UW-Whitewater women’s basketball continued their hot start to the season, staying undefeated at 5-0 with a 81-49 victory over Principia University. The Warhawks controlled the court from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
UW-W came out strong both offensively and defensively, surging out to a quick 10-0 lead. The shots would keep falling as the Warhawks finished the first quarter with a 28-9 lead.
“In the beginning when we worked the offense really well, we got a lot of good shots,” junior guard Bri McCurdy said.
The offensive onslaught didn’t slow down in the second quarter, with the Warhawks going on a 22-3 run to head into halftime with a 54-18 lead.
The halftime message was simple: stay ahead of the other team and keep the same momentum going.
“The main idea of the halftime message was just to stay disciplined and continue to stay consistent,” head coach Keri Carollo said. “Just focus on taking care of the basketball.”
Nov. 25. (Calise Howard)
Principia played UW-W much tighter in the second half, outscoring the Warhawks 31-27. But the dominant first half allowed the Warhawks to maintain a comfortable lead and rely on their depth to close out the game.
“I would say our scout team is just as good as some of the teams that we play against, which is a positive for us,” junior forward Mia Gillis explained when talking about the team’s depth.
Seventeen players saw playing time with just three players seeing at least 20 minutes, with Bri McCurdy leading the team with 21 minutes played.
“Everyone getting to play is always a highlight of the game,” Gillis said. “When everyone can get minutes in, it’s really fun to cheer them on.”
“Some teams aren’t able to play everyone on their bench,” McCurdy said. “That’s a huge advantage for us to have.”
McCurdy led the team in scoring, with 13 points and tallied four steals. Gillis, Lainee Burks, and Maddie Anderson each scored double digits as well.
“Containing the dribble was a huge factor in the win,” Carollo said. “I’m super proud of them.”
This game was the final home game of 2025 for UW-W. They have a stretch of eight road games over the course of December into January before returning to Kachel Gymnasium Jan. 10 to face UW-River Falls.
