Issued: December 8, 2002

WOMEN FACE ST. SCHOLASTICA MONDAY AT ZORN

EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team will look to extend its unbeaten record to 8-0 Monday night when they will host St. Scholastica at 7:00 at W.L. Zorn Arena.

The Blugolds are 5-0 this season in non-conference play and 2-0 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Eau Claire most recently defeated conference opponent UW-Stout 72-69 at Johnson Fieldhouse in Menomonie. The team was led by Becca Spaeth (Jr-Chippewa Falls/Chi-Hi) who posted a double-double for the Blugolds as she totaled game-highs of 25 points and 11 rebounds.

The Saints from St. Scholastica bring a 4-3 record into Monday night's match up. The Saints last saw action Saturday night when they fell to the University of Minnesota-Duluth 81-55 in Duluth. St. Scholastica finished last season with a 13-14 overall record.

The Saints are coming off their best post-season performance since 1989 as they defeated the top two teams in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and advanced to their first ever appearance at the NAIA Division II National Tournament. Top returning players on this year's roster include Jackie Plesha and Allison Sanderberg. Plesha finished last season with 13.3 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game as a freshman at the guard position. She finished third in the UMAC in scoring despite missing five games with a knee injury. Sanderberg scored 12.6 points per game to go along with 7.0 rebounds per game and 49 blocks last season as a forward. She missed the final five games of the 2001-02 season with a torn ACL. Both Plesha and Sanderberg were UMAC All-Conference selections.

The Blugolds are 6-1 all-time against the Saints dating back to 1989. The only loss Eau Claire ever suffered at the hands of the Saints was the first ever match up of the two teams in '89 when St. Scholastica took an 88-80 victory. The Blugolds have since won six straight over the Saints, most recently a 95-76 victory in 1999.

The game Monday night is youth night which means two youths age 17 and under will be admitted free with each paid adult. There will also be autograph cards for the youths in which the Blugolds players will sign.