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The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team used a combination of strong 3-point shooting and stingy defense Monday night to defeat UW-Stout 66-49 in the first round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship (Presented by Culver's) at Kachel Gymnasium.
 
With the win, their fifth straight, the Warhawks (7-2 overall) advance to the semifinal round, where they'll face UW-Eau Claire, the No. 1 seed in the West Division, on Wednesday in Eau Claire.
 
UW-Whitewater, the East Division's No. 2 seed, knocked down a season-high 12 three-pointers and forced 27 turnovers by UW-Stout, the No. 3 seed from the West Division.
 
The Warhawks out-rebounded the Blue Devils, 47-33, including a 22-7 advantage on the offensive glass.
 
Emily Schumacher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South) tallied a team-high 16 points on four 3-pointers to go along with three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Adriana Wood (Racine, Wis./Horlick) converted four 3-pointers for 12 points to go with five rebounds and two steals.
 
Rebekah Schumacher (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) made three 3-pointers on her way to 13 points and three rebounds. Johanna Taylor (Wauwatosa, Wis./East) grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and added eight points, three assists and three blocks.
 
UW-Whitewater was held scoreless for the first five-plus minutes of action, but the defense held UW-Stout (2-7) to only five first-quarter points. The Warhawks increased their lead to 12-5 by the end of the period thanks to a 3-pointer by Wood followed by a jumper from Emily Schumacher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South) in the final minute of the quarter.
 
The Blue Devils made it a 3-point game three minutes into the second quarter, but Aleah Grundahl (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) and Emily Schumacher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South) made 3-pointers in a span of just over a minute to make it 18-9 at the midway point of the frame. UW-W increased its lead to 10 points by halftime on a layup by Taylor with 28 second left.
 
Green and Emily Schumacher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South) continued knocking down 3-pointers early in the third. Schumacher's third of the game with 2:16 left in the quarter made it 40-29, and Rebekah Schumacher (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) scored four straight Warhawk points near the end of the period to make it 44-31.
 
UW-Stout drew to within seven just past the midway point of the fourth, but Rebekah Schumacher (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to bring the UW-W lead back to double digits.
 
The Warhawks extended their advantage throughout the quarter, hitting 8-of-12 from the free-throw line in the period.