Pioneers drop two-point game at UW–Stout despite Hansen's career-high 18 points

MENOMONIEE — The UW–Platteville women's basketball team rallied used a 20-3 fourth quarter run to storm back from a 14-point deficit to take a three-point lead to take the lead in the final minutes, but couldn't complete the comeback Saturday afternoon at UW–Stout.

Junior Blaire Lutes (Shullsburg) capped the 20–3 run with layup to give the visiting Pioneers a 76–73 lead with 3:47 left to play. But the host Blue Devils closed the game on a 13–5 run to escape with an 86–84 WIAC victory, their second of the season against UW–Platteville.

Coach Megan Wilson's Pioneers fell to 6–13 on the season and 2–6 in the conference, while UW–Stout improved to 6–13, 2–6.

Sophomore Kassie Hansen (La Crosse) scored 14 of her career-high 18 points in the second half and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds to lead the Pioneer comeback effort. Senior guard Morgan Hartman (Rochester, Minn.) made a season-high five 3-pointers and finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Sophomore center Allison Prestegaard (Amboy, Ill.) added 13 points, eight boards and matched a season-high with eight blocks, and sophomore guard Cassie Hamer (Platteville) hit three 3-pointers to add 12 points off the bench.

Bailey Diersen scored a team-high 17 points to lead five Blue Devils in double figures. Kyncaide Diedrich and Jenna Goldsmith added eight points each. Diedrich passed out a game-high nine assists and Goldsmith pulled down seven rebounds.

Diedrich scored 10 points in the first half to lead the Blue Devils to a 39–30 halftime lead.

The Pioneers trimmed the lead to four points at 49–45 midway through the third-quarter on a free throw by Allison Prestegaard, but UW–Stout responded with a 13–2 run to push the lead to 15 at 62–47 with 2:09 left in the quarter.

Goldsmith's three-point play gave the Blue Devils a 70–56 lead with just under nine minutes left in the game, but Hansen scored on the esuing possession to begin UW–Platteville's comeback effort. Freshman Rachel Emendorfer (Platteville) connected on a three-pointer, then after a Stout basket Hansen made a pair of free throws and later converted a three-point play of her own to make it 72–66.

A Prestegaard free throw brought the Pioneers within two, then Hartman buried her third triple of the game to give UWP a 74–73 lead with 4:50 to play. The Pioneers extended their lead a minute later on Lutes' layup.

The home team regained the lead on Carolyn Feddema's three-point play with 2:34 left, and Anna Brown scored in the paint on the ensuing possession to make it 80–77.

UW–Platteville took the lead one last time with just over a minute to play on a layup by sophomore guard Morgan Horstman (Bangor), but Stout answered immediately with a Goldsmith three-point play to make it 83–81.

Hansen's layup with 19 seconds pulled the UW–Platteville within a point at 85–84. Feddema split a pair of free throws with 13 seconds left, but the Pioneers turned the ball over on their final possession without getting off a shot.

UW–Platteville will return to action Wednesday night at 17th-ranked UW–Whitewater at 7 p.m. The Warhawks improved to 17–2 overall and 7–1 in the WIAC with a 67–53 win over UW–La Crosse on Saturday.

By Jason Nihles, UW–Platteville Athletics