Pioneers Drop Road Contest To Blugolds

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville women’s basketball team (9-14, 2-10 WIAC) fell 65-59 on the road to UW-Eau Claire (16-6, 8-3 WIAC) on Wednesday night inside the W.L. Zorn Arena in Eau Claire.

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Pioneers Drop Road Contest To Blugolds
February 8, 2023

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville women's basketball team (9-14, 2-10 WIAC) fell 65-59 on the road to UW-Eau Claire (16-6, 8-3 WIAC) on Wednesday night inside the W.L. Zorn Arena in Eau Claire.

The Blugolds scored the first five points of the game, but the Pioneers chipped away at the early deficit to take a 15-14 lead late in the opening quarter. Sophomore Brynlee Nelson and senior Allison Heckert both made threes in the quarter for UW-Platteville, while sophomore Barb Kling added four points. UW-Eau Claire scored the final shot of the first to lead by one entering the second frame. The Pioneers went on a seven-point run in the second quarter to take a 29-26 lead, but the Blugolds answered with five of their own to regain the lead. A layup by freshman Ella Mackiewicz and a three as time expired sophomore Macey Banasik put UW-Platteville ahead 34-31 entering halftime.

Mackiewicz and Nelson each made baskets early in the third quarter to keep UW-Platteville in front, but UW-Eau Claire took a one-point lead with a five-point run. The teams traded baskets for much of the quarter but layups by Banasik and Mackiewicz in the final minute put the Pioneers up 50-49 heading to the fourth. The Blugolds went on an 9-3 run over the first six minutes of the quarter to pull ahead by five until a jumper by Kling made it 58-55 with just under four minutes left. Two jumpers by Mackiewicz made it 61-59 in favor of UW-Eau Claire with less than a minute remaining, but the Blugolds scored the final four points to win 65-59.

Mackiewicz scored 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting while Nelson added 10 to lead the attack for the Pioneers. Freshman Madalyn Reichmann grabbed a team-high seven rebounds with Mackiewicz tallying six. UW-Platteville shot 37.9 percent (25-of-66) from the floor and 27.6 percent (8-of-29) from deep.

Jessie Ruden totaled 19 points to lead the Blugolds in scoring while Bailey Reardon added 17. UW-Eau Claire shot 49.1 percent (26-of-53) for the game and 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from beyond the arc.

The Pioneers return home on Saturday to face UW-River Falls at 3 p.m.