Issued: February 19, 2003

WOMEN FINISH SEASON UNDEFEATED IN CONFERENCE

PLATTEVILLE - For the second time in four years the UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team finishes the regular season unblemished in conference play as the Blugolds topped UW-Platteville 65-53 here tonight at Williams Fieldhouse in their last regular season game of the year.

The Blugolds improve to 24-1 on the season and are currently ranked fourth in the country according to the latest D3hoops.com Division III women's basketball rankings. The Blugolds finish the season with a perfect 16-0 record in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action. Only Oshkosh and Whitewater have ever finished the season undefeated in conference play, with the Titans doing it in the 1995-96 season and the Warhawks accomplishing the feat 10 seasons earlier. Platteville drops to 14-10 overall and 7-8 in WIAC play.

The Blugolds took advantage of 21 Pioneer turnovers to hold an 18-8 advantage in points off of miscues. Eau Claire also scored five more five more second-chance points than did Platteville with the help of 14 offensive rebounds.

Eau Claire jumped out to an early lead on the Pioneers when Katie Murphy (So-La Crosse/Aquinas) hit a three-points shot just seconds into the game. The Blugolds tacked on seven more points while allowing just one field goal by Platteville to start the game on a 10-2 run. The Pioneers were determined to make it a game though and climbed back into the game with three unanswered lay-ups. Midway through the first half, the score was knotted up at 12.

The Blugolds refused to be involved in a third straight nail biter and as a result scored 15 straight points in the next five minutes to take a commanding lead. Platteville consistently chipped away at the lead and pulled within eight heading into the break.

The Blugolds took over in the second half, quickly extending the lead to 11. Eau Claire held the Pioneers to just one field goal in the first 15:30 of the second half. When all was said and done the Blugolds left Platteville with a 65-53 victory.

Kristi Channing (Sr-Fall Creek) led all Blugolds in scoring with 16 points to go along with six rebounds. Perhaps the most impressive performance of the night came from Brooke Wozniak (Jr-Stanley/Stanley-Boyd) who posted a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds, eight of them coming on the offensive glass. Janel Soppeland (Sr-Cadott) added nine points and four rebounds in the Blugold victory.

Angie Sisson posted a game-high 23 points for the Pioneers while Shannon Boatman grabbed 11 rebounds, all on the defensive glass.

The Blugolds will wait until Saturday when WIAC action wraps up to see who they will host in the first round of the conference tournament.

Eau Claire-Platteville Box