The No. 6 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team overcame a first-quarter deficit and held the lead midway through the fourth quarter Saturday before falling 81-71 at No. 18 UW-Eau Claire in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest.
 
The Warhawks (16-2 overall, 7-1 WIAC) drew to within one on a 3-pointer by Yssa Sto. Domingo (Streamwood, Ill./St. Edward) with 2:04 on the clock. The Blugolds finished the game on a 9-0 run, including four free throws over the final 11 seconds.
 
Aleah Grundahl (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) led UW-W with 25 points, five rebounds and two steals. Maggie Trautsch (Sun Prairie, Wis./DeForest) registered 11 points and seven rebounds, and Veronica Kieres (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) posted 11 points and a team-best eight rebounds. Rebekah Schumacher (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) led the team in assists (4) and steals (4) to go along with her five points.
 
UW-Whitewater was limited to 31.3 percent shooting, including 20 percent in the fourth quarter, while UW-Eau Claire (14-4, 5-2) hit 53.3 percent in the fourth quarter and 49.1 percent for the game.
 
The Warhawks outscored the Blugolds on points off turnovers (15-4), points in the paint (34-24) and second-chance points (17-10).
 
UW-Whitewater trailed 16-6 just under seven minutes into the first before drawing to within 17-10 by the end of the quarter.
 
The Warhawks chipped away at their deficit in the second quarter, but the Blugolds pushed their lead back to 10 with 3:55 on the clock. UW-W closed the period on a 10-4 run to draw within 33-29 by halftime.
 
The two teams traded baskets in a high-scoring third quarter, and UW-Whitewater tied the game at 45-45 just past the midway point of the frame on a 3-point play by Grundahl.
 
Schumacher gave the Warhawks their first lead of the contest on a 3-pointer with 4:01 to go in the quarter. UW-EC held a three-point lead heading into the fourth.
 
The two teams traded the lead six times and were tied three times in the final quarter before the Blugolds took control in the final two minutes.
 
UW-Whitewater hosts UW-Stevens Point Wednesday at Kachel Gymnasium. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.