News Release

— Warhawks Tie Tourney Record in WIAC Tourney Win



UW-Whitewater defeated UW-Eau Claire 88-47 in a quarterfinal game of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament played at the Kachel Gym in Williams Center in Whitewater. The final score equals the WIAC Tournament record for largest winning margin, a 90-49 win by UW-Stout over UW-W in 2001.

UW-Whitewater, the WIAC champion, came in as the number one seed in the tourney, and UW-Eau Claire was the eighth seed.

Whitewater never trailed in the game, leading 44-21. Eau Claire shot 27% from the floor, and 50% from the line, in the opening 20 minutes. Over the same period Whitewater shot 61% from the field. Whitewater's defense continued to harass the Blugolds in the second half, with UW-EC shooting 33% from the floor.

The Warhawks were led in scoring by junior center Andy Freund, who tied his season-high with 18 points, with senior forward Melvin Williams adding 16. Freund also scored 18 against the Blugolds January 4 in Whitewater. Freshman reserve forward Kori Vernon led UW-W with seven rebounds. Jared Bardon, sophomore guard, hit 15 for the Blugolds, and Dan Beyer, a sophomore post, contributed 13. EC junior post Matt Riley was the game's top rebounder with eight, five on the offensive end.

In other quarterfinal games UW-La Crosse (#5 seed) defeated UW-Oshkosh (#4) 70-67 in overtime, third seed UW-Stevens Point beat sixth seed UW-Platteville 70-65, and second seeded UW-Stout topped UW-River Falls, the seventh seed, 75-65.

Whitewater, 20-5 and ranked 20th in the D3hoops.com national poll, will host La Crosse, 20-6, at 7:00 Thursday in one semifinal. The other matchup Thursday will be Stout, 20-5, hosting Stevens Point, 17-9. The WIAC championship game will be played Saturday (the 25th).


For Additional Information:
Pat Miller, UW-W coach, 262-472-1146
UW-W men's basketball web site: www.uww.edu/athletics/mbasketball
WIAC men's basketball web site: http://www.uwsa.edu/wiac/mbasket/index.html