UW-Stout 71, UW-La Crosse 60 |
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MENOMONIE (February 14, 2009) - UW-Stout kept UW-La Crosse at an arm's length all afternoon and Kim Stokke (Jr, Menomonie) put an exclamation point to the win when she blocked a last ditch 3-point attempt by the Eagles just before the buzzer in a 71-60 win Saturday at Johnson Fieldhouse.
Leading by the final score and La Crosse looking to get the game back into single digits, the Eagles' Mackenzie Hunter let fly a deep 3-pointer but Stokke jumped out and smashed the ball back as the buzzer sounded.
That is the way the game went throughout as Stout (14-9, 9-5) built up an early lead and never relinquished it throughout the entire game. Stout, behind 20 points by Charlee Edwards (Sr, Danbury) and 18 points by Julia Hirssig (Jr, Rochester, Minn), ran out to a 31-22 halftime lead and built up as much as a 13 point lead.
The Eagles (17-7, 9-6) did cut the lead to as little as five points with five minutes remaining in the game, but a layup by Hirssig and a 3-pointer by Lindsey Gerber (Sr, Exeland) put the lead back to 10 points. The Eagles got the score to as close as five points again with two minutes remaining in the game.
Danielle DeWitt (Jr, Green Bay) nailed a 3-pointer and Stokke drained two free throws to extend the lead to 10 points, 64-54, with 48 ticks left and the Eagles only got as nine points the rest of the way.
Hirssig finished the night with her 12th double-double of the season, pulling down 14 rebounds. Edwards collected her second double-double of the season, adding 10 rebounds.
Hunter, who was tied with Hirssig as the leading scorer in the WIAC, finished the night with a game-high 22 points. Anna Halat added 10 points for the Eagles.
La Crosse shot 29.5 percent (18-61) from the floor, while Stout shot 37.5 percent (21-56).
Stout will be at UW-River Falls Wednesday, Feb. 18 and will close out the regular season, Saturday, Feb. 21, when they host UW-Eau Claire at 5 p.m.
