The No. 19 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team overcame a slow start with a 25-point second quarter and a big run in the third Saturday afternoon to defeat UW-Eau Claire 67-41 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener for both teams at Kachel Gymnasium.
 
The Warhawks (11-1 overall, 1-0 WIAC), who extended their active win streak to nine games, shot 68.8 percent (11-of-16) in the second quarter and 64.3 percent (9-of-14) in the third to overcome a 3-for-16 start in the first quarter.
 
UW-Whitewater forced 21 turnovers and held the Blugolds to 28.6 percent shooting for the contest.
 
Sophomore guard Veronica Kieres (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) paced a group of four players in double figures for the Warhawks with 14 points to go along with a team-best seven rebounds. Senior guard Becky Raeder (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) posted 11 points and three assists, junior guard Rebekah Schumacher (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) totaled 11 points, four rebounds and three assists, and sophomore guard Yssa Sto. Domingo (Streamwood, Ill./St. Edward) registered 11 points, four rebounds and a career-high seven assists.
 
UW-Eau Claire (5-6, 0-1) scored the first four points of the game, and UW-Whitewater finally got on the board on a 3-pointer by Sto. Domingo with 3:59 on the clock in the first quarter and started an 8-0 UW-W run. The two teams were tied by the end of the quarter.
 
The Blugolds grabbed a 14-12 advantage at the 7:43 mark of the second quarter. The Warhawks responded with a 10-0 spurt that included back-to-back 3-pointers by Sto. Domingo and Raeder.
 
UW-Whitewater built its lead to double digits on a layup by Sto. Domingo with 3:41 left, and junior guard Rebekah Schumacher (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) made it an 11-point game just under a minute later with a 3-pointer.
 
Sophomore guard Veronica Kieres (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) gave the Warhawks their largest lead of the first half, 33-20, on a layup with 1:29 to go in the half.
 
UW-Eau Claire drew to within six points at the 5:54 mark of the third quarter. From there, UW-Whitewater scored 16 straight points until a Blugold bucket in the waning moments of the period and held a 55-35 advantage heading to the fourth.
 
Raeder extended the Warhawks' lead to 25 by the midway point of the fourth quarter on a layup. A pair of Kieres free throws with 2:53 remaining gave the team its largest lead to that point.
 
UW-Whitewater returns to action Wednesday at 7 p.m. against UW-Stevens Point on Whitewater Community Night at Kachel Gymnasium.