Pioneers' Start Fast But Cannot Hold Off Blugolds

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire freshman forward Jade Ganski finished the 8-game WIAC women's basketball regular season with 9 made three-point shots on 33 attempts.  Monday night, in the first round of the WIAC Tournament vs. UW-Platteville, Ganski knocked down 6 three's herself as the Blugolds withstood a fast Pioneer start before cruising to an 81-56 victory.  Eau Claire advances to the semi-finals of the tournament and will host UW-Whitewater on Wednesday night.  The loss ends Platteville's season with a 2-7 record.

An upset was on the minds of the visitors early as the Pioneers built an 18-13 advantage in the first quarter.  A quick 5-0 spurt by the Blugolds in the final 90 seconds of the first stanza would knot the teams at 18 heading into the 2nd.  Sharing was the secret to the Pioneer success, dishing out seven assists on seven made baskets.  Two of Ganski's threes paced the Blugolds.

A switch to zone defense by Eau Claire did not slow down the Pioneers to start the 2nd quarter.  A little more than 4 minutes in, Platteville had built a 7-point lead, 28-21, led by 5 points from guard Kaylee Meyers (So. / Darlington, WI) off the bench.  Once again it was Ganski to the rescue for the tournament's top seed.  Two more made 3's brought the Blugolds to within one and began what would become a definitive 16-0 run.  Ganski's 5th three of the half came at the buzzer and bookended the run that sent EC to the lockerroom with a 42-30 lead.

The Pioneers kept scoring in the 2nd half with 12 points in the frame's first 5+ minutes.  However Eau Claire kept pace and with 4:00 remaining in the 3rd quarter, Platteville had only been able to shave one point off their halftime deficit, 51-42.  As was the case in the first half, the Pioneers' inability to finish the quarter strong was their undoing.  The Blugolds finished the quarter's final 3:40 with a 10-2 run with a Ganski three at the buzzer once again serving as the exclamation point.

Trailing 61-44 heading into the 4th, the Pioneers were unable to put a dent into their deficit the rest of the way.  Maiah Domask (Sr. Waupun, Wis.) led Platteville with 15 points, 15 rebounds, and a career high 6 assists.  Taylor Gilbert (Jr. / Kingston, Ill.), making her first start of the season, contributed 10 points and was instrumental in holding Blugold star forward Katii Essen to 6 points, well below her 16ppg average.

Eau Claire's barrage of three's was not contained to just Ganski.  Point guard Jessie Ruden was a perfect 4-4 from downtown on her way to an 18-point performance.  On the night the Blugolds shot a sizzling 55%. (12-22) from deep.  

"Tonight was another instance of us showing incredibly good flashes of play," said Pioneer Head Coach Kelly McNiff, "unfortunately we haven't really been able to sustain that play or be consistent enough for 40 minutes.  I am proud of the fight and the effort our team showed but I also hope that our players know thay've got more in the tank to give.  We made it through a 9-game season in the middle of a pandemic and that experience is invaluable for our younger players." 

The loss marks the likely end to the Pioneer careers of seniors Jai Clemons (Sr. Chicago, Ill.) and Caitlyn Tipton (Sr. / Rosendale, Wis.).  Despite the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility after this season left in disarray by the COVID pandemic, the pair have indicated their intention to graduate in spring.  After the game, McNiff praised her seniors.

"This season also provided a 'send off' for our two outgoing seniors, Jai and Caitlyn, I am grateful for the hard work & leadership provided by the two of them.  Our program is better having had Jai & Tip a part of it; they will be missed."