UWW Women beat Warturg 65-55 at Monmouth

The UW-Whitewater women’s basketball team outscored Wartburg 14 to 3 over the final 3 minutes for a 65-55 win in first round action of the Monmouth Tip-off Tournament Saturday evening in Monmouth, Illinois.

The teams were knotted at 52-52 with 2:53 remaining, but UW-W teeter-tottered back to a 63-52 lead with another run, 11-0, ending with 0:50 seconds left, the only double digit bulge in that span.

Whitewater will play the host, Monmouth Scots Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. in the championship game.

Whitewater jumped out to a 12-2 lead and saw it increase to 25-10 with 9:50 left in the first half, again held a 15 point margin at 30-15 at the 4:34 mark, and went into the locker room with 36-22 lead.

 UW-W scored the first basket of the second half, putting the Warhawks up 38-22 -- but then the tide turned. Wartburg connected on five threes to key a rally that saw the Knights out-score UW-W 25-5 to put Wartburg in front 47-43 with 7:13 left in the game.

Whitewater regained the lead with a 7-0 spurt for a 50-47 lead. The teams were knotted at 52-52 with 2:53 remaining, but UW-W teeter-tottered back to a 63-52 lead with another run, 11-0, ending with 0:50 seconds left, the only double digit bulge in that span.

The Warhawks pulled out the win at the free throw line. UW-W made 20-29 charity tosses, Wartburg 10-18. Junior guard Kaitlin Thill  led  UW-W to a 15-5 advantage in steals, with Thill accounting for ten. The ten steals equals the second highest single game ever in UW-W basketball. (Thill holds the record at 13)

 

Burton wound up leading UW-W with 15 points, with Thill adding 14, and junior guard Mary Merg 12. Merg also dished out five assists, and senior center Cortney Kumerow  topped the team with eight rebounds. 

Wartburg was led by senior guard Abbi Wiedemann and Jacobs, both with 16 points. Baileigh O'Brien, a senior forward, chipped in with 14 points and a game highs in both assists, seven, and rebounds, nine.