The No. 21 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team built a large lead in the first quarter and maintained the advantage throughout the game Wednesday night in a 65-54 victory at UW-River Falls in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.
 
Junior guard Brooke Trewyn (Whitewater/Whitewater) tallied a game-high 23 points to go along with five rebounds to lead the Warhawks (13-1 overall, 3-0 WIAC), who forced 16 turnovers while committing only eight on the other end.
 
Junior guard Malia Smith (Bolingbrook, Ill./Neuqua Valley) contributed 15 points, four rebounds and a team-best four assists, and senior guard Reilly Stewart (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) posted eight points off the bench.
 
Sophomore forward Olivia Freckmann (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) collected six points and a team-high seven rebounds.
 
UW-Whitewater ran off 11 unanswered points over the final three minutes, 53 seconds of the first quarter to take a commanding 26-12 lead.
 
The Warhawks' advantage swelled to 37-13 in the second quarter following a 3-pointer by Stewart, but the Falcons (5-9, 0-3) closed to within 40-24 by the end of the half.
 
UW-Whitewater led by as many as 18 during the third quarter and never led by fewer than 10 in the fourth.
 
The Warhawks, who are currently tied for first place in the conference standings with UW-Oshkosh, visit UW-Platteville this Saturday at 3 p.m.