The No. 23 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team overcame a slow start Tuesday night, gaining separation late in the third quarter and early in the fourth for a 68-55 victory over Carroll in a non-conference contest at Kachel Gymnasium.
 
The Warhawks (6-1 overall), who are now on a four-game winning streak, shot 59.3 percent in the second half and ended up at 48.1 percent for the game.
 
Senior guard Becky Raeder (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) registered 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals to lead UW-Whitewater. Junior forward Johanna Taylor (Wauwatosa, Wis./East) neared a double-double with nine points, 10 rebounds and three assists.
 
Junior guard Emily Schumacher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South) and sophomore guard Veronica Kieres (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) tallied eight points apiece. Junior guard Rebekah Schumacher (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) and freshman forward Abby Belschner (Grafton, Wis./Cedarburg) each registered seven points and five rebounds.
 
The two teams combined for 27 turnovers and 20 fouls in the first half.
 
UW-Whitewater jumped out to a 5-0 lead after a 3-pointer by Raeder with 7:50 on the clock. Carroll rallied to tie the game at 9-9 with 1:42 to play in the quarter, but Emily Schumacher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South) hit a jumper in the final minute to give UW-W an 11-9 advantage.
 
The Warhawks scored six straight points early in the second quarter, including four from Kieres, to make it 17-11 with 8:08 left.
 
The Pioneers drew to within one point after back-to-back buckets, but sophomore forward Courtney Oomens (Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger) hit a jumper on the next possession to bring the lead back to three. A Carroll free throw in the final minute made it 25-23 at halftime.
 
UW-Whitewater built its lead in the second part of the third quarter, grabbing a nine-point advantage following a 3-pointer by Raeder with 3:46 to go. Kieres hit a pair of free throws with four seconds left in the frame to make it 50-42.
 
A layup by Emily Schumacher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South) made it a 10-point advantage one minute into the fourth quarter, and the Warhawks stretched their lead to 16 on a layup by Taylor with 6:46 left.
 
UW-Whitewater led by as many as 18 in the final period.
 
The Warhawks head to Honolulu, Hawaii, next week for a pair of games. The team takes on Concordia Wisconsin Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. Central Time and Spalding (Ky.) on Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. Central Time.