For the second consecutive game, the No. 11 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team took advantage of an opportunistic defense and strong rebounding Tuesday afternoon for a 53-41 triumph over Central (Iowa) in a non-conference affair at the Cruzin' Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The Warhawks (9-0 overall) closed the two-day tournament on a high note by pulling away late in the fourth quarter with a 14-2 run over the final 8:21 of regulation.
UW-Whitewater forced 23 turnovers and out-rebounded the Dutch (6-4), who entered the contest on a four-game win streak, by a 19-9 margin on the offensive glass for a 12-4 advantage in second-chance points.
The Warhawks shot 17-of-25 at the free-throw line and committed only eight turnovers to overcome a 16-for-67 (23.9 percent) shooting performance from the field.
Senior forward
Andrea Meinert (West Bend, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) and sophomore guard
Camri Conley (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland) tallied 12 points apiece to lead UW-Whitewater. Meinert added a team-best eight rebounds, while Conley pulled down six.
Senior guard
Malia Smith (Bolingbrook, Ill./Neuqua Valley) posted seven points, six rebounds and a team-high five steals, and senior guard
Brooke Trewyn (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) totaled six points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Central started the game on an 8-0 run over the first two minutes, 36 seconds of the first quarter before UW-Whitewater fought back with a 10-0 spurt to turn a six-point deficit into a 17-13 lead with 1:28 to play in the period.
The Dutch recorded the final six points of the first to take a 19-17 advantage through one.
The Warhawks held Central to five second-quarter points and grabbed a 27-24 halftime lead after hitting three free throws over the final 51 seconds of the half.
UW-Whitewater led by as many as nine in the third following a free throw by junior forward
Olivia Freckmann (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) with 4:05 remaining in the quarter. The Dutch closed their deficit to three entering the fourth quarter by scoring six straight over the final 2:29.
The Warhawks held Central scoreless over the final 5:24 of the game after the Dutch pulled to within one. Conley registered five points over a one-minute span during UW-Whitewater's game-ending run to help the team ice the win.
After a 10-day break for the holidays, the Warhawks head to the Wartburg Holiday Tournament Dec. 29-30 in Waverly, Iowa. UW-Whitewater faces No. 17 Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) on the 29th at 4 p.m.
