The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team opened Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play Wednesday night with a 67-55 victory over UW-Stevens Point at Kachel Gymnasium.
 
The Warhawks (8-4 overall, 1-0 WIAC) finished with a 46-20 advantage on points in the paint and were on the left side of a 42-28 rebounding margin, including a 15-5 edge on the offensive glass.
 
UW-Whitewater's starting frontcourt of seniors Olivia Freckmann (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) and Sarah Schumacher (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) combined for 35 points and 19 rebounds. Freckmann tallied 20 points, which tied a career high, on 9-of-14 shooting and added eight rebounds, while Schumacher collected her second double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds, including five offensive.
 
The Warhawks held the Pointers (4-8, 0-1) to 34.6 percent shooting from the floor, including a 32.1 percent clip in the first half. The team also hit 12-of-13 (92.3 percent) from the free-throw line compared to 12-of-17 for UW-Stevens Point.
 
UW-Whitewater separated itself from UW-Stevens Point near the end of the first quarter as Schmacher hit a jumper, junior guard Megan Corcoran (Madison, Wis./LaFollette) hit a 3-pointer and junior guard Camri Conley (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland) hit a jumper to make it 18-12 with 1:31 left. The Warhawks held the six-point margin going into the second.
 
Schumacher extended the UW-Whitewater lead to double digits at 31-21 with 6:40 remaining in the second quarter. The Warhawks grabbed their largest lead of the game at 37-26 following a layup by sophomore guard Adriana Green (Racine, Wis./Horlick) and held the same advantage heading into halftime.
 
The Pointers narrowed their deficit to five by the 1:18 mark of the third, but senior center Becky Deichl (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) converted a layup to give UW-Whitewater a 47-40 lead at the end of the period.
 
UW-Stevens Point drew to within 49-43 one minute into the fourth, but the Warhawks scored the next six points on a layup from Schumacher and back-to-back buckets by Freckmann to make it 55-43 with 6:04 on the clock.
 
UW-Whitewater never led by fewer than 10 the rest of the way.
 
The Warhawks continue WIAC play Saturday at UW-Eau Claire. Tipoff is slated for 5 p.m.