Falcons Fall to UWEC in Conference Tournament Opener

Feb. 21, 2005

The Falcon Women fell in the first round of the WIAC Conference tournament to Eau Claire on Monday night, 62-43. The Falcons beat the Blugolds in their first two meetings this year, but fell short the third time around. After never trailing on Saturday against the Blugolds it looked as if the Falcons may have been in for another easy victory, but Eau Claire fans came into Karges Center with an abundance of energy and the Blugolds fed off their fans presence.

The Falcons led early but squandered it away when UWEC senior Katie Murphy stole the ball and took it the length of the floor to give the Blugolds a 9-8 lead with 15:10 to play in the first half. Falcons guard Miranda Biteler answered back with a three moments later to tie the game at 11-11. After the Falcons tied the game, Eau Claire went on a 4-0 run over nearly a four minute time span. The Falcons then scored on a layup by Megan Lindman with 9:19 to play to bring the Falcons within two. The Falcons then went on their longest drought of the game, going five and a half minutes without a bucket. By the time the Falcons scored the Blugolds had a 22-15 lead, that proved to be insurmountable. After reserve guard Emilee Planert knocked down two three point baskets in the last two minutes of the half the Blugolds had a 32-19 lead.

Eau Claire scored the first seven points in the second half and took a 20 point lead. With 12:46 remaining in the ball game the Falcons began to battle back. Chantele Melgaard knocked down a three to bring the Falcons within 14, then moments later Shannon Zweifel hit a three after Traci Reimann knocked down a couple free throws to bring the game within 11. With 7:07 to play Melgaard banked in another three pointer and the Falcons deficit was only eight, with Eau Claire leading 44-36. The next possession the Blugold's leading scorer, Jessica Dickey drove in the lane and drew a foul, while making a tough basket. She knocked down the free throw and the Blugolds took an 11 point lead. The lead balooned from there with Eau Claire leading by 21 with 1:14 to play. Eau Claire finished the game, beating the Falcons 62-43. The loss was the first ever by a #4 seed to a #5 seed in the Women's WIAC Tournament.

Erin Effle led the Falcons once again, in her final game as a Falcon, scoring 11 points on 4-9 shooting from the field and 3-5 from the free throw line. She also picked up eight rebounds, including four offensive. Biteler scored eight points, while picking up three assists and three steals. Reimann finished the game scoring six points and grabbed a game high 12 rebounds. Chantele Melgaard added six points, seven rebounds and a team high four steals. Melanie Preiner led the Falcons with four assists.

Eau Claire finished with four players in double figures. Emiliee Planert led the Blugolds with 13 points, seven more than her season average. Rachel Becker, Michelle Burns and Dickey also scored in double figures for the Blugolds.

The Falcons finished the game shooting 29 percent from the field (15-52) and 25 percent from beyond the arc (6-24). The Falcons and Blugolds each finished the game with 41 rebounds. The Blugolds were able to conrol the ball better than the Falcons, finishing with 14 turnovers, including only five in the second half. The Falcons finished with 23 turnovers.

The Falcons finished the season with a 17-8 overall record and a 10-6 fourth place finish in conference play.

Falcons Top UWEC in Regular Season Finale

Feb. 19, 2005

The Falcon women's basketball team ended the 2005 regular season with a 63-47 win over UW-Eau Claire Saturday afternoon at the Karges Center.

The Falcons led 38-25 at the half and outscored UWEC 25-22 in the second half to secure the win. The 47 points by UWEC is the fewest in a game this year - the Blugolds scored 47 two other times, once in a 49-47 loss to UWRF on Jan. 19 at Eau Claire.

Traci Reimann led all scorers with 19 points. She finished 7-11 from the field, and 1-2 from behind the arc. She was 4-5 at the line. She also had seven rebounds, three assists and one steal. Gina Astedt came off the bench to score a career-high 14 points. She was 5-7 from the field and 2-3 from three-point range. She had four assists and a steal. Miranda Biteler led the Falcons with six assists. She scored eight points. Megan Lindman led the Falcons with eight rebounds and she scored five points. Chantele Melgaard grabbed seven rebounds and had three assists. UWRF shot 22-49 (.449) from the field, including 7-20 (.350) from behind the arc. They were 12-17 (.706) from the line. UWRF had a slight 40-37 advantage in rebounds.

UWEC was led by Jessica Dickey and Emilee Planert who both scored 13 points. Dickey led the Blugolds with seven rebounds. UWEC shot 19-66 (.288) from the field, including 3-17 (.176) from three-point range. UWEC was a perfect 6-6 from the line.

The Falcons, now 17-7 overall and 10-6 in the WIAC, will host UWEC on Monday in a WIAC Tournament first round game. Action starts at 7 p.m. at the Karges Center.

Falcons Will Host UWEC in WIAC Playoff Game

Feb. 16, 2005

The Falcon women's basketball team will host UW-Eau Claire in a first round WIAC playoff game on Monday at the Karges Center.

With one game to go in the regular season, the Falcons have secured fourth place in the league standings. Three teams, Stevens Point, Oshkosh and Stout, are currently tied for first place with 11-4 records. All three of those teams will also host first round games on Monday. The semifinals will be played on Wednesday (Feb. 23) and the finals on Saturday (Feb. 26).

Monday's game against UWEC at the Karges Center will start at 7 p.m. Tickets will be on sale at the door. Ticket prices are: $6 for adults; $3 for students (college students must present a current ID) and $3 for senior citizens. Children 10 and under are admitted free.

The Falcons, now 16-7 overall and 9-6 in the WIAC, end their regular season on Saturday when they host the Blugolds at the Karges Center. Action starts at 3 p.m. The Falcons topped UWEC, 49-47, on Jan. 19.

Effle's Career High 29 Points Leads Falcons

Feb. 15, 2005

Erin Effle scored a career high 29 points to help lead the Falcon women's basketball team to a 75-68 win at UW-Stevens Point on Tuesday night.

UWSP was in sole possession of first place in the WIAC going into the game with an 11-3 WIAC record. But with the Falcon win, the Pointers are now tied with Oshkosh and Stout for first place. UWRF is in fourth place.

Effle finished 11-18 from the field and 7-9 from the line for 29 points. She had six rebounds, three blocks and one assist. Krista Cordes came off the bench to scored 13 points and Chantele Melgaard added 11. Megan Lindman, who scored seven points, led the Falcons with eight rebounds. UWRF shot 25-48 (.521) from the field - it was the second best shooting night of the season for the Falcons. They were 4-9 (.444) from three-point range and 21-32 (.656) from the line.

The Falcons limited UWSP's leading scorer, Amanda Nechuta, to just 11 ponts. She entered the game leading the WIAC in scoring averaging 17 points a game. Cassandra Schultz led the Pointers wtih 20 points. Amy Scott was the gfame high rebounder with 13. UWSP held a 42-36 advantage in rebounds. UWSP shot 22-65 (.338) from the field, including 2-18 (.111) from behind the arc. They were 22-33 (.667) from the line.

The Falcons, now 16-7 overall and 9-6 in the WIAC, end their regular season on Saturday when they host UW-Eau Claire at the Karges Center. Action starts at 3 p.m. The Falcons topped UWEC, 49-47 on Jan. 19.

Big Second Half Gives Falcons Win

Feb. 12, 2005

The Falcons (15-7, 8-6) outscored visiting Platteville (12-11, 5-9) 44-27 in the second half to secure a victory and give the women a two game winning streak on Saturday afternoon at the Karges Center.

The Falcons fell behind early, trailing 10-2 with 15:12 to play in the first half and 18-6 with 10:16 remaining. The Falcons than went on a 17-3 run over the next 11 minutes to take a 23-21 lead on a layup by Megan Lindman. The game remained close with Platteville leading going into the half 27-25.

The Falcons came out of the gates quickly in the second half taking a 32-27 lead on a lay-up by Erin Effle. After Traci Reimann knocked down two free throws with 10:57 to play the Falcons had what proved to be an insurmountable lead of 50-37. Platteville never got closer than within eight throughout the rest of the game and the Falcons finished with a 69-54 victory.

Erin Effle led the Falcons with 17 points on 7-11 shooting from the field and picked up seven rebounds and three blocks. Lindman played strong off the bench once again, picking up 12 points and a team highs in rebounds with eight and blocked shots with four. Melanie Preiner added 13 points, while knocking down 3-3 from three point range in the second half. She also grabbed four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Miranda Biteler finished the game with eight points and a team high four assists.

The Falcons forced 29 turnovers for visiting Platteville and only relinquished posession 18 times themselves. The Falcons took advantage of the disparity in turnovers, scoring 37 points off them. The Falcons also dominated points in the paint, scoring 38 points, mostly on baskets from Lindman and Effle early in the second half. The Falcons finished the game shooting 46 percent from the floor on 26-54 shooting. Platteville finished shooting 35 percent from the floor. On the game, the score was tied four times and the lead changed three times.

The Falcons now head to Stevens Point (19-4, 11-3) on Tuesday to face off against the conference leading Pointers. The Falcons defeated Stevens Point 68-56 in their last meeting on Dec. 8. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.

Falcons Upset at Superior

Feb. 1, 2005

The Falcon women's basketball team was defeated Tuesday night, 60-53, by Superior (2-10, 4-16). Superior came into the game at the bottom of the conference standings. The loss comes only three days after the Falcons defeated conference leader, Oshkosh, at home.

The Falcons and Yellowjackets traded baskets early in the first half and the Falcons took there largest lead of four with 9:50 to play. Moments after the Falcons took the lead, Superior's Shannon Johannes knocked down a three to bring the game within one. Late in the second half the Superior went on an 8-0 run and gained a five point advantage. The half ended with the Falcons down 21-18.

In the second half the Falcons pulled back ahead behind a two point shot by Melanie Preiner and a three by Miranda Biteler. The Falcons held a 23-21 lead. The Falcons were never able to hold a lead for the rest of the ball game. The Falcons came within three before Superior went on an 8-3 run to gain an eight point advantage. Every time after that, whenever the Falcons got close, Johannes knocked down a three to increase the Yellowjacket lead. Superior finished the game with a 60-53 win.

The Falcons were led by Erin Effle who finished the game with 11 points and seven rebounds. Megan Lindman came off the bench and scored eight points and picked up four rebounds, while Biteler and Preiner both finished with seven points and four rebounds. Preiner led the team with six assists and three steals.

The Falcons shot 34.5 percent from the field (19-55) while Superior shot 35.6 percent (16-45). The difference in the game was decided behind the three point line. The Falcons shot 21.7 percent from three (5-23) while Superior shot 46.2 percent on 5-13 shooting. The Falcons outrebounded Superior, grabbing 38 boards, while limiting the Yellowjackets to only 32. Superior scored 22 points from the free throw line. They shot 71 percent. The Falcons shot 77 percent on 10-13 shooting from the stripe.

The Falcons, now 13-7 overall and 6-6 in the WIAC, will next host UW-La Crosse on Tuesday, Feb. 8. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at the Karges Center.

Falcons Top First Place UWO, 50-48

Jan. 29, 2005

The Falcon women's basketball team defeated the Titans of UW-Oshkosh 50-48 Saturday afternoon at Karges Center.

The Titans (17-3, 8-3) came into the game on top of the conference standings and ranked ninth in the nation by d3hoops.com. The win improves the Falcons record to 13-6 overall and 6-5 in the WIAC. The win snapped a two game Falcon losing streak. Earlier this year at UWO, the Titans picked up an 82-62 win over the Falcons.

Erin Effle led the Falcons with 23 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three rebounds and three blocks. Effle led the Falcons in all five categories. Effle also scored 10 of the final 13 points for the Falcons.

The game remained tight from the opening tip, with Oshkosh holding the largest lead of five with just over 10 minutes remaining. The Falcons largest lead was only four. The Falcons were down late in the second half, when Melanie Preiner hit a three with 5:17 to play and that tied the game at 46-46. Moments later Effle made a lay-up to put the Falcons up for good.

The Falcons out rebounded Oshkosh, pulling down 42 boards and scoring five second chance points, while limiting the Titans to 35 and zero second chance points. The Falcons turned the ball over 18 times, while the Titans relinquished possession only 12 times. Traci Reimann scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds, shooting 4-5 from the field.

The Falcons head to Superior on Tuesday to face off against the Yellowjackets. The game tips off at 7 p.m. Earlier this year UWS took a 63-60 win over the Falcons at Karges Center.

Falcons Lose, 69-65, to UW-Stout

Jan. 25, 2005

The Falcon women’s basketball team held an 11 point halftime lead, but dropped a 69-65 decision to UW-Stout Tuesday night at the Karges Center.

The Falcons led 33-22 at the half, but Stout outscored the Falcons, 47-32 in the second half. The Falcons shot just 32 percent from the field and 64 percent from the line in the second half. UWRF led by 10 points with 15:24 to play when Melanie Preiner hit a three-pointer. UWS took its first lead of the second half with 1:41 to play, 64-63, when Kelsey Duoss hit a jumper. The Falcons went ahead, 65-64 with 1:25 to play when Megan Lindman scored. Duoss put her team ahead for good, 66-65, with 31 seconds to play when she scored off another jumper.

UWRF was led by Lindman who scored 17 points and she had seven rebounds. Erin Effle and Preiner each scored 12 points. Effle led all rebounders with 12. Chantele Melgaard had eight rebounds and she scored six points. The Falcons shot 21-59 (.356) from the floor, including 3-8 (.375) from three-point range. UWRF was 20-28 (.714) from the line.

UWS was led by Duoss who scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Lindsey Erichsen scored 14 points and had eight rebounds. UWS was 25-71 (.352) from the floor, including 5-24 (.208) from behind the arc. Stout was 14-23 (.609) from the line. Stout held a 53-41 advantage in rebounds.

River Falls, now 12-6 overall and 5-5 in the WIAC, will host the top team in the WIAC on Saturday, UW-Oshkosh, at the Karges Center. Action starts at 3 p.m.

Falcons Lose at Whitewater, 55-52

Jan. 22, 2005

The River Falls women’s basketball team (12-5, 5-4) lost, 55-52 in a WIAC matchup at UW-Whitewater (12-6, 5-4) on Saturday afternoon. The Falcons held a 29-27 lead going into halftime but were outscored by five points in the second half by the Warhawks.

It was a defensive game with Whitewater finishing with 17 total steals and River Falls ending up with 15. The Falcons turned the ball over 26 times while the Warhawks turned it over 24 times.
As a team River Falls was 20-59 (33.9) from the field, 3-12 (25.0) from three point land and 9-17 (52.9) from the free throw line. Whitewater shot 17-53 (32.1) overall, 1-9 (11.1) from beyond the arc and 20-26 (76.9) from the line.

River Falls won the battle on the boards out rebounding the Warhawks 41-37 overall and 18-13 on the offensive glass.

Individually Falcon forward Traci Reimann led all scorers with 17. Chantele Melgaard was the only other RF player in double figures with 13 points. Jessica Wendt was the only Warhawk in double figures with 15 points.

River Falls will return home to the Karges Center to play UW-Stout on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Falcons Get 49-47 Win at UWEC

Jan. 19, 2005

The Falcon women's basketball team grabbed a 49-47 win at UW-Eau Claire on Wednesday night.

Falcon Chantele Melgaard scored with 1.5 seconds to play to help lift the Falcons to the win. Melgaard picked up an offensive rebound off a blocked shot to get the winning bucket. The Falcons led, 31-19, at the half. UWEC rallied from that halftime deficit to tie game at 40 with 9:50 to go. No more than two points separated the teams the rest of the way. The Falcons jumped ahead with the use of an 18-4 run in the first half to break open a tie game (13-13).

Falcon Erin Effle played for the first time in two weeks and led the Falcons with 13 points. She had four rebounds, a blocked shot and five steals. Melanie Preiner added 12 points and three assists for the Falcons. Megan Lindman, who scored eight points, led the Falcons with six rebounds. UWRF shot 17-50 (.340) from the field, including 4-14 (.286) from behind the arc. The Falcons finished 11-14 (.786) from the line. The Falcons are now 22-40 all-time against UWEC.

Michelle Burns and Rachel Becker each scored 12 points for the Blugolds, who are now 10-7 overall and 3-5 in the WIAC. Burns had nine rebounds and Becker seven. UWEC had a 40-30 rebound advantage. UWEC shot 19-52 (.365) from the field, and only 3-21 (.143) from three-point range. The Blugolds were 6-8 (.750) from the line.

River Falls, now 12-4 overall and 5-3 in the WIAC, will play at Whitewater on Saturday with tip off set for 1 p.m. Earlier this year (Jan. 8) at the Karges Center the Falcons beat the Warhawks, 65-64, in overtime. The Falcons are 21-31 all-time against Whitewater.

Falcons Win at UWP, 69-58

Jan. 15, 2005

The Falcon women's basketball team got back on the winning track with a 69-58 win at Platteville on Saturday night.

UWRF led 36-23 at the half. Traci Reimann scored a career high 28 points to lead the Falcons. She finished 11-13 from the field, and a perfect 4-4 from three-point range. She was 2-3 at the line. She had eight rebounds and two assists. Megan Lindman came off the bench and scored 14 points and she had four rebounds. She had a career high four blocked shots. Chantele Melgaard led the Falcons with nine rebounds and she had eight points and a team high five steals. UWRF shot 28-52 (.538) from the field, including 6-12 (.500) from behind the arc. UWRF finished 7-13 (.538) from the line. The Falcons had a 30-27 advantage in rebounds.

UWP was led by Lisa Wubben who came off the bench to scored 19 points. UWP was 16-44 (.364) from the field, including 4-16 (.250) from behind the arc.The Pioneers, now 10-5 overall and 3-4 in the WIAC, were 22-31 (.710) from the line.

River Falls, now 11-4 overall and 4-3 in the WIAC, will play at Eau Claire on Wednesday in another WIAC game.Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose Close Game at Home, 63-60

Jan. 12, 2005

The Falcons (10-4, 3-3) lost a WIAC matchup to visiting UW-Superior (3-11, 1-5) at the Karges Center, 63-60. It was the first conference victory for the Yellowjackets this season.

It was a game of runs, River Falls trailed by 11 at halftime but went on a 13-0 run to start the second. With just under four minutes to play the Falcons led 60-54. Superior the final nine points of the game to emerge victorious, 63-60.

For the game River Falls shot 24-58 (41.4) from the field, 3-16 (18.8) from three point land and 9-11 (81.8) from the free throw line. Superior shot 22-49 (44.9) overall, 10-20 (50.0) from beyond the arc and went 9-12 (75.0) from the line.

The Falcons dominated inside outscoring UWS 36-20 in the lane. River Falls won the turnover battle 17-21. The Yellowjackets scored 14 points off of turnovers while RF scored 17. Superior held the rebound advantage 34-30.

Individually three River Falls players scored in double figures: Traci Reimann put in a game high 16, Megan Lindman scored 14 and Chantele Melgaard added 11. For Superior Molly Ray finished with a team high 14 points and 12 rebounds. Shannon Johannes was the only other Yellowjacket in double figures with 10 points.

River Falls, now 10-3 overall and 3-2 in the WIAC, will next play at UW-Platteville on Saturday with tip off set for 7:30 p.m.

Falcons Win in OT at Home, 65-64

Jan. 8, 2005

The Falcons (10-3, 3-2) beat visiting UW-Whitewater (9-6, 2-4) in overtime, 65-64. It was the second straight overtime game for River Falls. RF's leading scorer Erin Effle did not play due to injury.

Falcon forward Traci Reimann sank two free throws with one second left in regulation to tie the game at 56 and send it to overtime. In OT Reimann found Chantelle Melgaard for an open layup that put RF up 65-64 with 18 seconds left. Whitewater was unable to convert on their next possesion and the Falcons held on to win.

For the game River Falls shot 23-68 (33.8 percent) from the field, 4-12 (33.3 percent) from three and 15-25 (60.0 percent) from the free throw line. Whitewater shot an overall 24-64 (37.5 percent), 3-16 (18.8 percent) from beyond the arc and 13-21 (61.9 percent) from the line.

As a team the Falcons committed 24 turnovers, but the Warhawks committed 30. Whitewater outrebounded River Falls 51-47.

Individually RF's Reimann put in a game tieing high of 16 points a grabbed a game high 11 rebounds. Other Falcons to score in double figures were: Melanie Preiner with 13, Megan Lindman with 12 and Miranda Biteler with 11. Lindman also brought in 10 rebounds and Chantele Melgaard swiped a game high five steals.

For Whitewater, Nya Geschke scored a game tieing high of 16 points and hauled in a team high 10 rebounds. The only other Warhawks to score in double figures were Lindsey Buechner and Jessica Wendt with 11 points each. Sarah Immel had a team high four steals and Buechner blocked a game high four shots.

River Falls will next face UW-Superior at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Karges Center.

Falcons Lose, 64-63, in Double Overtime at UWL

Jan. 5, 2005

The Falcons lost a 64-63 WIAC decision in double overtime at UW-La Crosse Wednesday night.

Regulation time ended with the teams tied, 47-47. UWL had a 26-21 lead at the half. The teams finished the first overtime tied, 55-55, and the Eagles outscored UWRF, 9-8, in the second extra session.

Traci Reimann led the Falcons with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Chantele Melgaard added 13 points and five rebounds. Melgaard set a Falcon record for steals in a game with 11.The previous record was 10 by JoLynn Sieburg against Platteville in the 1997-98 season. The 11 steals ties a WIAC record. UWRF shot 21-68 (.318) from the field, including 3-18 (.167) from three-point range. The Falcons were 18-25 (.720) from the line. Leading scorer Erin Effle did not play in the game.

UWL was led by Leslie Matson who scored 21 points. Shawna Koss added 19 points. UWL shot 23-67 (.343) from the field, including 5-12 (.417) from behind the arc. They were 13-22 (.591) from the charity stripe. UWL held a 57-40 advantage in rebounds.

Melgaard tied the game (47-47) with 35 seconds to play in regulation when she hit two free throws. UWL grabbed a 55-51 lead in the first overtime with 2:37 to play when Koss hit a three-pointer. UWRF's Kendra Sticha hit a lay up with 1:23 to play to close the gap to 55-53. Melgaard then hit two more free throws with 28 seconds to play to tie the game and send it into a second overtime. UWL went ahead 60-55 with 3:28 to play when Katie Ryan scored on a lay up. UWRF cut the lead to one (60-59) when Gina Astedt hit two free throws with 1:02 to play. After La Crosse's Jana Merchlewitz scored on a lay up with :24 to play, Melgaard went to the line and hit 1-2 free throws to make it a 62-60 game. UWL's Jaclyn Powell made 1-2 free throws with :22 to play to make it a 63-60 game. Leslie Matson then made 1-2 free throws with nine seconds to play to put her team ahead, 64-60. UWRF's Krista Cordes hit a three-pointer with just three seconds to play, but the Falcons could get no closer before the buzzer.

The Falcons, now 9-3 overall and 2-2 in the WIAC, will host UW-Whitewater on Saturday at the Karges Center. Tip off is set for 3:30 p.m.

Falcons Get Ninth Win at CSS

Jan. 2, 2005

The Falcons picked up their ninth win of the season with a 61-55 victory at St. Scholastica Sunday afternoon.

Chantele Melgaard led UWRF with 16 points. Melanie Preiner finished with 12 points and led the Falcons with four assists. Megan Lindman scored 10 points and had eight rebounds. Traci Reimann led the Falcons with 13 rebounds and she scored seven points. The Falcons held a 36-26 lead at the half and had a dominating 46-33 advantage in rebounding. UWRF shot 24-53 (.453) from the field, including 5-17 (.294) from behind the arc. They finihsed 8-17 (.471) from the line.

CSS was led by Jackie Plesha who scored 18 points. Jen Kne added 11 for the Saints who are now 4-6 overall.

The Falcons, now 9-2 overall and 2-1 in the WIAC, will return to WIAC play on Wednesday when they travel to UW-La Crosse to face the Eagles. Game time is 7 p.m.

Falcons Win at Beloit, 61-48

Dec. 28, 2004

Erin Effle scored 16 points and Melanie Preiner 12 to help lead the Falcons to a 61-48 win at Beloit on Tuesday night.

UWRF led 28-24 at the half, but outscored the Bucs,33-24, in the second half. The Falcons shot 40 percent from the field in the second half and help BC to just 30 percent shooting.

Effle finished 7-10 from the floor and 2-2 from the line. She led the Falcons with six assists and five steals. Preiner was 3-10 from the floor, including 2-6 from three-point range, and 4-4 from the line. Chantele Melgaard had a monster night on the boards leading both teams with 13 rebounds. She also had four points, four assists and four steals. The Falcons shot 24-62 (.387) from the field, including 5-18 (.278) from three-point range. UWRF finished 8-14 (.571) from the line. UWRF had a 44-38 advantage in rebounding and forced 26 BC turnovers.

BC was led by Amanda Splan who scored 12. Beloit shot 19-59 (.322) from the field, inlcuding 5-17 (.294) from behind the arc. They were 5-7 (.714) from the line.

The Falcons, now 8-2 overall, will play at St. Scholastica on Sunday with action starting at 3 p.m.

Effle Scores 1000th Point as Falcons Defeat Lakeland

Dec. 18, 2004

Erin Effle scored 15 points in 15 minutes on Saturday. Scoring her 1000th career point with 12:17 to play in the first half to lead the Falcons to a 79-49 victory over Lakeland.

The Falcons outscored Lakeland 11-0 in the first five minutes and never squandered the lead from there on out. Effle added four rebounds and three steals to her 15 points and Miranda Biteler alsoc scored 15, shooting 2-3 from three point range and 3-4 from the foul line. Megan Lindman came off the bench and finished with nine points. Melanie Preiner led the Falcons with four steals.

The Falcons pulled down 39 rebounds and limited Lakeland to 34. The Falcons also forced 33 turnovers and only turned the ball over 20 times themselves.

The Falcons next play at Beloit College on December 28. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose First WIAC Game

Dec. 11, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team lost for the first time in WIAC play, 82-62, at UW-Oshkosh Saturday afternoon.

Chantele Melgaard was the only Falcon to score in double figures finishing with 20. She led UWRF with seven assists and two steals. Megan Lindman scored 12 and Erin Effle finished with eight points. Lindman and Melanie Preiner each had seven rebounds to lead the Falcons. UWRF was 25-61 (.410) from the floor, including 7-24 (.292) from three-point range. The Falcons finished 5-9 (.556) from the line.

UWO had five players scored in double figures led by Shannon Eggers who scored 16. UWO was 29-50 (.) from the field, including 7-15 (.467) from three-point range. The Titans were 17-22 (.773) from the line. UWO had a 31-29 advantage in rebounds and led 41-24 at the half.

The Falcons, now 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the WIAC, host Lakeland College on Saturday at the Karges Center with action starting at 2 p.m.

Falcons Women Remain Perfect in WIAC Play; Defeat Stevens Point 68-56

Dec. 8, 2004

The Falcon women's basketball team (6-1, 2-0) forced 39 turnovers on their wey to defeating Stevens Point (5-2, 1-2) 68-56 Wednesday night at the Karges Center.

Traci Reimann led the way for the Falcons with 16 points, she made her presence known on the defensive side as well, leading the team with four steals. Chantele Melgaard scored 11 points and made three of four from three point range, she is shooting a team high 45 percent from behind the arc on the season. Kirsta Cordes finished with eight points and came off the bench late in the first half to knock down two threes to help the Falcons pull away and lead 32-21 at halftime.

The Falcons finished the game with a higher three point percentage (41) than field goal percantage (40). River Falls was outrebounded by the Pointers, bringing down 33, while the pointers finished with 38. Gina Astedt came off the bench for the Falcons and led the team with six boards.

On Saturday the Falcons travel to Oshkosh to face off against the Titans. The game tips off at 3:00 PM.

Falcons Defeat Viterbo, 61-52

Dec. 4, 2004

The Falcon's women's basketball team defeated Viterbo, Saturday night, behind 17 points from both Chantele Melgaard and Erin Effle.

The Falcons took the lead with 12:36 to play in the first half on a jumper from Melgaard and never trailed again. Viterbo came within two late in the first half and within one after a 9-1 run midway through the second, but were never able to pull ahead. Melgaard scored ten of her 17 points in the first half, behind 2-3 shooting from three point range. The Falcons had a 27-20 lead going into the break.

Effle scored 13 points in the second half and the Falcons pulled away, for their fourth consecutive victory. Effle grabbed seven boards to go along with her 17 points on the game. Traci Reimann scored 13 points on 5-7 from the floor, she also pulled down four rebounds. Melgaard ended the game with four rebounds and a team high four steals. Guard Melanie Preiner led the Falcons in rebounding with eight.

The Falcons forced 24 turnovers, scoring 22 points off those turnovers. Once again the Falcons shot very well from beyond the arc, shooting 55% from three.

The Falcon's next play Stevens Point on Wednesday at the Karges Center. The Pointers are ranked ninth in the country according to the latest poll from D3hoops.com. The game tips off at 7 P.M.

Falcons Open Conference Play Strong, Defeat Stout 77-61

Dec. 1, 2004

Sophomore Megan Lindman came off the bench to score 20 points and lead the Falcons (4-1, 1-0) to a 77-61 win over Stout (5-1, 0-1) in their first game of the WIAC season.

Senior Erin Effle scored 14, pulled down eight rebounds and blocked four shots in 22 minutes and Sophomore Chantele Melgaard scored 19 points, hitting 3-5 from behind the arc, she also led the Falcons with five steals. Effle leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 12.8 and 8 respectively.

The Falcons never trailed, Stout tied the game at 9-9 with 15:23 remaining in the first half, but never came closer than two points down for the rest of the game. The Falcons biggest lead was 20 with only a minute left in the game. The Falcons led at the half 34-26 behind 48% shooting from the floor, including 71% from three point range. Melgaard was 3-3 in the first half from downtown.

The Falcons finished shooting 47% from the floor and 50% from three. Stout shot 35% from the field and 47% from three. The Falcons forced 27 turnovers for the Blue Devils. Sophomore Melanie Preiner finished with 5 steals for the Falcons, she leads the team in steals with 3.6 per game.

The Falcons next play at Viterbo in La Crosse on Saturday night. The game tips off at 6:30 p.m.

Effle Collects 500th Rebound in Falcons 72-68 Victory Over Hamline

Nov. 29, 2004

Erin Effle grabbed her 500th career rebound and scored 17 points in leading the Falcons to a 72-68 win over Hamline on Monday night at Karges Center.

The Falcons relinquished a nine point lead in the first half to fall behind 30-28 at halftime. With 4:55 remaining the Falcons fell behind 62-55 before Forward Traci Reimann scored seven consecutive points to tie the score at 62-62 with only 3:10 remaining. Chantele Melgard hit both of her free throws with 32 seconds on the clock to put the Falcons up for good. Melgard finished 8-10 from the free throw line and scored 11 points.

Reimann finished the game with 9 points and 10 rebounds. Miranda Biteler was 4-8 from behind the arc and finished with 16 points. Melanie Preiner played a very balanced game, with 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals and no turnovers.

The Falcons(3-1) now travel to Menomonie to begin conference play against Stout. The game tips off at 7 P.M.

Falcons Win at Northwestern, 59-51

Nov. 27, 2004

The Falcon women’s basketball topped Northwestern, 59-51, Saturday night.

Four Falcon finished in double figures. Erin Effle scored 12 points and led the Falcons with 10 records. Melanie Preiner, Kendra Sticha and Megan Lindman all scored 10 points. Lindman finished with nine rebounds. Preiner led the Falcons with three assists. Kim Sorenson led the Falcons with five steals. The Falcons shot 22-63 (.349) from the field, including 4-12 (.333) from three-point range. They were 11-17 (.647) from the line.

Hannah McEvoy led Northwestern with 13 points and Grace Anderson scored 11. NC was 19-51 (.33) from the field, including 2-10 (.200) from behind the arc. Northwestern was 11-16 (.688) from the line.

The Falcons, now 2-1 overall, will host Hamline on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Karges Center.

The UW-River Falls - Macalester women's basketball game schedule for Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. at the Karges Center has been canceled.

The Falcon women will play their first home game on Monday, Nov. 29 when they host Hamline at 7 p.m. at the Karges Center.

The Falcon men's game against St. John's will be played on Tuesday, Nov. 23 starting at 8 p.m. at the Karges Center.

Falcons Open Season With Win

Nov. 19, 2004

The Falcon women’s basketball team opened its 2004-05 season with a 64-55 win over Linfield in the Puget Sound Classic Friday afternoon.

Miranda Biteler led the Falcons with 15 points. She had three assists and two steals. Erin Effle scored 13 points, grabbed seeven rebounds and had four steals. Megan Lindman, Melanie Preiner and Traci Reimann each scored 11 points. Preiner, who finished 4-6 from the field, including 3-4 from three-point range, also had four assists and three steals. Lindman led the Falcons with nine rebounds. UWRF led at the half, 29-26.

The Falcons were 24-55 from the field, including 5-11 from three-point range. UWRF was 11-16 from the line.

Heidi Jurgens led Linfield with 17 points. Lindsay Sticka scored 11 and Brandi Loring 10.

The Falcons, now 1-0 overall, will play Puget Sound on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Falcons Open Season at Puget Sound Tourney

Nov. 16, 2004

The Falcons open their 2004-05 season this weekend playing in two games at the Puget Sound Tourney.

Friday the Falcons play Linfield at 2 p.m. and Saturday they play Puget Sound at 6 p.m.

Last year the Falcons had 10 players who averaged 10 minutes or more per game. This year the Falcons return all 10 of those players. They have also added a few talented recruits to give them one of the deepest teams in the WIAC.

Leading scorer Erin Effle returns for her senior season after being chosen to the All-WIAC team last year. Effle averaged 13.6 per game a year ago and was second in rebounding, bringing down 5.8 per game.z

The Falcons also return sophomore Traci Reimann, who made a major impact in her freshman campaign a year ago. Reimann led the Falcons is rebounding and assists last year. One of the Falcons most versatile players, Reimann will once again be of major importance to a Falcon team that could surprise some people in the WIAC this year.

Darcy Olsen returns for her senior season as the floor general for the Falcons. Last year Olsen started every game and led the team in minutes, averaging 33.3 per game. Olsen also averaged 9.8 points per game. She is currently injured but expects to come back before WIAC play begins. Either Melanie Preiner or freshman Kim Sorenson will fill in for Olsen at the point until she returns.

At the wing position the Falcons return Preiner, Miranda Biteler and Chantele Melgard. All of them averaged between 20 and 25 minutes per game last season.

Other returning players expected to get minutes include: Megan Lindman, who averaged 8.1 points per game last year Gina Astedt, who averaged 2.5 points, Chisato Naikike and Kendra Sticha.

Redshirt freshmen Sydney Hall and Shannon Zweifel could get some playing time as well as true freshman Sorenson and Melanie Marquardt.

The Falcons not only have depth this year but now they have experience. The experience that the Falcons brought back has helped Coach Cindy Hovet implement new defenses and presses that will help cause turnovers. Last year the Falcons struggled with turnovers and getting to the foul line. Hovet believes that with experience the Falcons will limit their turnovers this year."We have a better understanding of how important handling the ball is," Hovet said. Also the Falcons plan on attacking the basket more and getting to the rim, to increase free throw attempts.

The Falcons were picked sixth this preseason by the Sports Information Directors in the WIAC. With a team that brings back all of their starters and has an astounding amount of depth, don’t be surprised if the Falcons finish a few spots higher.