Falcons Lose at UWSP in WIAC Playoffs

Feb. 23, 2004

The Falcon women’s basketball team lost a 90-57 decision at UW-Stevens Point in the first round of the WIAC playoffs Monday night.

The Falcons had a 10-5 lead with 15:32 to play in the first half after Darcy Olsen hit a jumper. But UWSP went on a 22-0 run to take a 27-10 lead with 9:20 to play. The closests the Falcons would get then was a 15 point deficit, 40-25, with 2:21 to play when Chantele Melgaard hit a three-pointer. UWSP held a 47-25 lead at the half. UWRF got to within 18 points, 47-29, with 19:14 to play in the game when Olsen hit a jumper. UWSP's biggest second hald lead was 37, 89-52, with 2:02 to play.

Erin Effle, Krista Cordes and Megan Lindman each scored 11 points to lead the Falcons. Cordes was 4-6 from the floor and 3-4 from three-point range. Traci Reimann led the Falcons with eight rebounds. UWRF shot 23-63 (.365) from the floor, including 6-12 (.500) from three-point range. The Falcons were 5-12 (.417) from the line. The Falcons had 30 turnovers.

The Pointers had four players score in double figures led by Amanda Nechuta who had 23. She led all rebounders with 12. UWSP shot 33-66 (.500) from the floor, including 3-7 (.429) from behind the arc. UWSP was 21-35 (.600) from the line. UWSP held a 44-41 advantage in rebounds.

The Falcons end their season with a 13-13 overall record.

Falcons Top UWP; Make WIAC Playoffs

Feb. 21, 2004

The Falcon women’s basketball team clinched a WIAC play-off berth thanks to a 73-55 victory over Platteville Saturday at the Karges Center in the regular season finale for both teams.

RF (4-12 overall, 13-12 overall) finished as the No. 8 seed and will play conference champion Stevens Point at 7 p.m. Monday at Stevens Point.

Erin Effle led the Falcons with a game-high 21 points, while Chantele Melgaard tossed in 17, including five three-pointers, while Darcy Olsen added 14.

"Platteville’s a very good shooting team and we were concerned about that," Falcon coach Cindy Hovet said. "But, our kids responded tonight. We had open shots and our kids knocked them down."

The Falcons finished 25 of 63 from the field (40 percent) as compared to Platteville’s 19 of 54 (35 percent). In the first half, RF was 7 of 11 from 3-point range (63 percent), which helped them jump out to a 14-7 lead. They didn’t trail the last 33 minutes of the game.

Effle pulled down nine rebounds along with eight assists and had five steals to lead RF. Traci Reimann added eight points and eight rebounds.

After a seven-game losing streak, the Falcons picked up two impressive home wins this week to keep their season alive.

"I think we’ve had a nice balance of intensity and focus this week," Hovet said. "Our kids wanted to keep playing. We had nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Tiff Flesch and Holly Kaiser led the Pioneers (8-8, 14-11) with 10 points each.

Falcons Snap Losing Streak With Impressive Win

Feb. 18, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team snapped a four-game losing streak with an impressive 81-70 win over Stout in WIAC play Wednesday at the Karges Center. It was River Falls' first home win since beating Beloit on December 30th.

"It was a great team effort offensively, defensively and especially rebounding," RF coach Cindy Hovet said.

River Falls (3-12 WIAC, 12-12 overall) outrebounded the Blue Devils 46-36 led by Traci Reimann's 12. Last time the two teams played on Jan. 20, Stout killed the Falcons on the glass by a 54-36 rebounding margin.

River Falls went into intermission with a 32-27 lead, thanks to 12 of 23 shooting from the field (52 percent) as compared to Stout's 10 for 39 (26 percent). Stout then grabbed a five-point lead nearly seven minutes into the second half and led until the halfway point when Gina Astedt scored five straight points for the Falcons and as a result never trailed the rest of the game.

Astedt scored all nine of her points in the second half and also pulled down seven rebounds and dished out four assists. Darcy Olsen led the Falcons with 17 points, followed by Reimann's 16. Megan Lindman added 13 points off the bench along with five rebounds and four steals.

As a team, RF shot 25 for 46 from the field (54 percent), while the Blue Devils finished 27 of 78 (34 percent). Stout was 3 for 24 from 3-point range (12 percent) as the Falcons finished 4 for 10.

Laura Verdegan led Stout (9-6, 16-8) with a game-high 21 points. Erin Churchill added 15, while Molly Hendricks tossed in 10. Sara Kahl, who torched River Falls for 23 points in the team's last meeting, was held to four points and fouled out with over nine minutes remaining in the game.

"Gina provided a spark for us in the second half and Traci's rebounding effort was awesome," Hovet added. "(Team-wise) the intensity and focus was there. We're a much better basketball team than our record reflects."

RF closes out its regular season against Platteville at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Karges Center. The Falcons defeated Platteville 58-55 on Jan. 17.

Falcons Lose at UWW, 79-71

Feb. 14, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team dropped a 79-71 WIAC decision at UW-Whitewater Saturday night.

UWW held a 34-22 lead at the half and the Falcons outscored the Warhawks 49-45 in the second 20 minutes.

The Falcons were led by Erin Effle who scored a season-high 28 points. She was 11-18 from the field and a perfect 6-6 from the line. She had five rebounds. Megan Lindman added 12 points and six rebounds and Darcy Olsen scored 11 points and had four assists. The Falcons shot 26-68 (.382) from the field, including 1-14 (.071) from three-point range. UWRF was 18-21 (.857) from the line.

UWW had four players score in double figures led by Leah Thyne who scored 14. Amy Morris scored 12 points nad led both teams with 10 rebounds. UWW shot 23-57 (.404) from the field, including 4-8 (.500) from behind the arc. UWW was 29-37 (.784) from the line. Both teams finished with 41 rebounds.

River Falls, now 11-12 overall and 2-12 in the WIAC, will next host UW-Stout on Wednesday at the Karges Center with action starting at 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose in OT at UWS, 69-64

Feb. 11, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team lost a 69-64 decision in overtime at UW-Superior Wednesday night.

The Falcons led 37-24 at the half and the game was tied 58-58 at the end of regulation. UWS outscored the Falcons 11-6 in the extra session.

UWRF built a 14 point lead (34-20) lead with 1:12 to play in the first half when Megan Lindman hit a jumper. The Falcons led for the entire first half. The Falcons built a 17 point lead (47-30) with 15:04 to play in the game when Chantele Melgaard hit two free throws. But UWS went on a 13-2 run over the next four minutes to cut the Falcon lead to six (49-43). The game was tied, 56-56, with :55 to play when UWS's Stephanie Janigo made 1-2 free throws to give her team a 57-56 lead with :40 to play. With :24 to play Melgaard hit a jumper to give the Falcons a 58-57 lead. UWS missed two free throws with :13 to play and seconds later Janigo made 1-2 free throws to tie the game. The Falcons had one lead in the extra session, 64-63, when Sarah Kochevar hit two free throws. UWS's Janigo hit a jumper with :49 to play and the Jackets were 4-4 from the line in the final :15 of the game to get the win.

UWRF had three players score in double figures led by Erin Effle who finished with 18. Darcy Olsen and Melgaard each scored 12. Traci Reimann, who scored four points, led the Falcons with 11 rebounds. The Falcons shot 23-69 (.333) from the field, including 7-26 (.269) from three-point range. The Falcons were 11-20 (.550) from the line. Heidi McKay led UWS with 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Falcons had a 54-49 advantage in rebounding.

River Falls, now 11-11 overall and 2-11 in the WIAC, will be on the road again on Saturday at UW-Whitewater for a WIAC game that starts at 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose to UWEC, 51-40

Feb. 7, 2004

UW-Eau Claire jumped out to a 32-21 halftime and went on to a 51-40 win over the Falcon women’s basketball team Saturday night at the Karges Center.

The Falcons were led in scoring by Erin Effle who finished with 10 points on 5-15 shooting from the field. Traci Reimann finished with seven points and led the Falcons with eight rebounds. UWRF shot 17-52 (.327) from the field, including 3-11 (.273) from three-point range. The Falcons finished 3-7 (.429) from the line.

UWEC was led by Toya Banks who scored 16 points and Katie Murphy who added 15. Brooke Schmidt led both teams with 12 rebounds. UWEC shot 15-45 (.333) from the field, including 6-14 (.429) from behind the arc. UWEC was 15-26 (.577) from the line.

UWRF had 24 turnovers in the game and UWEC had 23. The 40 points the Falcons scored was a season low. The 51 points the Falcons allowed is also a season low by an opponent.

River Falls, now 11-10 overall and 2-10 in the WIAC, will play a WIAC game at UW-Superior on Wednesday with action starting at 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose to UWSP, 88-76

Feb. 4, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team lost an 88-76 WIAC game to UW-Stevens Point Wednesday night at the Karges Center.

Three Falcons scored in double figures led by Erin Effle who finished with 20. Chantele Melgaard scored 14 and Traci Reimann finished with 11. UWRF finished 29-58 (.500) from the field, including 4-16 (.250) from three-point range. UWRF was 14-24 (.583) from the line.

UWSP had five players finish in double figures led by Amanda Nechuta who finished with 19. Cassandra Heuer scored 14 points and had a game-high 12 rebounds. UWSP (18-2 overall and 9-2 in the WIAC) had a 40-29 lead at the half and had a 48-27 advantage in rebounds.

River Falls, now 11-9 overall and 2-9 in the WIAC, will next host UW-Eau Claire on Saturday at the Karges Center. Play starts at 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose to UWL, 60-55

Jan. 28, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team lost a 60-55 decision to UW-La Crosse Wednesday night at the Karges Center.

UWL held a 34-24 lead at the half and the Falcons made it a game in the second half, outscoring the Eagles, 31-26. The Falcons led by 11 points twice early in the first half before UWL took its first lead, 18-17, with 9:21 t0 play. The Eagles led by 11 early in the second half before the Falcons mounted a comeback. The Falcons grabbed a 53-52 lead with 4:38 to play when Traci Reimann scored on a layin. But UWL's Abby Johnson hit a jumper with 2:58 to play to give her team the lead for good. The Eagles made 4-7 shots from the line in the last :38 to seal the win.

Reimann and Erin Effle each scored 14 points to lead the Falcons. Chantele Melgaard added 13 points. Reimann led all rebounders with 12. The Falcons shot 23-52 (.442) from the field, including 3-14 (.214) from three-point range. The Falcons were 6-13 (.462) from the line.

UWL was led by Jana Merchlewitz who scored 13 points and Amanda Cushman who scored 12. Kathryn Searing led the Eagles with nine rebounds. UWL shot 18-60 (.300) from the line, but were 0-15 from behind the arc. The Eagles finished 24-33 (.727) from the line.

The Falcons held a 43-40 advantage in rebounding. UWRF had 29 turnovers and UWL had 23.

River Falls, now 11-8 overall and 2-8 in the WIAC, will next host UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday at the Karges Center with action starting at 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose at UWO, 69-59

Jan. 24, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team dropped a 69-59 WIAC decision at UW-Oshkosh Saturday afternoon.

The Falcons trailed 37-21 at the half and outscored the Titans, 38-32, in the second 20 minutes of action. UWO went on a nine-point run to end the first half and grab the 37-21 lead. The Falcons didn't score after Gina Astedt hit a bucket with 5:02 to play. That made the score 28-21 at the time. The Falcons trailed by as many as 25 points, 50-25, with 16:00 to play in the second half. But the Falcons kept cutting into the lead but could only get as close as nine, 68-59, with :23 to play.

Traci Reimann led the Falcons with 14 points and six rebounds. She also had three assists, one block and one steal. Astedt was the only other Falcon to score in double figures - she finished with 12. The Falcons shot 25-60 (.417) from the field, including 5-15 (.294) from three-point range. UWRF was just 4-6 (.667) from the line. UWO was 25-52 (.481) from the field, including 4-13 (.308) from behind the arc. UWOP was 15-19 (.789) from the line. UWO had a 38-25 advantage in rebounds. The Titans Kay Mikolajczak was the only UWO player to finish in double figures - she had 23. She led all rebounders with 12.

River Falls, now 11-7 overall and 2-7 in the WIAC, will next host UW-La Crosse on Wednesday at the Karges Center with action starting at 7 p.m.

Falcons Drop 72-53 Decision at UW-Stout

Jan. 20, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team lost a 72-53 decision at UW-Stout Tuesday night in Menomonie

The Falcons trailed 38-32 at the half and were outscored 35-20 in the second half. UWRF committed 33 turnovers and were outrebounded 54-36.

Traci Reimann was the only Falcon to score in double figures with 14. She also led the Falcons with 13 rebounds. Darcy Olsen finished with eight points. UWRF shot 21-52 (.404) from the field, including 5-15 (.333) from three-point range. The Falcons finished 5-12 (.417) from the line.

Stout had two players score in double figures led by Sara Kahl who finished with 23.She led the Blue Devils with 11 rebounds.

River Falls, now 11-6 overall and 2-6 in the WIAC, play at UW-Oshkosh on Saturday with action starting at 2:30 p.m.

Falcons Win at UWP, 58-55

Jan. 17, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team played a great second half in earning a 58-55 win at UW-Platteville Saturday night.

The Falcons trailed, 22-19 at the half, but outscored the Pioneers, 39-33, in the second half to get the win.

Three Falcons scored in double figures led by Erin Effle who finished with 16 points. She finished 8-13 from the field and had four rebounds, three assists, a blocked shot and three steals. Darcy Olsen scored 12 points and Miranda Biteler added 10. Olsen made 1-2 free throws with 20.6 seconds left to give the Falcons a 56-55 lead. She then went 2-2 from the line with 3.6 seconds left. The Pioneers led 52-47 before the Falcons ran off eight straight
points, with Effle scoring six. Traci Reimann led the Falcons with eight rebounds and she scored eight points. She also led the Falcons with four assists. UWRF shot 23-49 from the field (.469) from the field, including 3-14 (.214) from three-point range. The Falcons were 9-13 (.692) from the line. The Falcons held a 30-26 advantage on the boards. UWP was led by Tiff Flesch who scored 15 points

River Falls, now 11-5 overall and 2-5 in the WIAC, play at UW-Stout on Tuesday with action starting at 7 p.m.

Yellowjackets Edge Falcons, 73-70

Jan. 13, 2004

Lindsey Anderson's 28 points helped the Superior women's basketball team defeat River Falls 73-70 in conference play Tuesday night at the Karges Center.

Superior jumped out to a 7-0 lead less than a minute into the game and never trailed the rest of the game. The closest the Falcons would ever get was 31-30 with 4 minutes, 6 seconds left in the first half.

Shawna Johannes added 14 points for the Yellowjackets (2-5 WIAC, 7-7 overall), who got their first win in River Falls since 1997. Clutch free throw shooting in the last minute by Johannes and Anderson helped Superior clinch the win as the Falcons had trimmed the lead to three twice during that span.

Miranda Biteler led RF (1-5, 10-5) with 15 points. Megan Lindman added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Darcy Olsen and Traci Reimann each scored 12. Reimann also pulled down seven rebounds and had five steals.

Superior shot 29 of 59 (49 percent) from the field compared to RF's 27 of 63 (43 percent). The Yellowjackets were also better from 3-point range shooting 8 of 19 (42 percent), while the Falcons were only 4 of 16 (25 percent).

River Falls travels to Platteville Saturday for the first of a three-game road trip. Action starts at 5 p.m.

Falcons Beat Lakeland in OT, 72-69

Jan. 10, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team won at Lakeland in overtime, 72-69, Saturday afternoon.

Darcy Olsen led five Falcons who scored in double digits with 20 points. She finished with four three-pointers and was 4-4 from the line. Sarah Kochevar scored 13 points going 6-8 from the field. Miranda Biteler and Megan Lindman each scored 11 points and Meleanie Preiner added 10. Traci Reimann led both teams with 14 rebounds. She scored seven points. UWRF finished 27-70 (.386) from the field, including 7-25 (.280) from three-point range. The Falcons were 11-17 (.647) from the line.

The game, which was tied 58-58 at the end of regulation, was tied 18 times. In the overtime, Olsen scored the team's final eight points. She hit a three-pointer with 1:39 to play to tie the game 67-67. She hit another three-pointer with :35 to play to give the Falcons a 70-69 lead. She then went 2-2 from the line with three seconds to play.

The Falcons, now 10-4 overall and 1-4 in the WIAC, next host UW-Superior in a WIAC game on Tuesday at the Karges Center. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose at UWEC

Jan. 6, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team dropped a 71-50 decision in a WIAC game at UW-Eau Claire Tuesday night.

The Falcons never led in the game and trailed at the half, 35-18. The Falcons put together a 6-0 run and closed to within 17-16 with 6:41 to play in the first half. But UWEC then went on a 16-0 run. In the second half UWRF got to within eight, 37-29, with 16:10 left, but that's as close as the Falcons could get.

The Falcons were led by Traci Reimann who scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Erin Effle had nine points and six rebounds. The Falcons shot 18-46 (.391) from the field, including 4-13 (.308) from three-point range. The Falcons were 10-13 (.769) from the line.

UWEC had three players score in double figures led by Katie Murphy who scored a career high 17 points. She was 5-7 from three-point range. UWEC held a 32-31 advantage in rebounding.

The Falcons, now 9-4 overall and 1-4 in the WIAC, next travel to Lakeland College on Saturday for a non-conference game that starts at 3 p.m..

Rebounding Carries Whitewater To Victory

Jan. 3, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team saw its six-game winning streak go by the wayside as Whitewater edged River Falls 63-60 in a WIAC game Saturday night at the Karges Center.

Nya Geschke led the Warhawks (2-1 WIAC, 6-6 overall) with a game-high 25 points. She was one of five Whitewater players to grab six or more rebounds as it dominated the rebounding category against the Falcons, 48-37.

"Our rebounding absolutely killed us," RF coach Cindy Hovet said. "It's frustrating because we're usually a very good rebounding team. Honestly, our intensity for rebounding wasn't there."

Amy Morris added 12 points for Whitewater off the bench. Katie Marx and Megan Baker each chipped in with 10. The Warhawks snapped a five-game losing streak with the win.

Erin Effle led River Falls (1-3, 9-3) with 14 points as she battled foul trouble most of the game. Amber Sickels tossed in 12 off the bench, while Traci Reimann added 10. Megan Lindman led the Falcons in rebounds with seven. She also scored seven points.

Both teams shot nearly 36 percent from the field. Whitewater was 54 percent (7 for 13) from 3-point range while RF was 7 for 23 (30 percent). The Warhawks were 16 for 22 (73 percent) while the Falcons were 9 for 15 (60 percent).

The Falcons travel to Eau Claire to play the Blugolds 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Falcons Top Beloit, 67-63

Dec. 30, 2003

The Falcon women's basketball team won its sixth straight game, beating Beloit 67-63 Tuesday afternoon at the Karges Center, to improve its overall record to 9-2 this year.

The game was tied, 33-33, at halftime, but the Falcons outscored the Bus, 34-30 in the second half. Erin Effle led the Falcons with 15 points. Megan Lindman scored 12 points, and had eight rebounds. Darcy Olsen scored 11 points. The Falcons took the lead for good at 13:34 of the second half when Olsen hit a three-pointer to give the Falcons a 45-43 advantage. Beloit got to within 63-63 with 1:00 to play when Amanda Splan hit two free throws. But Olsen made two free throws with :04 to play to seal the win. The Falcons shot 25-58 (.431) from the field, including 6-20 (.300) from three-point range. The Falcons finished 11-15 (.733) from the line.

BC was led by Splan who scored 16 points and Becky Nilson who had eight rebounds. Splan was 4-8 from the field, including 3-6 from three-point range. She was 5-6 at the line. BC shot 23-60 (.383) from the field, including 5-18 (.278) from behind the arc. BC was 12-14 (.857) from the line.

River Falls, now 9-2 overall and 1-2 in the WIAC, will resume WIAC play on Saturday when they host UW-Whitewater at the Karges Center with action starting at 5 p.m.

Falcons Earn 79-70 Win Over Maryville

Dec. 22, 2003

The Falcon women's basketball team earned a 79-70 win over Maryville on Monday evening in a game played at the McDermott Physical Education Complex at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Megan Lindman led the Falcons scoring a career-high 19 points. She also had five rebounds. She finished 5-12 from the field and a perfect 8-8 from the line. Darcy Olsen scored 14 points and finished 3-8 from behind the arc. Traci Reimann led the Falcons with 11 rebounds. She also scored eight points. The Falcons won the game with some excellent free throw shooting - they finished 24-27 (.889) from the charity stripe. UWRF shot 24-70 (.343) from the field, including 7-21 (.333) from three-point range.

Maryville, now 7-2 overall, was led by Laura Oetjen and Debin Haslag who each scored 14 points.

River Falls, now 8-2 overall and 1-2 in the WIAC, will next host Beloit at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at the Karges Center.

Falcons Blast SUNY-Oswego, 88-68

Dec. 21, 2003

The Falcons scored a season-high 88 points in an 88-68 win over SUNY-Oswego Sunday evening in a game played at the McDermott Physical Education Complex at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Six Falcons scored in double figures led by Darcy Olsen who finished with 19. She was 5-10 from three-point range and 2-2 from the line. Miranda Biteler, Melanie Preiner and Erin Effle each scored 12 points. Traci Reimann and Megan Lindman each scored 10. Effle led the Falcons with 12 rebounds and Reimann had nine. The Falcons were 29-51 (.569) from the field, their best field goal percentage in a game this season to date. They finished 12-25 (.480) from three point range. The Falcons were 18-25 (.720) from the line. The Falcons held a 37-33 lead at the half.

Oswego was led by Sally Shuster and Jackie Luszczek who each scored 12 points.

River Falls, now 7-2 overall and 1-2 in the WIAC, will next play Maryville at 8 p.m. on Monday at the D-3 Desert Shootout in Las Vegas.

Falcons Take Down Viterbo, 68-57

Dec. 13, 2003

Erin Effle scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds to help lead the Falcon women's basketball team to a 68-57 win over Viterbo Saturday night at Karges Center.

Traci Reimann collected seven rebounds and 12 points. She was good on four of five free throws. Darcy Olsen shot 4-8 from the field, including 3-6 from behind the arc to come away with 11 points. Sarah Kochevar led the team in rebounding with nine in 17 minutes of playing time.

UWRF shot 27-63 (.429) from the field, including a 4-16 (.250) from three-point range. The Falcons made a big difference on free throws. They finished10-13 (.769) from the line. The Falcons outrebounded Viterbo, 46-35 and trailed 38-34 at the half.

Viterbo, now 4-8, was led by Anne Wilson, who had 19 points and eight rebounds.

River Falls, now 6-2 overall and 1-2 in the WIAC, will next play at the Las Vegas Tournament Dec. 21 and 22.

Falcons Win at Macalester, 69-44

Dec. 11, 2003

Erin Effle scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds to help lead the Falcon women's basketball team to a 69-44 win at Macalester Thursday night.

Miranda Biteler had a hot hand for the Falcons finishing with 14 points and a team high four assists. She finished 5-6 from the field, including 3-3 from three point range. Traci Reimann added nine points and also had seven rebounds. UWRF shot 29-57 (.509) from the field, including a blistering 9-16 (.563) from three-point range. The Falcons finished 2-5 (.400) from the line. The Falcons outrebounded the Scots, 39-27 and led 35-23 at the half.

Macalester, now 0-7 overall, was led by Afton Hanson who scored 15 points and had eight rebounds.

River Falls, now 5-2 overall and 1-2 in the WIAC, will next host Viterbo in a non-conference game on Saturday at the Karges Center. Tip off is set for 5 p.m.

Falcons Get WIAC Win at UWLC

Dec. 9, 2003

The Falcon women's basketball team picked up its first WIAC win of the season with a 73-61 victory at UW-La Crosse Tuesday evening.

Chantele Melgaard came off the bench and led the Falcons with 15 points and seven rebounds. She was 3-8 from three-point range. Darcy Olsen, who finished 3-5 from three-point range, finished with 13 points, three assists and six rebounds. Megan Lindman and Traci Reimann each scored 10 points for the Falcons who led 42-25 at the half. Reimann led all rebounds with 13 and Erin Effle finished with 12 rebounds. The Falcons dominated the boards with a 61-29 advantage. The Falcons were 25-64 (.391) from the field, including 9-27 (.333) from three-point range. UWRF finished 14-18 (.778) from the line.

UWLC, now 3-5 overall and 0-3 in the WIAC, was led by Amanda Cushman who scored 14 points and Kathryn Searing who added 11.

River Falls, now 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the WIAC, will play a non-conference game at Macalester on Thursday with action starting at 7:30 p.m.

Titans Defeat Falcons In WIAC Home Opener

Dec. 5, 2003

Laurie Turtenwald's game-high 17 points lead Oshkosh to a 73-57 victory over River Falls Saturday in the WIAC home opener for the Falcons at the Karges Center.

Turtenwald was one of three Titans (2-0 WIAC, 6-0 overall) in double figures. Kay Mikolajczak tossed in 14, while Michelle Rosicky added 10.

Oshkosh shot over 48 percent (27-56) from the field for the game, including 8 of 13 (62 percent) from the 3-point line. They made 5 of 7 3-pointers in the first half, which enabled them to jump out to a 42-20 halftime lead.

Erin Effle, who tossed in 15, led the Falcons (0-2, 3-2) in points. Chantele Melgaard scored 13 points off the bench, while Megan Lindman and Traci Reimann each chipped in with 10.

River Falls shot over 35 percent for the floor overall, but had a dreadful first half as it finished less than 27 percent shooting and only made one 3-pointer out of 10 attempts.

The Titans owned a 44-34 rebounding advantage led by Abby Holler's seven and Kelly O' Keef's six. Mikolajczak added five rebounds and four assists. Melanie Preiner led RF in rebounding with six.

River Falls travels to La Crosse in their next action Tuesday. Game time starts at 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose WIAC Opener at UWSP

Dec. 2, 2003

The women's basketball team lost a 94-50 decision in the team's WIAC opener at UW-Stevens Point Tuesday night.

UWSP scored the first 11 points of the game and led 35-9 with 10 minutes left in the first half. The Pointers then went on 21-0 run to take a 56-9 lead with 1:42 left in the half.UWSP's biggest lead was 70-20 with 16:08 left in the game.

Megan Lindman led the Falcons with 11 points - she was the only Falcon to score in double figures. Lindman, Sarah Kochevar and Gina Astedt each had five rebounds to lead UWRF. The Falcons shot 15-52 (.288) from the field, including 4-11 (.364) from behind the arc. The Falcons were 16-30 (.533) from the line.

UWSP was led by Amanda Nechuta who scored 24 points. The Pointers had five players score in double figures and they held a 46-37 advantage in rebounding.

The Falcons, now 3-1 overall and 0-1 in the WIAC, will host UW-Oshkosh on Saturday at the Karges Center. Action starts at 5 p.m.

Falcons Get 72-67 Win at Bethel

Nov. 25, 2003

Four Falcons, led by Erin Effle's 18 points, scored in double figures to help lead the women's basketball team to a 72-67 win at Bethel Tuesday night.

Beside's Effle's 18 points, Darcy Olsen and Amber Sickels each scored 12 and Traci Reimann added 10. Effle led the Falcons with 10 rebounds. Chantele Melgaard led the Falcons with four assists and she scored six points. The Falcons won the game at the line, going 24-31 (.774). The Falcons were 22-52 (.423) from the field, including 4-12 from three-point range. The Falcons had a 39-26 advantage in rebounding. Every Falcon who played picked up at least one rebound.

Bethel was led by Katie Stensrud and JoLynn Thielke who both scored 14 points.

The Falcons, now 3-0 overall, will open WIAC play on Tuesday when they play at UW-Stevens Point. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Effle Carries Falcons To Victory

Nov. 22, 2003

Erin Effle’s 27 points and 11 rebounds led the Falcon’s women’s basketball team to a 70-59 victory over Northwestern College Saturday in the second round of the UW-RF Classic at the Karges Center.

During a seven minute stretch in the second half, Effle scored 14 of the Falcons’ 16 points which helped increase their lead to 11 and therefore never looked back.

"Erin’s been our leading scorer the last two years and is a very good player," Falcon coach Cindy Hovet said. "Tonight, she was our leader and more often than not when it comes to crunch time she’s going to deliver."

Effle was 12 of 19 from the field and also dished out four assists for RF (2-0 overall). Darcy Olsen tossed in 16, while Amber Sickels added 14 points and five assists from the bench.

Lisa Neufeld led the Saints (1-2) with 19 points and Sara Tonneson scored 17. After shooting nearly 45 percent in the first half as a team, Northwestern struggled in the second half, finishing 8-for-26 (31 percent).

"I thought the turning point came when we started to rebound the ball in the second half," Hovet said. "It took them right out of their game."

River Falls travels to Bethel 7:30 p.m. Tuesday for its road opener.

Balanced Scoring Leads Falcons To Victory

Nov. 21, 2003

Amber Sickels led River Falls with 16 points as the Falcons' women's basketball team defeated St. Scholastica 74-65 Friday in the UW-RF Classic at the Karges Center in the season opener for both teams.

"It was your typical first game," Falcon coach Cindy Hovet said. "But I was pretty pleased with our effort. We beat a tough basketball team."

Sickels was one of four Falcons (1-0 overall) in double figures along with Traci Reimann's 14 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Darcy Olsen chipped in 12 and Erin Effle added 11.
Reimann's 17 rebounds helped River Falls dominate the rebounding category, 57-35. She also dished out six assists.

"She's going to be a player," Hovet said of Reimann. "She's a phenomenal athlete with a great attitude."

The Falcons grabbed a 35-32 halftime lead and at one point had the lead up to 16 midway through the second half. The Saints (0-1) crawled back to within six around two minutes remaining, but clutch free-throw shooting by River Falls down the stretch help put the game away.

For the game, RF shot 22 for 68 (32.4 percent) from the field and were 7 of 28 (25 percent) from 3-point range. St. Scholastica shot 25 for 57 (43.9 percent) from the field and 4 of 16 (25 percent) from 3-point range.

The Saints were led by Jen Kne who scored a game-high 27 points. Sarah Klocke tossed in 12, while Jackie Plesha added 10.

River Falls hosts Northwestern College 5 p.m. tomorrow in the final round of the UW-RF Classic at the Karges Center.

Falcons Open Season Hosting Falcon Classic

Nov. 19, 2003

The Falcon women's basketball team is anxious to start its 2003-04 season because several key players returning and the Falcons want to get back to the winning ways they've experience in previous seasons.

The Falcons will host the UWRF Classic this weekend at the Karges Center. The Falcons open play at 5 p.m. on Friday when they face St. Scholastica. In the 7 p.m. game on Friday, St. Ambrose plays Northwestern. On Saturday St. Ambrose will play St. Scholastica at 3 p.m. followed by the Falcon-Northwestern game at 5 p.m.

"We played both teams we face last year," Falcon Coach Cindy Hovet said. "They were very good non-conference games for us and that should be the same this year."

The Falcons played both teams on the road and won at St. Scholastica, 64-63, and at Northwestern, 66-61.

"We have a lot of new faces this year," said Hovet. "We will play a different style this year. We have players who can help on the inside and outside which will make us more balanced. We want to play up-tempo and pressure teams defensively. And our depth is better."

Guard Darcy Olsen and forward Erin Effle will be two of the team's leaders this year. Both earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team last year as sophomores.

Effle was the team’s top rebounder for the second straight year averaging seven per game. Effle also led the Falcons in scoring with a 12.8 average. She scored in double figures in 18 of the team’s 25 games and started the season scoring in double digits in the team’s first nine contests. She had double digits in rebounds in six games. She led the Falcons in field goals made (116) and was second in free throws made (49). She tied for the team lead in offensive rebounds (48) and was the top defensive rebounder (113). She had a career high 14 three-pointers during the year. Effle was third in blocked shots (12) and fourth in steals (32).

Olsen is the team's point guard and will be looked to run the Falcon offense. Last year she led the Falcons in free throw percentage (.848) and assist-to-turnover ratio (.89). She set career highs in points (25), rebounds (9), assists (8) and steals (6) during the 2003. Her 10.1 scoring average was second on the team. She led the team averaging over 35 minutes a game last year.

The return of a healthy Amber Sickels to the lineup will be a big plus for the Falcons. She played and started in only nine games last year before an injury kept her out of the lineup the rest of the season. She was averaging 9.4 points and 3.8 rebounds a game before the injury.

Chantele Melgaard stepped in and played in every game and started 16 for the Falcons last year. She averaged 7.2 points and 4.8 rebounds a game. She averaged 28 minutes a game and will be looked upon for the same type of minutes and performance this year.

Miranda Biteler played in 15 games for the Falcons last year and almost four points and two rebounds per outing. In a five game stretch she scored 49 points, had 20 rebounds, 11 assists and nine steals.

Concetta Smith is the only senior on the roster. Her consistent strength on defense and rebounding should prove to be beneficial for the Falcons.

With one senior and only four juniors on the roster, the Falcons are a young team. Three sophomores and 11 freshmen make up the rest of the team.

"We're looking for leadership from our returning players," said Hovet. "Our freshmen should be good players and I'm excited to get to see them in games."