Huge Third Quarter Propels Pioneers

HANCOCK, Mich. --  The University of Wisconsin-Platteville women's basketball team outscored Finlandia University 29-2 in the third quarter of their match-up Saturday afernoon.  The monster run broke open what had been a 10-point game at halftime and allowed the Pioneers to cruise to a 78-47 victory on day one of the Finlandia Thanksgiving Classic.  The win brings UW-Platteville back to .500 on the season with a mark of 3-3.  The Lions fell to 1-4.

The Pioneers made themselves at home out of the gates.  Four different starters hit 3-pointers in the first quarter as the team shot a sizzling 58% from beyond the arc.  Platteville got into the spirit of giving in the first as well, dishing out eight assists on all eight of their field goals, led by Allison Heckert's (Sr./Whitewater, Wis.) three.  The Pioneers led 22-17 at the end of the first stanza.

In the second quarter, Platteville began pounding the ball inside.  The team scored three straight baskets on entries into the post to start the scoring.  Three Pioneer post players, Maiah Domask (Sr./Waupun, Wis.), Taylor Gilbert (Sr./Kingston, Ill.), and Sarah Mueller (So./Stevens Point, Wis.) combined to shoot 6-8 from the floor to score 13 of the team's 18 in the quarter.  The whole team shot 8-12 FG (67%) as Platteville doubled its lead to 10, 40-30, heading into the halftime locker room.

The third quarter was full of superlatives for Platteville on both ends of the court.  The Pioneers scored the first 23 points, holding the Lions scoreless for over seven minutes.  While the offense was hitting 50% of its shots for the third straight quarter, the defense was holding the Lions to 1-9 FG.  After pulling down 0 offensive rebounds in the first half, Platteville hit the boards hard in the third.  Of the team's 15 total rebounds, seven were offensive led by three from Brynlee Nelson (Fr./Fennimore, Wis.).  Conversely, the Lions registered only two rebounds.  The impressive stats added up to a 69-32 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

Every player on the Pioneer roster got some game time in the fourth quarter.  Regardless of the combination, the defense remained strong.  Platteville allowed Finlandia to shoot just 35% in the final frame.

Domask led all scorers with 24 points on red-hot 11-13 shooting from the floor.  Nelson, making her first collegiate start, chipped in 7 points and two steals to go with four rebounds. 

The Pioneer bench provided a season-high 30 points.

Platteville returns to the court tomorrow for the second game of the Thanksgiving Classic in Upper Michigan.  They will face Marian (Wis.) University at 1p local time (12p central).