MILWAUKEE – The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team used a stifling defense and a surge early in the third quarter Tuesday night on its way to a 48-42 triumph over Milwaukee School of Engineering in a non-conference affair at the Kern Center.
 
The Warhawks (5-3 overall) held the Raiders to 32.6 percent shooting and forced 20 turnovers to hand MSOE its first loss of the season.
 
Junior guard Becky Raeder (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) led UW-Whitewater in scoring with 13 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists. Senior forward Olivia Freckmann (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) recorded her fist double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and junior guard Megan Corcoran (Madison, Wis./LaFollette) chipped in with seven points, two rebounds and two assists.
 
The Warhawks outscored the Raiders 30-10 in the paint, 21-6 in points off turnovers and 8-0 in fast break points.
 
The Warhawks overcame an 8-3 deficit in the first quarter with nine straight points, including four straight by freshman guard Veronica Kieres (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) and a 3-pointer by junior guard Megan Corcoran (Madison, Wis./LaFollette), to make it 12-8 with 1:12 on the clock. They carried a 12-10 advantage into the second.
 
UW-Whitewater extended its lead to seven on two separate occasions in the second quarter, but MSOE (6-1) closed the half with five straight points while holding the Warhawks scoreless over the final three minutes of the period.
 
UW-Whitewater came out with energy in the third quarter, posting an 8-0 run to take a 33-23 advantage at the 7:44 mark. The team increased its lead to 12 on a layup by Corcoran with 3:37 remaining and moved it up to 13 on a layup by Raeder with 1:45 left.
 
The Warhawks went scoreless over the first five minutes, 21 seconds of the fourth quarter before Raeder snapped the drought with a 3-pointer to make it 42-35.
 
The Raiders drew to within one possession with 2:43 to play and to two with 59 seconds on the clock, but Raeder calmly sank a pair of free throws with 10 seconds remaining and hit two more after a defensive stop to clinch the victory.
 
UW-Whitewater visits Concordia Wisconsin, another member of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, next week Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m. in Mequon.