Issued: November 22, 2002

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WINS OVER WARTBURG IN SEASON OPENER

DECORAH, IOWA - The UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team shot nearly 50 percent from the field in the first half to win its season opener on the first day of the Luther College Tip-Off Classic against Wartburg College 61-45 here tonight at the Regents Center.

The Blugolds are ranked 21st in the nation according to the current Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Coaches' Poll.

With the game knotted up at two just over a minute into the first half, the Blugolds scored 16 unanswered points kicked off by a Katie Murphy (So-La Crosse/Aquinas) three-pointer. Murphy would score all seven of her points in the first half while playing only seven first half minutes. She led the Blugolds into the locker room with a 34-19 halftime lead.

Six-one forward Becca Spaeth (Jr-Chippewa Falls) led Eau Claire in the second half after shooting just one of six from the floor in the first. Spaeth shot four of five in the second half and made all four free-throw attempts for the game scoring 10 points in the half and a team high 14 for the game. She also pulled down a team best 13 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.

Blugold forward Kristi Channing (Sr-Fall Creek) finished second for Eau Claire in scoring with 12 points while shooting five of seven from the floor. Brooke Wozniak (Jr-Stanley/Stanley-Boyd) grabbed 11 rebounds while adding five points in the Blugold victory.

The Blugolds will face host Luther College at 8 p.m. Saturday in their final game of the Classic.

Luther College Tip-Off Classic

Final Score: Eau Claire 61, Wartburg 45

Eau Claire (fg-fga ft-fta pts) Emilee Planert 2-6 2-2 6, Katie Murphy 2-2 1-1 7, Becca Spaeth 5-11 4-4 13, Kristi Channing 5-7 2-5 12, Brooke Wozniak 2-6 1-5 5, Toya Banks 2-5 1-1 5, Rachel Becker 2-7 0-0 4, Kelly Guay 1-1 0-0 2, Laura Tamm 1-1 0-0 2, Emily Anderson 2-3 0-0 4, Joanne Leafblad 0-2 0-0 0, Kelly Lines 0-3 0-0 0, Megan Hanson 0-0 0-0 0, Jenny Wolter 0-0 0-0 0, Liz VanDrasek 0-0 0-0 0, Molly Menard 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-55 11-18 61.

Wartburg (fg-fga ft-fta pts) Lisa Rasmussen 1-5 0-1 2, Katie Fox 1-5 2-2 4, Holly Mohs 4-11 6-7 14, Jessica Mennen 3-12 0-1 6, Kelley Foley 1-5 2-2 4, Lindsey Smith 2-6 1-2 5, Renae Roelfs 2-4 0-0 4, Ami Franzen 3-4 0-1 6, Holly Reynolds 0-2 0-0 0, Amanda Berner 0-3 0-0 0, Kathleen Engler 0-0 0-0 0, Julie Medhus 0-0 0-0 0, Kimberly Petersen 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 17-58 11-16 45.

3-Pt FG: Eau Claire 2-9 (Murphy 2-2, Spaeth 0-1, Becker 0-1, Leafblad 0-2, Lines 0-2, Menard 0-1), Wartburg 0-6 (Rasmussen 0-2, Fox 0-2, Mennen 0-2).
Rebounds: Eau Claire 49 (Spaeth 13, Wozniak 11), Wartburg 32 (Foley 7, Rasmussen 6, Mohs 6).
Assists: Eau Claire 7 (Wozniak 2, Banks 2), Wartburg 10 (Mohs 3, Mennen 2, Reynolds 2).
Turnovers: Eau Claire 20, Wartburg 17.
Halftime: Eau Claire 34, Wartburg 19.
Records: Eau Claire 1-0, Wartburg 0-1.

Eau Claire-Wartburg Box