19th-ranked Warhawks hand Pioneers a 76–59 conference loss

WHITEWATER — The 19th-ranked UW–Whitewater women's basketball team scored the game's first six points and never looked back.

The Warhawks opened the game on an 18–2 run and cruised to a wire-to-wire 76–59 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over visiting UW–Platteville Wednesday night at the Whitewater's Kachel Gymnasium.

Sophomore center Allison Prestegaard (Amboy, Ill.) posted a near triple–double of 12 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks to lead the Pioneers in the loss.

Senior guard Morgan Hartman (Rochester, Minn.) added nine points, four boards, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Sophomores Morgan Horstman (Bangor) and Lexis Macomber (Lanark, Ill.) and junior Blaire Lutes (Shullsburg) scored six points apiece for coach Megan Wilson's Pioneers, who fell to 6–14 overall and 2–7 in the WIAC with their fourth straight loss.

Brooke Trewyn scored a game-high 17 points and had 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals to lead the Warhawks, who improved to 18–2, 8–1. Reilly Stewart added 14 points and three rebounds off the bench for the winners, and Malia Smith scored 13 and grabbed three rebounds.

UW–Platteville opened the second-half on a 13–2 run to trim UWW's 12-point halftime lead to just two at 43–41 on back-to-back baskets by Prestegaard and Horstman with 5:05 left in the third quarter, but the Warhawks closed the period on a 14–0 of their own.

UW–Whitewater pushed its lead to as much as 20 points early in the fourth quarter at 64–44 on a Smith layup with 7:42 left.

UW–Platteville held the UW–Whitewater to just 35.9 percent (28 of 78) from the field, but the Warhawks outrebounded the Pioneers 56–36 for a 23–14 advantage in second-chance points.

The Pioneers will return to action Saturday at home against UW–La Crosse at 3 p.m. in UW–Platteville's Breast Cancer Awareness Game. The Eagles (11–9, 5–4 WIAC) defeated the Pioneers 72–56 in La Crosse on Jan. 21.

By Jason Nihles, UW–Platteville Athletics