoff.
 
The Warhawks enter the week with a 12-1 overall mark, including a 1-1 mark in the WIAC.
 
In the Rankings
 
UW-Whitewater slipped two spots to No. 8 in the latest D3hoops.com Women's Top 25. The team earned 412 points, 11 more than ninth-ranked Muhlenberg (Pa.) and 29 short of unbeaten Scranton (Pa.). The top five of the poll remained the same – Thomas More (Ky.), Amherst (Mass.), George Fox (Ore.), New York University and Hope (Mich.).
 
The Warhawks were ranked sixth in last week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association USA TODAY Division III Coaches' Top 25. This week's rankings have not been released as of publication of this story.
 
Last Week
 
UW-Whitewater started the week with a 72-60 victory over UW-Stout, holding the Blue Devils, who entered the game leading the conference in scoring offense, more than 17 points below their season average.
 
Senior forward Maddie Bare (Fort Atkinson/Fort Atkinson) tallied a career-high 12 points to go along with three rebounds, three assists and three steals to lead the Warhawks, who held a 43-31 edge in rebounding. Senior forward Lisa Palmer (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) added team highs of 14 points and nine rebounds.
 
Three days later, UW-Whitewater fell 63-56 at then-No. 24 UW-Stevens Point. The Warhawks shot 46.2 percent from the field but committed a season-high 19 turnovers as their 12-game win streak was snapped. The Pointers outscored UW-Whitewater 22-11 in the fourth quarter, taking the lead for good at the 3:48 mark.
 
Palmer led the Warhawks with 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Sophomores Malia Smith (Bolingbrook, Ill./Neuqua Valley), Andrea Meinert (West Bend/Kettle Moraine Lutheran) and Brooke Trewyn (Whitewater/Whitewater) contributed 13, 12 and 11 points, respectively.
 
This Week
 
UW-Whitewater has won eight straight games against UW-River Falls, and holds a 50-25 advantage in the all time series, including a 20-6 mark under head coach Keri Carollo.
 
The Falcons (11-2 overall, 2-0 WIAC), who are receiving votes in the latest D3hoops.com poll, earned a pair of impressive road wins last week to start the league slate. The team knocked off then-No. 13 UW-Oshkosh 76-69 last Wednesday, then traveled to Menomonie Saturday and bested UW-Stout, 86-76.
 
Taylor Karge (14.8 ppg), Brynn Liljander (12.5 ppg) and Richell Mehus (10.9 ppg) each rank among the top 10 in the conference in scoring entering the week. Karge is the league's leader in field goals made (75) and free-throw percentage (82.2), while Liljander has attempted the most 3-pointers (80) and has the second-most makes (23). Mehus leads the team in assists (35) and is No. 1 in the WIAC in steals (40).
 
UW-La Crosse (6-7, 0-2) opened conference play last week with a pair of road losses, falling 66-60 at UW-Platteville and 75-45 at UW-Eau Claire. The team visits UW-Oshkosh Wednesday prior to its trip to UW-Whitewater.
 
MaKenzie Miller leads the Eagles in scoring at 13.3 points per game and leads the conference in rebounding (9.5 rpg) and double-doubles (5) entering the week. Rachel Atchison also averages double figures at 10.5 points per contest and has made 18 three-pointers in 10 games, good for second in the WIAC in 3-pointers per game.