The UW-Whitewater women's basketball team topped UW-River Falls 66-52 in the first round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Tuesday in Kachel Gym.
With the victory, the Warhawks advance to play UW-Stout on the road Thursday. The WIAC semifinal game is set for a 7 PM tipoff in Menomonie. The conference tournament championship will be hosted by the highest remaining seed on Saturday.
Senior guard
Kacie Carollo (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) etched her name atop the WIAC record book in three-pointers Tuesday. Carollo needed just one to break the conference record with her 231st career three-pointer and she got it with the first bucket of the fourth quarter.
The game started on a different note, with the Falcons taking an early 7-3 lead less than four minutes in. UW-Whitewater responded in a big way holding UWRF scoreless the rest of the period while scoring 16 unanswered to take a 19-7 lead into the second quarter.
The Falcons cut the margin to six, 26-20, with just under two to go but the last minute of the first half featured a flurry of action.
Maggie Trautsch (Sun Prairie, Wis./DeForest) knocked down a three off a Carollo assist. Carollo hauled in the defensive board and that led to a
Mia Gillis (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel Catholic) layup with 15 seconds remaining. UWRF got down the floor quickly for a buzzer-beater layup to make it 31-22 at the break. The Falcons coach was whistled for a technical following contact on the play. With the choice to shoot the free throws immediately or wait until the other side of the intermission - the Warhawks chose the latter and headed to the locker room.
Carollo went to the line before the start of the third and hit both free throws to push the lead back to double digits. The gap dipped back into single digits just once the rest of the way - on the final bucket of the third.
Trautsch paced the Warhawks with 18 points bolstered by a 3-8 night from downtown.
Bri McCurdy (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) hit 6-9 from the floor and 5-8 from beyond the arc for 17 points - all career bests for the sophomore. Carollo posted 11 points and added 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals. Gillis registered 10 points on 5-7 shooting from the field with 5 assists in the contest.
