Warhawks beat Carroll 70-60 in season opener in Waukesha



Kaitlin Thill (5'5" Junior (Ozaukee High School

The UW-Whitewater women’s basketball team stormed back from a 10 point halftime deficit to defeat Carroll University 70-60 Thursday evening in the Hawks season opener at Van Male Field House in Waukesha.

Whitewater came out of the gate to take a 9-0 lead with 16:52 remaining in the first half. Carroll bounced back, eventually taking a 30-29 lead at 4:17 on two free throws by junior guard Emily DeNoyer.  The Pioneers' 40-36 lead at halftime was their largest of the first twenty minutes. UWW’s Cortney Kumerow led both teams with 11 points in the half.

The Pioneers' momentum carried over into the second half.  Carroll built its lead to 58-48 with two free throws by Corrine Engels at 9:12. 

Carroll did not score again until Breann Maryanski hit two free throws with 3:40 left --- and those would be the only points for the Pioneers the rest of the way. 

While the Pioneers went cold the Warhawks heated up by outscoring Carroll 22-2 over the last nine minutes of the game.

UW-W junior Kaitlyn Thill hit back to back threes in the Warhawks' run to give the Hawks the lead for the first time in the second half. A third Thill three pointer 1:30 left “sealed the deal.”

Thill was the game's leading scorer with 20 points, 12 in the second half.  She went 4-5 from three point range and 8-10 from the line, also adding seven steals and four assists.  Kumerow chipped in with 18 points, on 5-8 shooting from the field and 8-9 at the stripe, with six rebounds. Emily DeNoyer led Carroll with 16 points, hitting six of 18 field goals.  Breeann Maryanski contributed a double-double for CU with 14 points and a game high 11 rebounds.

Whitewater, ranked No. 8 in the D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25, will travel to Monmouth, Illinois for a four-team weekend tourney. The Hawks will open play Saturday evening at 5:00 p.m. vs. Wartburg College (Iowa). Iowa Wesleyan and Monmouth play in the other first round game Saturday evening.