The Whitewater women’s basketball team took on Carroll University Wednesday, Nov. 19, in Kachel Gymnasium. The Warhawks secured a hard-fought 72-63 victory, displaying a blend of determination and resilience throughout the game.
The game started off tightly contested, with the teams tied at 10 with less than five minutes left in the first quarter. The Pioneers would then outscore UW-W 12-6 to hold a 22-16 lead going into the second quarter.
Through the first three games of the season, the Warhawks have had a stifling defense. That stifling defense showed up in the second quarter, as UW-Whitewater held Carroll University to just seven points. Offensively, the Warhawks spent the quarter climbing their way back into the game. A five-point surge from junior guard Camryn Nies in the last 40 seconds of the half gave UW-W a 33-29 lead.
Even with regaining the lead, the Warhawks had to stay strong mentally and continue to improve the offense’s efficiency.
“At halftime we focused on making slight adjustments on offense,” head coach Keri Carollo said.
Carroll surged out of the break, scoring six points in less than two minutes. UW-Whitewater senior guard Renee Rittmeyer and junior guard Bri McCurdy took charge, combining for 10 points to regain the lead. This push from the guards helped UW-W regain some much needed momentum.
“Renee was killing it on the offensive side of things,” junior forward Mia Gillis said. “That was a huge momentum change in both the game and how the team worked together when we got those possessions.”
Rittmeyer added that their “defense heavily improved after halftime and in the third quarter we were locked in.”
Despite a late run by Carroll University, the Warhawks were able to maintain their lead due to the teamwork and communication displayed by the players on the court and on the bench.
“Our communication is great on and off the bench,” McCurdy said. “We feed off of that energy and that’s what keeps us going. We genuinely love each other.”
Entering the fourth quarter, UW-Whitewater held a slim three-point lead. Then, something clicked. The Warhawks started stringing together stops while complementing that strong defensive effort with scores. They would explode for 23 points in the final frame, holding the Pioneers to just 15, ending the game with a 73-62 win.
“I’m very pleased with the effort shown in tonight’s game,” Carollo said. “We’re really starting to come together as a team and I think that’s showing in our execution.”
Headed into this season, the expectation was that it would be a complete team effort night in and night out. Each player has a role to play in order for this team to succeed. That was the case against Carroll University. Rittmeyer scored a team-high, and career-high, 21 points while tallying 11 rebounds. Gillis continues to dominate both sides of the court, scoring 16 points with seven rebounds and four blocks. McCurdy scored 13 points and had three steals. Freshman forward Brooke Stenklyft scored in the double digits for the first time in her young career, tallying 10 points.
With this victory, the Warhawks advance to 4-0 on the season. UW-Whitewater returns to action Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 8 p.m. in Kachel Gymnasium where they will take on Principia University.
