Related Links:
D3hoops.com Women's Top 25, Week 10
WBCA USA TODAY Division III Coaches' Top 25
2015-16 Schedule (includes live coverage links)
UW-Oshkosh Women's Basketball Web Page
UW-Eau Claire Women's Basketball Web Page
 
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team looks to improve its positioning for the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament this week as it closes the regular season with a pair of games.
 
The Warhawks (19-4 overall, 8-4 WIAC) are currently tied for third in the conference standings.
 
UW-Whitewater can clinch a top four seed and a home game in the tournament with a victory Wednesday at first-place UW-Oshkosh. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
 
The Warhawks can still clinch the No. 2 seed and a bye to the tournament semifinals with two wins, a UW-Oshkosh loss at UW-River Falls and a loss by UW-Stevens Point in either of its last two games.
 
UW-Whitewater will recognize its five seniors at halftime of Saturday's game, which is scheduled for 3 p.m. It's the final regular season home contest for seniors Maddie Bare (Fort Atkinson/Fort Atkinson), Emily Jensen (Wauwatosa/Wauwatosa East), Lisa Palmer (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett), Jaya Perkins (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville) and Abbie Reeves (Salem/Westosha Central).
 
In The Rankings
 
The Warhawks moved up in both polls following a 2-0 week. The team gained two spots in the D3hoops.com women's Top 25 and are 17th heading into the week. UW-Whitewater is joined in the rankings by WIAC foes UW-River Falls (13), UW-Oshkosh (14) and UW-Stevens Point (19).
 
The Warhawks moved up one spot to No. 16 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association USA TODAY Sports NCAA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll. All three WIAC teams listed above also appear in the poll.
 
In last week's debut of the NCAA Central Region rankings, UW-Whitewater was slotted fifth behind No. 1 UW-Stevens Point, No. 2 Washington-St. Louis, No. 3 UW-River Falls and No. 4 UW-Oshkosh.
 
Last Week
 
On Wednesday, the Warhawks tallied 16 of their 18 second-chance points in the first half and shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the second half in an 85-58 victory over UW-Platteville. Perkins and junior guard Andrea Olsen (East Troy/East Troy) posted 15 points apiece, while sophomore guard Brooke Trewyn (Whitewater/Whitewater) registered 14 points, a team-best nine rebounds and three steals.
 
UW-Whitewater hit the offensive glass hard again on Saturday, recording 20 second-chance points to complement an 18-of-20 performance at the free-throw line in a 66-55 triumph at UW-Stout. Palmer collected her fifth career double-double with game highs of 15 points and 13 rebounds in 36 minutes of action. Sophomore forward Andrea Meinert (West Bend/Kettle Moraine Lutheran) finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore guard Malia Smith (Bolingbrook, Ill./Neuqua Valley) contributed 11 points.
 
This Week
 
UW-Oshkosh (19-4, 10-2) enters the week having won 10 of its last 11 games, including identical 57-44 wins at UW-Eau Claire and at home against UW-La Crosse last week.
 
The Titans boast the league's No. 1 scoring defense, which allows just 50.3 points per game, good for 12th in the nation. The team also commits the fourth-fewest turnovers per game in the nation and ranks fifth in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting 36.7 percent of its attempts.
 
Taylor Schmidt paces UW-Oshkosh with 10.8 points per game and is the conference leader in 3-point field goal percentage (46.9). Eliza Campbell ranks second with 9.6 points per affair, followed by Alex Richard, who averages 8.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
 
UW-Eau Claire (11-12, 6-6) wrapped up its bid to the conference tournament with a 59-57 victory over nationally ranked UW-Stevens Point on Saturday.
 
Erin O'Toole leads the WIAC in scoring with 18.7 points per game, while Teenie Lichtfuss and Madison Johnson are close behind at 14.0 and 12.6 points per contest, respectively. All three rank among the top six in the conference in scoring.
 
The Blugolds, who visit UW-La Crosse Wednesday before traveling to UW-Whitewater Saturday, average 64.0 points per game while allowing 63.8 per affair on the other end. They lead the league in field goal percentage defense (35.4).
 
The Warhawks look to return the favor at UW-Oshkosh after falling 79-66 at home in the first meeting this season between the two teams on Jan. 20.
 
Trewyn's free throw with 19 seconds to play gave UW-Whitewater the lead for good in a 54-52 victory at UW-Eau Claire back on Jan. 23. The team is 11-4 against the Blugolds at home under head coach Keri Carollo.