The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team, ranked fourth nationally coming into the season, opened the 2022-23 campaign with a gritty win over Carroll University 56-52.
 
The Warhawks trailed after the first 10 minutes in the first game of the UW-Whitewater Tipoff Tournament 12-8. UWW responded in the second, outscoring the Pioneers 16-10 to head into the break with a 24-22 advantage.
 
Carroll shot 50-percent on the other side of intermission while the Warhawks struggled offensively, shooting just 29-percent from the floor. At the third quarter buzzer, the Pioneers had reclaimed the lead, 41-39.
 
The teams traded points to open the fourth until a Kacie Carollo (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) triple gave UWW a 46-45 lead and sparked a run for the Warhawks. Aleah Grundahl (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) found Abby Belschner (Grafton, Wis./Cedarburg) with a beautiful lob pass to setup the layin for a three-point UW-Whitewater lead.
 
The Warhawk press forced a pair of Carroll Turnovers with Lunden Alexander (Dolton, Ill./Thornwood) converting on the offensive end to extend the gap to five. Another Pioneer miscue led to more points for UWW as Carollo hit Belschner for the layup to make it 52-45 with less than four to play.
 
The Pioneers responded with a three but a couple of Grundahl free throws held a six-point lead for the Warhawks, now with less than three to go.
 
A two-minute drought was broken at the 36-second mark as Carroll dropped in a layup to cut the lead to four. They narrowed the lead to two on a jumper with 18 seconds to go but Yssa Sto. Domingo (Streamwood, Ill./St. Edward) sealed the game at the charity stripe with a pair of free throws.
 
Belschner led UWW with 12 points followed by Carollo with 11. Maggie Trautsch (Sun Prairie, Wis./DeForest) and Alexander each had three steals while Grundahl registered five blocks and 11 rebounds in the contest.