Whitewater, Wis.- The #24 UW-Whitewater women's basketball team continued their non-conference play at home against the Carroll University Pioneers, defeating them 73-62.

The game as a whole, specifically the first quarter, was centered around runs. The Warhawks jumped out to a 4-0 lead to start the game, which was followed by 8 straight points from Carroll. Not to be outdone, the Warhawks put together a 6-0 run of their own, before Carroll claimed the final run of the quarter- scoring 12 of the next 14 points en route to a 6 point lead at the horn. Carroll found success in the post in the first quarter, scoring 12 of their 22 points in the paint. Forward Natalie Gricius mounted 13 points in the opening frame.

Out of the timeout, the Warhawks started to find success from 3 in order to close up the gap to just 1. From there, it became a back and forth battle with points hard to come by. With little time left in the half, the Warhawks found a spark on offense. A fast break layup and 3 pointer from Camryn Nies (Platteville, Wis./Platteville) gave them a 33-29 lead going into the locker room. The Warhawks' defense was stifling in the quarter, holding the Pioneers to only 7 points on 17% shooting. 
    
To start the 2nd half, Carroll came out swinging; Gricius reigniting to score 6 more points in 2 minutes. Meanwhile, Whitewater was unable to continue their great end to the half. The Pioneers' defense gave up 0 points in the first 4 minutes. Now behind by 4, Bri McCurdy (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) and Renee Rittmeyer (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) found their groove. The two guards combined for 10 points in 2 minutes, retaking the lead. McCurdy rounded out an 8 point quarter with a triple to beat the buzzer and give the Warhawks a 3 point advantage heading into the final frame.

The groove UW-Whitewater found in the 3rd quarter continued, as McCurdy hit another 3 pointer to open an onslaught from the Warhawks' offense. After only leading by 3 at the end of the 3rd, Whitewater tallied together 7 points in the first 2 minutes of the 4th, eventually leading by as many as 14. This was largely in thanks to Renee Rittmeyer's (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) domination in rebounding. Not only did Rittmeyer record the most rebounds, the 5'10" guard out-rebounded the entire Carroll team. Carroll did not quit without a fight, however; bringing the score within 7, before the Warhawks were able to close out the game at the foul line.


With 21 points and 11 rebounds, 6 of them on offense, Renee Rittmeyer (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) set a new career high in points, leading all Warhawks in scoring and rebounding, and collecting her second straight double-double. 3 more Warhawks entered double digits in scoring: Mia Gillis (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel Catholic) with 16 on 5-8 from the floor, Bri McCurdy (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) with 13 on 3-5 from beyond the arc, and Brooke Stenklyft (Cambridge, Wis./Cambridge) with 10 on 3-6 shooting.

With the win, the Warhawks remain undefeated through 4, and are set to face off against Principia University at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 25th in Kachel.