SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The UW–Platteville women’s basketball team picked up its fourth win of the season with a dominating 104–64 victory over the Rivier University (N.H.) Raiders Thursday morning in the second game of the Division III Puerto Rico Classico.
It was a track meet from the opening tip as the Pioneers scored 34 points in the opening quarter to build a 13-point lead.
Sophomore guard Morgan Horstman (Bangor) scored 11 of her team-high 17 points in the first six minutes to stake UW–Platteville to an early 17–11 lead.
The Pioneers continued filling it up in the second quarter, making 12 of 16 from the field, while outscoring the Raiders 26–13 in the period to build a 60–34 halftime advantage. The second half was more of the same UW–Platteville pushed the lead to 36 points at the end of the third quarter, 84–48. All 14 Pioneers scored in the win and played at least eight minutes.
Horstman led four players in double figures with her 17 points and added two assists and two steals. Sophomore forward Lexis Macomber (Lanark, Ill.) added 15 points and three boards, while sophomore center Allison Prestegaard (Amboy, Ill.) and junior guard Blaire Lutes (Shullsburg) each scored 12 points. Sophomore Kassie Hansen (La Crosse) contributed nine points and four rebounds, while sophomore Abby Luedtke (Larson/Winneconne) chipped in six points and a team-best eight rebounds.
Kaylee Kacavas scored a game-high 23 points and had grabbed seven rebounds to lead Rivier.
The Pioneers shot 50.6 percent (43 of 85) in the win, including 47 percent (9 of 19) from behind the 3-point line. They also outrebounded the Raiders 52–34 and hauled in 20 offensive rebounds, resulting in a 24–2 edge in second-chance points.UW–Platteville improved to 4–7 on the season, while Rivier fell to 3–6.
The 104 points scored in Thursday’s win is the most scored by any Pioneer team in coach Megan Wilson’s seven years at the helm. UW–Platteville did score 90 points earlier this year in a 99–90 loss to Luther College on Nov. 22.
Coach Wilson’s Pioneers (4–7) will return to action Wednesday, Jan. 4 when they open Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play with a home against UW–Stout (3–7).
The Pioneers suffered a 61–53 overtime loss to Dennison (Ohio) University Wednesday in their opening game in San Juan. UWP led by as many as seven points at 49–42 with 2:43 left in regulation after a pair of free throws by Hartman, but couldn’t put the game away.
Hansen split a pair of free throws with 1:39 left to make it 50–47, but Dennison’s Addies Buzas answered with a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to make it a three-point game. Then with nine seconds left Dennison sophomore guard Valesha Province’s buried a game-tying 3-pointer to send the game to overtime. The Pioneers never got of a final shot in regulation.
UWP won the tip in overtime, but misfired on the first possession and the Big Red went on a 6–0 run.
Macomber ended UW–Platteville’s five-minute scoring drought with a free throw with 1:50 left in OT to cut the deficit to five points.
The Pioneers were forced to foul and Alison Schafer made a pair of free throws and Province made 3 of 4 on from the line in the final 38 seconds to close out the game.
Puerto Rico Classico
Dennison 61, UW–Platteville 53 (OT)
(from Wednesday, Dec. 28 @ San Juan, PR)
Dennison 8 15 13 14 11 — 61
UW–Platteville 11 12 13 14 3 — 53
Dennison (5–7) — Valesha Province 8, Alison Schafer 6, Erica Holmes 7, Emily Krumpe 4, Jordan Holmes 21, Addie Buzas 6, Gabrielle Nottage 6, Gaby Mehringer 1, Lauren Hofer 2. Totals — 19-55 19-34 61.
UW–Platteville (3–7) — Morgan Hartman 9, Cassie Hamer 6, Morgan Horstman 18, Kassie Hansen 3, Blaire Lutes 4, Rachel Emendorfer 2, Kassie Buchholz 2, Lexis Macomber 7, Abby Luedtke 2. Totals — 17-66 16-22 53.
3-point goals — D: 4 (Province 1, E. Holes 1, Buzas 1, Nottage 1); P: 3 (Hartman 1, Horstman 2). Team fouls — D: 18, P: 25. Fouled out — none.
Puerto Rico Classico
UW–Platteville 104, Rivier (N.H.) 64
(from Thursday, Dec. 29 @ San Juan, PR)
UW–Platteville 34 26 24 20 —104
Rivier 21 13 14 16 — 64
UW–Platteville (4–7) — Allison Prestegaard 12, Morgan Hartman 7, Cassie Hamer 4, Morgan Horstman 17, Kassie Hansen 9, Blaire Lutes 12, Jalen Knowlton 3, Courtney Feller 4, Sydnie Smith 5, Rachel Emendorfer 5, Kassie Buchholz 2, Lauren Kita 3, Lexis Macomber15, Abby Luedtke 6. Totals — 43-85 9-12 104.
Rivier (3–6) — Caitlin Bulger 5, Kaylee Kacavas 23, Caitlyn Perry 10, Savanna Butterfield 18, Lindsey Roth 1,Keara Sheehan 2, Jackelyn Robarge 5. Totals — 18-57 23-27 64.
3-point goals — P: 9 (Hartman 1, Horstman 2, Lutes 2, Knowlton 1, Smith 1, Emendorfer 1, Kita 1); R: 5 (Bulger 1, Kacavas 3, Robarge 1). Team fouls — P: 23, R: 13. Fouled out — P: Luedtke.
