After falling behind 10-4 in the first seven minutes of the game, the Pointers went on a 14-3 run over the next three and a half minutes to take an 18-13 lead.

Leading the way for the Pointers during the run was Alyssa Olp who had five points, including an impressive and one three point play that appeared to fire the Pointers up.

The Pointers extended their lead to seven points with 7:32 when Cassie Bandow scored five straight points, giving the Pointers a 25-18 edge.

They extended their lead to 12 before the half when Andrea Flease hit a jumper with seven seconds remaining, giving the Pointers a 39-27 halftime edge.

The second half would then play out pretty even with the Pointers having their biggest lead at 16, and River Falls getting no closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Ashley Averkamp led the Pointers with 13 points and tied for a team high in rebounds with seven. Britta Petersen had 12 points and seven rebounds the Pointers to victory.

Flease finished with a game high six assists and five steals, while Olp and Bandow each chipped in with nine points for the Pointers.

The Pointers as a team shot an impressive 54.9 percent (28-51) from the field and held the Falcons to just 36.8 percent (21-57) shooting.

Maranda Dohrn led the Falcons as she finished the game with a double-double, scoring 12 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Tiffany Gregorich added 10 points for the Falcons.

The win puts the Pointers in the WIAC Championship game where they will take on UW-Whitewater, winners of their semifinal match-up with UW-La Crosse 71-59.

The game is set for Sunday at the Berg Gymnasium and will tip off at 2 p.m.  Sunday is also a “White Out” where all fans are encouraged to wear white in support of the Pointers. 

The loss ends the Falcons’ season.

The Falcons came into the game as the tournament’s #5 seed.

The Falcons were unable to stop the pointers hot shooting in the first half.  As a team, the Pointers shot 62.1 percent, connecting on 18-29.  They would end the game 28-51 for 54.9 percent.

UWRF would shoot a respectable 21-57 for 36.8 percent.

The Falcons were however, able to stay with the Pointers through much of the first half. With 13:12 remaining, the Falcons were up by six. But the Pointers would slowly build up a lead to go into the half leading by 12, 39-27.

The Falcons suffered from a scoring drought that lasting from 4:20 remaining in the first half until Tiffany Gregorich (Altoona, Altoona) connected on a three-pointer to put the Falcons within 11 with 16:23 to play. She would finish the game with 10.

As a result of the Pointers strong shooting, the closest the Falcons would come was eight with 13:39 and again with 11:38 left in the game. The Pointers would lead by as many as 16 with 3:44 to play.

Even though the scoreboard would suggest that Stevens Point was in control of the game, the Falcons proved they could compete with one of the best teams in the nation.  In statistical terms, there wasn’t much of a difference. UWRF outrebounded the Pointers 34-31. Maranda Dohrn (Lake City, MN, Lake City) led all players with 10 rebounds.  She also poured in 12 points to lead the Falcons.  It was her eighth double-double of the season.

Alise Holst (Plainview, MN, Plainview-Elgin-Millville) knocked in eight points, forced a team high five steals and grabbed seven boards.

Both teams had trouble hanging on to the basketball.  UWRF committed 22 turnovers and the Pointers committed 21.

Ashley Averkamp led all players with 13 points.

Tess Lardie (Eagan, MN, Eagan), the lone senior on the Falcon roster, closed out her career as a Falcon with two points and two assists on the evening.

The Falcons completed their season with an overall record of 16-11.  The Pointers will improve to 24-2 as they advance to the WIAC tournament championship on Sunday at 2 p.m.

The Falcons are now 0-4 in WIAC semi-final games in school history.

Box Score

Dan Reiland UW-Eau Claire’s Leah Rempert drove around UW-River Falls’ Nikki Guhr in the first half on February 23, 2011.

Posted: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 11:09 pm | Updated: 11:13 pm, Wed Feb 23, 2011.

By Justin Harings Leader-Telegram staff Leader-Telegram |

“They did just about everything better than we did tonight,” Blugolds coach Tonja Englund said. “And that’s the bottom line.”

The Blugolds (15-11) began the  season with one of the league’s top players and hopes of a conference championship. Those dreams were undone by turnovers, an inability to  finish around the rim and defensive breakdowns at key moments.

All of those problems made one last appearance Wednesday night.

In what was surely one of their worst first halves in recent memory, the Blugolds made just two field goals and shot 13.3 percent from the field. They had no assists, 12 turnovers and — despite a glaring height advantage — were  outrebounded 24-11.

The Falcons (16-10), who had lost three consecutive games, were ahead by 19 points at halftime and didn’t let the Blugolds closer than 14 after.

“They executed our game plan,”  Falcons coach Cindy Holbrook said.

“They just played their hearts out tonight. It was a great game.”

In years past, Englund’s teams have peaked  during the playoffs —  even in last season’s  rebuilding effort. It didn’t  happen this season, in part because the Falcons were just flat-out faster from the opening tip.

Back-to-back  3-pointers by Nikki Guhr — who finished with a game-high 17 points off the bench — and Tess Lueders gave the Falcons a 22-5 lead with more than eight minutes remaining in the first half. They extended the lead to as many as 21 points late in the first half and turned back anything resembling a Blugolds rally in the second half.

The Falcons shot 43.6 percent (24 of 55) from field, a vast improvement from the last time these teams met. As part of a 45-32 victory Feb. 2, the Blugolds held the Falcons to 17.7 percent (11 of 62).

“Our coach reassured us that we can’t play two games with 17 percent shooting,” said Falcons guard Tiffany Gregorich, an Altoona native. “It’s practically impossible. We know we’re better shooters than that.”

Gregorich, her team’s leading scorer at 14.2 points per game, scored 12 points. She then  outlined the main ideas in a game plan to succeed against a  Blugolds team with starters standing 5-foot-10, 6-foot, 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-5.

“Establish inside, box out, be able to shoot  outside and be quicker than them,” she said. “Our posts are quicker than their posts.”

The Falcons finished with a 43-26  rebounding advantage, pulled down 14 offensive boards and scored 13  second-chance points. They also  outscored the Blugolds 30-20 in the paint.

“We didn’t shoot the ball well to begin with,” Englund said. “ Usually, we can hold people down defensively if we’re  having that offensive  difficulty. We just didn’t have any consistency at either end of the floor.”

The Falcons advanced to face top-seeded  UW-Stevens Point at 7 p.m. Friday. The  Pointers (23-2) became just the sixth team in league  history to go undefeated in WIAC play.

They beat the  Falcons, 75-67, on the road in December and won, 71-58, earlier this month in  Stevens Point.

“Stevens Point is a great basketball team,” Holbrook said. “There’s no two ways about that. But you’ve only got to beat them one time. One time and survive right now, so that’s it.”

Wednesday marked the final collegiate game for Blugolds  center  Hannah Mesick, who had nine points and seven rebounds in her finale.

Mesick, a four-year starter from Chatfield, Minn., was the Blugolds’ only senior this season. She will leave as one of the top five scorers and top 10 rebounders in  program history.

“Obviously, it’s hard to say goodbye to Hannah,” Englund said. “There is a very promising future up there, but they’ve really got to spend some time on some things  during the offseason.”

Chetek native Nicole Christianson and Sarah Bingea each finished with 10 points for the  Blugolds. Both are eligible to come back next season, along with point guard Laura Olson and 6-foot-5 center Ellen Plendl.

“Credit to Hannah,” Englund said. “She did everything she could for this team this year. We just have to have more people that have the  ability, on night after night after night, to be consistent for us.” 

(5) UW-RIVER FALLS 66, (4) UW-EAU CLAIRE 44

UW-River Falls — FGM-FGA FTM-FTA TP: Brittany Gregorich 3-6 2-2 8, Taylor House 3-7 0-0 6, Tiffany Gregorich 4-10 4-4 12, Maranda Dohrn 3-6 4-5 10, Alise Holst 1-7 0-4 3, Ashley Backes 0-0 0-0 0, Stephanie Walek 0-0 0-0 0, Tess Lardie 1-3 0-1 2, Morgan Dahlke 0-2 0-0 0, Nikki Guhr 6-9 3-4 17, Tess Lueders 3-5 0-3 8, Melissa Carmody 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 24-55 13-23 66.

UW-Eau Claire — Laura Olson 2-8 1-2 7, Nicole Christianson 3-9 4-5 10, Sarah Bingea 2-5 6-7 10, Hannah Mesick 3-8 3-3 9, Ellen Plendl 2-3 0-0 4, Leah Rempert 0-3 1-2 1, Casteele Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Jess Freagon 0-1 0-0 0, Jade Pelzl 0-0 0-0 0, Lindsey Wanish 0-1 0-0 0, Tessa Feyereisen 0-1 0-0 0, Callie Halama 0-1 0-0 0, Emily Miller 1-2 1-2 3, Kelli Schramm 0-0 0-0 0, Devyn Smith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 13-42 16-21 44.

3-point goals: UW-River Falls 5-12 (House 0-1, T. Gregorich 0-2, Holst 1-2, Guhr 2-3, Lueders 2-4), UW-Eau Claire 2-13 (Olson 2-6, Christianson 0-3,  Rempert 0-2, Freagon 0-1, Wanish 0-1). Rebounds: UW-River Falls 43 (Dohrn 12), UW-Eau Claire 26 (Mesick 7).  Assists: UW-River Falls 12 (T. Gregorich 3), UW-Eau Claire 7 (Christianson 4). Total fouls: UW-River Falls 16, UW-Eau Claire 19. Records: UW-River Falls  16-10; UW-Eau Claire 15-11.

By: Kevin Meinholz, Sports Information Director
Posted: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 10:37 PM

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (UWECBlugolds.com) – The UW-Eau Claire women’s basketball team had a tough time against UW-River Falls in the first round of the WIAC Tournament and fell 66-44 at Zorn Arena tonight.

River Falls improves to 16-10 on the season and will head to Stevens Point to take on the Pointers in a WIAC Semifinal game on Friday at 7 p.m. Eau Claire ends the season with a 15-11 mark.

The Blugolds fell behind right away as River Falls built a 9-1 lead over the first five minutes. The Falcons continued to build their lead throughout the half and were up by as much as 21 points with just over a minute before halftime. River Falls took a 19-point lead into the locker room.

In the first half, the Blugolds managed just two field goals, one from Nicole Christianson (Jr.-Chetek, Wis.) and another from Ellen Plendl (Jr.-Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell), while scoring nine points at the free throw line. Eau Claire scored only 13 points in the opening half while River Falls had 32.

Eau Claire opened the second half with a three-pointer from Laura Olson (Jr.-Osseo, Wis./Osseo-Fairchild) to cut the lead to 16 which began a 9-4 run. Over the first five minutes of the second half, Eau Claire cut the Falcons’ lead to 14 but it was as close as the Blugolds would get. In the final 13 minutes, River Falls outscored the Blugolds 30-22 to win by 22 points.

The Blugolds struggled shooting, going 13-for-42 (31 percent) from the field. River Falls finished shooting 43.6 percent (24-for-55). The Falcons also outrebounded the Blugolds 43-26 and scored 19 points off 17 Blugold turnovers while Eau Claire managed just four points off 12 Falcon turnovers.

Christianson and Sarah Bingea (So.-Delano, Minn.) led the Blugolds with 10 points each and Hannah Mesick (Sr.-Chatfield, Minn.) led the team with seven rebounds while coming away with nine points. Plendl recorded five blocks and now has 145 in her career, the third best mark in program history.

Mesick was the lone senior on this year’s squad and finished her career high in a number of statistical categories. After leading the WIAC in scoring this season, she finished her career with 1,443 points, ranked fourth on the Blugolds’ all-time scoring list. She was also third in free throws made, seventh in rebounding, sixth in blocked shots and second in games started.

Check out pictures here.

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649

The women’s basketball team upset the #4 seed UW-Eau Claire 66-44, in the first round of the WIAC play-offs on Wednesday at the Zorn Arena in Eau Claire. UWRF came into the game as the #5 seed.

The Falcons were led by Nikki Guhr (Muskego, Muskego), who poured in a career high 17 points.  Her previous career high was 15, which came back on Dec. 8, also against Eau Claire. Those 17 points led all players.

UWRF got off to a great start early on, leading 14-3 with 11:47 to go in the first half. The Falcons would continue to build upon the lead, going on an 8-0 run which eventually built to a 21-point lead with 1:07 remaining in the half.  The Falcons would hold Eau Claire to a mere 13 points in the first half.

In the second half, the Falcons would pick up right where they left off- with strong defense and a relentless offense. The Falcons always led by double digits, and the closest Eau Claire would come was within 14 with 15:17 remaining in the game. The largest lead for the Falcons was 26 with 1:59 left in the game.

As a team, the Falcons capitalized on Blugold mistakes, converting 19 points off turnovers.  The Falcons were unstoppable on the boards, tearing down 43 and limiting Eau Claire to 26.

Maranda Dohrn (Lake City, MN, Lake City) was the game’s top rebounder.  She collected 12 boards to go along with 10 points, her seventh double- double of the season. (Altoona, Altoona) was one of three Falcons to reach double digits for points.  She scored 12 to go along with Guhr’s 17 and Dohrn’s 10.

Tiffany Gregorich

The Falcons also proved the depth and balance of their team as their bench scored 27 points.  Eau Claire’s bench meanwhile, scored a dismal four.

The win marks the first time in history that the Falcons have defeated UWEC in a WIAC play-off game.  The Falcons came into the game 0-6 versus Eau Claire.  The Falcons improve to 4-12 in all WIAC play-off games. They also improve to 4-9 in the first round.  UWRF has yet to win a semifinal game, as they are 0-3 throughout school history.

Up next for the Falcons is the WIAC tournament semifinals.  The Falcons will face the top seed and D3hoops.com No.4 ranked, UW-Stevens Point.  The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb 25 at Stevens Point.  On Feb. 12, the Falcons fell on the road to the Pointers 71-58.

The Falcons will enter the game with an overall record of 16-10.  The Pointers are 23-2 overall.

Box Score