The No. 18 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team recorded its second straight convincing non-conference victory Saturday afternoon, topping Benedictine (Ill.) 80-38 on the second day of the UW-Stevens Point Tip-Off Tournament.
The Warhawks (3-0 overall) forced 37 turnovers, tied for the 13th-most by an opponent in one game in school history, on 24 steals, tied for the fifth-most in one game in program history, and held the Eagles to 30.2 percent shooting from the floor.
Following the conclusion of play,
Aleah Grundahl (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by
Johanna Taylor (Wauwatosa, Wis./East).
Grundahl tallied a game-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting and added nine rebounds and six steals.
Rebekah Schumacher (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) finished with 10 points, three rebounds and three assists, and Taylor compiled nine points and six rebounds.
Veronica Kieres (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) registered five points, four rebounds, two assists and six steals, and
Maggie Trautsch (Sun Prairie, Wis./DeForest) added nine points, three rebounds and two assists.
UW-Whitewater scored 10 second-chance points off 17 offensive rebounds and outscored Benedictine (1-2) by a 42-22 margin in the paint.
The Warhawks turned a 7-7 tie into an 18-7 advantage over the course of just over two minutes in the first quarter. UW-W led 25-11 by the end of the period.
The Eagles drew back to within single digits at 31-22 with 2:09 to play in the second, but Grundahl scored the last four points of the quarter to give UW-Whitewater a 35-22 lead at halftime.
The Warhawks extended their lead out to 23 midway through the third after a pair of free throws by
Yssa Sto. Domingo (Streamwood, Ill./St. Edward). The advantage grew to 29 by the end of the quarter thanks to a 3-pointer just before the buzzer by Trautsch.
UW-W continued to extend its lead in the fourth quarter as 19 different players saw action during the period.
The Warhawks play their first true road game of the season Wednesday at Augustana. Tipoff in Rock Island, Ill., is scheduled for 7 p.m.
