The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team held a double-digit lead for a good portion of the second half and held off a late rally by No. 22 UW-La Crosse Saturday afternoon for a 55-53 victory in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest in La Crosse, Wis.
 
The Warhawks (12-7 overall, 5-3 WIAC) led by 10 with 8:31 to play before the Eagles chipped away at their deficit, drawing to within one possession at 51-48 with 2:31 on the clock.
 
Senior center Becky Deichl (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) hit a jumper to increase the lead to five, and after a UW-La Crosse basket on the next possession, the two teams exchanged empty possessions before senior forward Olivia Freckmann (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) hit 1-of-2 at the free-throw line for a 54-50 advantage with 28 seconds to play.
 
The Eagles (16-3, 5-3) hit a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to draw within 54-53, and after junior guard Becky Raeder (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) hit a free throw on the other end, UW-L missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer as UW-Whitewater hung on to improve its record in true road games to 6-2 this season.
 
Freckmann tallied her third straight double-double, fifth in her last six games and sixth overall of the season with a 10-point, 14-rebound effort to go along with three steals. Sophomore guard Emily Schumacher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South) hit 6-of-10 from the floor on her way to a team-best 14 points.
 
Raeder finished with eight points, six rebounds and two steals, and junior guard Camri Conley (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland) posted nine points, four rebounds and a team-best four assists.
 
The Warhawks held the Eagles to 35.5 percent shooting, including 30.3 percent in the first half, and outscored UW-La Crosse 13-5 at the free-throw line.
 
The Eagles led by as many as three in the first quarter, but junior guard Megan Corcoran (Madison, Wis./LaFollette) hit a 3-pointer and Freckmann converted a layup as UW-Whitewater tallied the last five points of the frame for a 13-11 lead.
 
The Warhawks continued the momentum in the second quarter, extending their run to 13-0 with eight straight to begin the period for a 21-11 advantage with 6:33 to go. The team led by as many as 11 after a layup by Conley in the final minute of the quarter, but UW-La Crosse hit a 3-pointer to trim its deficit to 30-22 at halftime.
 
UW-Whitewater led by no fewer than six for the duration of the third as Schumacher registered six points during the quarter, and carried an eight-point lead into the fourth.
 
The Warhawks host No. 12 UW-Oshkosh this Wednesday at 7 p.m. on All-American Night at Kachel Gymnasium. UW-Whitewater defeated the Titans 49-47 back on Jan. 16 in Oshkosh.