UWRF women's basketball dominates Eau Claire on National Girls & Women in Sports Day

The University of Wisconsin–River Falls women’s basketball team pulled away in the second half to defeat WIAC rival UW–Eau Claire 68–61 on Wednesday in a matchup celebrating National Girls & Women in Sports Day.

River Falls entered the game 10–8, while Eau Claire came in at 12–7. The Blugolds led at halftime, but the Falcons took control in the third quarter, outscoring Eau Claire 22–15 behind four 3‑pointers. UWRF maintained its lead throughout the fourth quarter to secure the win.

Guard Taylor Clarey said the victory reflected the intensity of conference play.

“The win was awesome; it was a hard-fought win,” Clarey said. “Competing in the WIAC is hard, every game means something, and it requires you to show up every night.”

Three Falcons scored in double figures. Zoey Buchan led with 18 points, going 10-for-13 at the free‑throw line. Emily Anderson added 15 points on 50% shooting, and Savannah Leopold scored 13 points, hitting three of her five 3‑point attempts.

Head coach Shelby Lyman credited halftime adjustments for the second‑half surge.

“At half we talked about continuing to rebound the ball, especially on the defensive end,” Lyman said. “Eau Claire is a tremendous offensive rebounding team, and to win we needed to control the glass.”

Leopold hit all of her 3‑pointers after halftime and said patience was key.

“In the first half, I didn’t really get many clean looks from three, so at halftime I told myself to stay patient and be ready when those opportunities came,” Leopold said. “Once I saw the first three go down, that confidence carried over.”

Free throws also played a major role. The Falcons attempted 38 free throws compared with Eau Claire’s 12, outscoring the Blugolds by 12 points at the line.

Lyman said the advantage came from an “in‑game adjustment.”

“Eau Claire likes to extend their defense, and we talked about moving the ball up the floor quickly and getting paint touches,” she said. “I think the team did a great job of attacking gaps and realizing their advantage.”

The game doubled as a celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, with all UWRF women’s athletic teams in attendance, including basketball, golf, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, track and field, softball, volleyball, hockey, tennis and esports. Athletes were recognized at halftime and participated in postgame meet‑and‑greets and poster signings.

Lyman said the day highlighted the importance of those who paved the way for women in athletics.

“We talk about the importance of how people before us pushed boundaries to allow all of us an opportunity to play this sport,” she said. “Now it’s our job to continue pushing the game forward.”

Clarey said being a collegiate women’s athlete carries deep meaning.

“Being a collegiate women's athlete means a lot,” she said. “It represents more than just myself but also my team, my university, and everyone that has helped me get to where I am today.”

Leopold echoed that sentiment.

“It means everything to me to be a woman athlete, because I know that growing up, I was that little girl in the stands who was looking up to the older girls,” she said. “I love being reminded that I am not just playing for my younger self, but that I have always played for my family, friends, and the community around me.”

Leopold said the support from fellow women’s teams created an “electric” atmosphere.

“After we won, it felt like we won for all of our UWRF women’s athletics teams, and not just ourselves,” she said.

Clarey added that the night reinforced the purpose behind their efforts.

“It felt good to know we were playing for something we represent,” she said. “It was a great reminder of the reasons why we all competed and how we all got here.”