The No. 6 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team broke open a close game through three quarters with a strong fourth Saturday afternoon in a 72-56 victory over UW-Stout in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game at Kachel Gymnasium.
 
The Warhawks (15-1 overall, 5-0 WIAC), who extended their active win streak to 13 games, outscored the Blue Devils 23-14 in the fourth quarter and shot 56.0 percent in the second half overall.
 
Freshman forward Aleah Grundahl (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) led UW-Whitewater with 17 points, while senior guard Becky Raeder (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) tallied 16 points, five assists and two steals. Sophomore guard Veronica Kieres (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) collected 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and junior center Johanna Taylor (Wauwatosa, Wis./East) registered eight points, 10 rebounds, four assists and six blocks, which tied for the 11th-most in one game in program history.
 
The Warhawks scored the first seven points of the contest before the Blue Devils responded with their own 7-0 run to tie the game midway through the first quarter. UW-Whitewater found baskets on each of its last two possessions of the period on layups by Grundahl and sophomore guard Veronica Kieres (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) to make it 18-10.
 
UW-Stout (12-4, 3-2) opened scoring in the second before the Warhawks ran off the next 12 points, including a Euro-step layup in transition by sophomore guard Yssa Sto. Domingo (Streamwood, Ill./St. Edward) and a layup by Grundahl that capped the run for a 30-12 lead by the 4:19 mark.
 
UW-Whitewater led 32-15 with 3:08 left in the half before the Blue Devils ended the quarter with eight straight points to close within 32-23.
 
UW-Stout continued its momentum early in the third, drawing to within 39-37 near the midway point of the quarter. The Warhawks closed the frame on a 10-5 run, including four points by sophomore forward Courtney Oomens (Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger), to take a 49-42 advantage.
 
UW-Whitewater started the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run over the first two-plus minutes, capped by a layup by Grundahl, to take a 58-42 lead.
 
The Warhawks matched their largest lead of the game at 18 points with 3:41 to play following a 3-pointer by Kieres, and made 5-of-6 free throws in the period to maintain the advantage.
 
The Warhawks host UW-Platteville for Staff Appreciation Night Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Kachel Gymnasium.