The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team posted its third straight win Wednesday night, defeating UW-Platteville 71-55 in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match-up at Kachel Gymnasium.
 
The Warhawks (11-7 overall, 4-3 WIAC) held the Pioneers (8-10, 2-5) to 36 percent shooting, including a 2-for-15 mark in the third quarter when they finished with a 24-12 scoring advantage to break the game open.
 
Senior forward Olivia Freckmann (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) tallied her fifth double-double of the season and fourth in her last five games with 14 points and 12 rebounds to go along with six assists and two steals. Sophomore guard Emily Schumacher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South) posted a game-high 19 points, including 14 in the second half, and junior guard Becky Raeder (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) registered 13 points, including 10 in the first half, to go with six rebounds and a team-best seven assists.
 
The Warhawks hit 10 three-pointers and made 15-of-16 (93.8 percent) at the free-throw line.
 
UW-Whitewater got off to a slow start in the first, trailing 13-8 with 1:39 left in the quarter. The team tied the game by the end of the frame thanks to a layup by Freckmann and a 3-pointer by Raeder.
 
Freckmann and Raeder continued their strong offensive performances in the second quarter. Freckmann's layup put the Warhawks ahead by two with 8:26 on the clock, and her jumper at the 3:37 mark gave the team the lead for good.
 
Raeder gave UW-Whitewater its largest lead of the half at 27-19 following a jumper with 1:18 remaining, and the team took a six-point advantage into halftime.
 
UW-Platteville narrowed its deficit to four with 9:24 left in the third quarter, but the Warhawks scored eight of the next nine points to take a 35-24 advantage with 6:26 on the clock.
 
The Pioneers drew to within five at the 3:54 mark, but UW-Whitewater embarked on a 9-0 run to take a 44-30 lead with 2:07 left on a layup by sophomore center Johanna Taylor (Wauwatosa, Wis./East) and eventually took an 18-point lead by the end of the period.
 
UW-Platteville got no closer than 12 in the fourth as the Warhawks extended their lead all the way out to 20 with 2:13 left on a 3-pointer by Schumacher.
 
UW-Whitewater returns to the floor Saturday at No. 22 UW-La Crosse. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m.