The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team opened up conference play with a comeback win over UW-River Falls on Saturday afternoon. The Warhawks were down by as much as 18, but a huge third-quarter pulled them ahead for the win.

The Falcons shot out to a quick lead with some great shooting from the floor. In the first quarter, UWRF shot over 60% from the floor. The Warhawks quickly found themselves down, struggling to match the Falcons on the board. 

The Falcons kept up their shooting, pulling away to an 18-point lead in the second quarter. The Warhawks slowly chipped away before the break. Maggie Traustch hit a three-pointer to cut it to single digits before the halftime buzzer.

The Warhawks started their comeback after the break, keeping UW-River Falls off the board for nearly the entire third frame. 

The Falcons scored their first point with just 2-minutes left in the third. UWRF only managed two points in the entire quarter, both coming from the charity stripe. On the other side, the Warhawks regained the lead with a 14-point frame.

The Warhawks maintained their lead in the fourth, completing the comeback to open WIAC play.

Katie Hildebrandt (McFarland, Wis./McFarland) led the Warhawks with 23 total points. The senior forward added seven rebounds to her stat line in the context. Maggie Traustch added 8 of her own points, pulling down 6 rebounds.

Senior guard Kacie Carollo (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) was on quadruple-double watch, finishing with 8 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists, and 6 steals. 

The Warhawks are on the road as the start the first leg of the conference season. UW-Whitewater heads to UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday, January 8th for a 7 PM tip-off.