’Hawks tournament run ends sour, not sweet

Junior+forward+Olivia+Freckmann+embraces+a+teammate+after+the+women%E2%80%99s+basketball+team+was+defeated+by+Gustavus+Adolphus+in+the+second+round+of+the+NCAA+Division+III+Tournament.+Freckmann+finished+the+game+with+12+points+and+five+rebounds.%0A

Grace Holler

Junior forward Olivia Freckmann embraces a teammate after the women’s basketball team was defeated by Gustavus Adolphus in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Freckmann finished the game with 12 points and five rebounds.

Jack Miller, Assistant Sports Editor

Despite the many accomplishments in the women’s basketball 2017-2018 season, the tournament ended more bitter than sweet for the team.

The No.11 Warhawks (25-4) were defeated 74-60 by Gustavus Adolphus (24-6) in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament, falling short of the Sweet 16, on March 3 at Kachel Gymnasium.

Heading into the fourth quarter the Warhawks trailed 50-44, but after an 8-2 run, capped off by a successful and-1 by senior guard Brooke Trewyn, the Warhawks were deadlocked with the Gusties at 52-52 with 7:14 remaining. However, the Gusties scored on their next four possessions, while also staggering the Warhawks offensively, who scored just 8 points over the last 7:14.

Gustavus Adolphus outscored UW-W 44-23 in the second half, while ending the game on a 22-8 stretch.

“Just super proud of this team and our three seniors, and everything we’ve accomplished this year,” head coach Keri Carollo said. “It’s just been a really amazing experience as a coach, and a lot of fun. I’m going to miss these guys a lot.”

Trewyn finished with team-highs in points and assists, with 18 and four, respectively. The Warhawks’ four other starters combined 7-24 from the field for 18 points and four assists.

For the Gusties, it was the one-two punch of senior guard Mikayla Miller and senior forward Miranda Rice that carried the load. Rice notched a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Miller, who became the school’s all-time leading scorer (1,792 points) in the victory, netted 21 points.

For the Warhawks, it is an end of an era. The team will graduate the senior class of Trewyn, Malia Smith and Andrea Meinert. As freshman, the trio were apart of a 13-13 team that missed the tournament.

“We always joke about how we started off .500 our freshman year, and it was nowhere to go but up,” Meinert said. “We always really stressed team chemistry and working hard.”

In their senior year, they led the Warhawks to a 25-4 record, swept the WIAC titles and were all named to the All-WIAC first team.

“It’s definitely the best decision I’ve ever made coming here,” an emotional Trewyn said. “The last four years have been one hell of a ride and it sucks to see it end now.”

Trewyn ends her lustrous career as a Warhawk with her name all over the record books.

For all-time career program totals she is third in points (1,300), seventh in rebounds (660), 15th in assists (233), 12th in blocks (64) and 10th in steals (170).

Smith joined Trewyn in the Warhawks 1,000-point club with her 15-point performance in the team’s 81-46 victory over UW-Superior in the first round of the tournament. She is only the 17th player in program history to eclipse 1,000 points.

Carollo said she could only try to put into words what the three seniors have meant to the program.