Blue Devils End Pioneers Streak

MENOMONIE, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville women's basketball team fell to the University of Wisconsin-Stout, 60-45, on Saturday afternoon in both teams' return to Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.  For the Pioneers it was the team's first game in 10 days after having its previous two contests wiped out due to weather and safety protocols respectively.  The loss ended the program's 7-game win streak and dropped their overall record to 9-4, 2-1 in the WIAC.  The Blue Devils improved to 7-7 overall and 2-2 in conference.

Both teams showed signs of rust early on, combining to score just 10 points in the opening quarter.  A basket by Stout's Anna Mutch gave the Blue Devils an 8-2 lead with over four minutes remaining and neither team was able to find the bottom of the basket after that.  Turnovers were a huge issue for the Pioneers in the first as they gave the ball back to Stout in six of their opening eight possessions.

After the two teams traded baskets in the opening minutes of the second, Platteville finally began to settle in and start its most productive offensive stetch of the afternoon.  A Sarah Mueller (So./Stevens Point, Wis.) layup began a 9-0 Pioneer run, giving her team its first lead of the day, 15-14 with 4:26 left in the half.  Unfortunately the offense returned to cold just as quickly as it had heated up which provided Stout the opening it needed to wrest back control of the game.  The Blue Devils delivered 10-1 run of its own just before the end of the second and walked into halftime up 24-16.

Platteville once again came out sluggish to begin the second half, beginning with more turnovers in its first three possessions, but were able to keep the Blue Devils within shouting distance, 34-22, at the mid-quarter media timeout.  UWS however ultimately wore the visitors down in the fourth, going on a decisive 18-8 run that featured seven 2nd chance points.  That stretch pushed Stout's advantage to 20, 60-40, with five minutes remaining.  The Pioneers were only able to shave five points off that deficit by the final horn.

The Blue Devils won the rebounding battle, 37-24, and owned the points in the paint category, 44-28, two areas that the Pioneers had excelled during its win streak.

Maiah Domask (Sr./Waupun, Wis.) was the only Pioneer to reach double figure scoring with 11 points.  Barb Kling (Fr./New Richmond, Wis.) posted a career-high 7 points in her first extended conference action of the season.  The rookie guard held her own in 19 minutes of play, contributing a couple of rebounds and a steal as well.

The Pioneers will not have much time to dwell on the setback as they are set to welcome nationally ranked UW-Whitewater to Williams Fieldhouse this Wednesday, January 12th for a 7p game on Bo Ryan Court.  The Warhawks were voted the #8 team in the country in the latest d3hoops.com poll and are coming off a 73-64 victory Saturday over #10 UW-Eau Claire.