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Issued: February 21, 2008

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CLOSES REGULAR SEASON AGAINST STOUT

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The UW-Eau Claire women’s basketball team looks to close out the regular season with a win against I-94 rival UW-Stout on Saturday.

The Blugolds are trying to get the win, and then wait for Whitewater to see which team will be the number one seed in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (WIAC) tournament. If both teams win on Saturday the tie will be broken with a coin-flip.

The Blugolds are ranked 23rd in the D3hoops.com poll and share first place in the WIAC with Whitewater with a 13-2 record. The Blugolds also have a 19-5 overall record. Stout is 10-5 in the WIAC and 16-8 overall. Stout had a heartbreaking loss to UW-La Crosse last Saturday, but rebounded with a win against UW-River Falls on Wednesday, 82-53.

The last time these two teams played was December 1st. In that meeting the Blugolds won 70-59, and it was the first loss for the Blue Devils in Johnson Fieldhouse in almost two years. The Blugolds went on a run late in the first half to go up by 12. The Blugolds would close the half leading 34-22. Stout would come out and score eight unanswered points, but the Blugolds got some inside points and free throws that would keep the lead. Heather Witt (Jr.-Kendall, WI/Royall) would lead all scorers with 22 points. She was 4-5 from three point distance and also had five steals. Heidi Arciszewski (Jr.-Thorp, WI) had 13 points and Michelle Burns (Sr.-Eau Claire, WI/North) had 10 points. Stout’s Julia Hirssig had 17 for the Blue Devils.

Coming into Saturday’s game, the Blugolds are averaging 67 points per game while only giving up an average of 55 points. Stout is averaging 75 points per game and giving up an average of 64 points. The Blugolds are leading the WIAC in defensive rebounds, averaging 26.42 a game. Stout leads the WIAC in offensive rebounds, and they average around 15 per game.

Stout’s Hirssig leads the WIAC in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game. She also leads in rebounding, with an 8.5 game average. For the Blugolds Burns is averaging 14.3 points per game and 6.3 boards per game. Arciszewski is averaging 13.2 points per game.

Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday.

-SB-

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