Reimann, Preiner Named to All-WIAC Basketball Teams
March 2, 2006

Falcon women's basketball players Traci Reimann (Jr., North Branch, Minn.) and Melanie Preiner (Jr., Stillwater, Minn.) have been named to 2006 All-WIAC teams.

Reimann was named to the first All-WIAC and the All-Defensive teams. Preiner earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team.

Reimann, a 6-0 post player, played in 21 of the team's 26 games. She missed the last five games of the season with a broken bone in her foot. She led the Falcons in scoring (14.2) and and rebounding (10.5). She led the WIAC in rebounding and finished sixth in scoring. She shot 112-226 (.496) from the field, including 5-22 (.227) from three-point range. She was 69-122 (.566) from the line. She had 49 assists, five blocks and 37 steals. She scored in double digits in 16 games and had nine double-doubles. She scored a season high 27 points in a 71-59 loss to Stout. She tied her career high with 17 rebounds in a 56-46 win over Superior on Jan. 25. In her careeer she averages 11 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. She was named the team's Player of the Week five times during the season. She earned honorable mention to the 2005 All-WIAC team.

Preiner, a 5-6 guard, played and started all 26 games and averaged 11.6 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. She was second on the team in scoring and rebounding and led the Falcons in assists (84) and steals (73). She also averaged a team high 33.5 minutes of playing time per game. She scored in double digits in 19 gmes. She scored a career high 20 points twice - in a 70-53 win over Superior on Nov. 30 and in a 74-52 win over La Crosse on Jan. 18. Preiner grabbed a career high 14 rebounds in a 69-56 loss to St. Scholastica on Jan. 2. She equaled her career high with seven assists in a 66-59 loss to Winona and had a career high seven steals in a 66-64 overtime loss to St. Thomas on Nov. 27. She was named the team's Player of the Week three times. She averages 7.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in her career.

Go to the Falcon statistics page.

Go to the WIAC page.

Falcons Open WIAC Playoffs With Loss

Feb. 20, 2006

The Falcon women's basketball team fell to La Crosse, 63-53, on Monday night in the WIAC playoffs at Mitchell Hall.

RF was led by Miranda Biteler's 14 points. Also scoring in double figures for the Falcons were Krista Cordes (13) and Megan Lindman who had 10 points. Lindman and Kendra Sticha each had six rebounds to lead the team.

All five starters scored in double figures for UWL. Nicole Palmer led the team with 17 followed by Katy Searing (14), Mackenzie Hunter (11), Ashley Wagner (10), and Abby Johnson (10). Palmer and Searing each added six rebounds and Wagner pitched in with six assists to lead the Eagles.

In the first half, UWL jumped out to the early 15-6 lead which was capped off by a Hunter layup with 11:35 left in the half. The Eagles pushed the lead up to 29-12 after a Johnson layup with 2:49 left in the half. The score at recess was 31-16 UWL.

In the second half, RF cut the lead to two points at 39-37 which was capped off by a couple of Cordes free throws. UWL responded with an 11-0 run to make the score 50-37 with 8:04 left in the game. UWL never looked back and pulled off a 63-53 win over RF in the first round of the WIAC playoffs.

The Falcons shot 19-52 (36.5%) from the field. They shot just 3-19 (15.8%) from the three-point line and 12-12 (100%) from the free throw line. UWL shot 20-54 (37%) from the field. They shot 5-12 (38.5%) from the three-point line and 18-22 (81.8) from the free throw line.

The Falcons finished the season with a 12-14 overall record and 8-8 in the WIAC.

Falcons Open WIAC Playoffs at La Crosse

Feb. 20, 2006

The Falcons open the WIAC playoffs on the road with a game at UW-La Crosse set for Monday at Mitchell Hall. Tip off is 7 p.m.

The Falcons finished the regular season with a record of 12-13 overall and 8-8 in the WIAC. UWRF finnished fifth in the final conference standings. La Crosse fininshed 18-7 overall and 9-7 and in fourth place in the WIAC.

The Falcons and La Crosse split two games with both teams winning on their home court. The Falcons took a 74-52 win on Jan. 18 at the Karges Center. UWL topped the Falcons, 56-49, on Feb. 15 at Mitchell Hall.

The two teams have never met in the WIAC playoffs since the start of the tourney in 1999. The Falcons are 2-5 in first round games in tournament history. Falcon Coach Cindy Hovet has a 7-4 record against La Crosse. Her teams are 3-3 at Mitchell Hall. Hovet has a 1-5 record in the league playoffs.

UWRF is led in scoring by guard Melanie Preiner who averages 11.9 points a game. Guard Miranda Biteler is second in scoring with a 10.1 average. The Falcons have been without leading scorer Traci Reimann for the last four games of the season. She has been out of the lineup with a broken bone in her foot. She averages 14.2 points and 10.5 rebounds a game. Preiner also leads the team in three-pointers (55), assists (82) and steals (71). She is second in rebounding (4.7). Megan Lindman averages nine points and 4.4 rebounds a game and she leads the team in blocks (24.). The Falcons are 2-10 on the road this year. UWRF game preview (PDF File)

UWL is led in scoring by Mackenzie Hunter who averages 11.1 points a game. Nicole Palmer is second with a 10.5 average. Katy Searing, who averages 8.6 points a game, is the top rebounder with a 6.7 average. The Eagles have an 8-3 record at home.

If the Falcons win at UWL, they would play the winner of the Whitewater-Stout game on Wednesday. The championship game is set for Saturday at the site of the highest remaining seeded team.

Falcons Fall On Road To LaCrosse

Feb. 15, 2006

The Falcons fell at UW-LaCrosse 56-49 Wednesday night at Mitchell Hall.

RF was led by Melanie Preiner's 16 points and three steals. Krista Cordes had a double double scoring 11 points and grabbing a team high 10 rebounds. Miranda Biteler dished out a team high five assists and added three steals.

UW-LaCrosse was led by Mackenzie Hunter's 20 points and four assists. She shot 7/17 from the field including 6/7 from the free throw line. Ashley Wagner added 11 points and three assists. Nicole Palmer had a team high six rebounds and she added seven points.

UWRF shot just 17-47 (36.2%) from the field, including 5-19 (26.3%) from behind the arc. They were 10-14 (71.4%) from the line. UWL shot just 18-57 (31.6%) from the field, and just 1-12 (8.3%) from three-point range. They were 19-24 (79.2%) from the line. The Eagles had more rebounds with a 38-34 advantage.

UWL opened the game on a 11-3 run which was capped off by a Samantha Schmitz jumper with 11:24 left in the half. After a couple of Cordes free throws cut the lead to 13-8, UWL responded with a 10-3 run to make the score 23-11 with 3:51 left in the half. Each team scored one more basket and the score at recess was 25-13 UWL.

In the second half, the Eagles poured it on starting the half going on a 7-0 run to put the Eagles up 32-13. RF mounted a furious comeback going on a 32-17 run to get within just four points with 1:05 left in the game. The comeback was squashed by UWL's free throw shooting. They made many clutch free throws down the stretch including their last seven of the game. UWL won the game 56-49.

The Falcons, finished the regular season with a record of 12-13 overall and 8-8 in the WIAC and will find out soon who they play in the conference tournament.

Falcons Pick Up Much Needed Win At Whitewater

Feb. 11, 2006

The Falcons beat UW-Whitewater 65-52 Saturday afternoon at Whitewater.

RF was led by Miranda Biteler's 20 points. She made three three-pointers and seven free throws. Melanie Preiner (14) and Krista Cordes (10) were the only other Falcons scoring in double figures. Cordes also added nine rebounds. Kim Sorenson came off the bench and led th team with six steals.

UW-Whitewater was led by Amy Morris who had 20 points on 8-22 shooting. She also led the team with eight rebounds. Lindsey Buechner also scored in double figures totaling 12 points.

UWRF shot well 21-45 (46.7%) from the field, including 9-18 (50%) from behind the arc. They were 14-19 (73.7%) from the line. UWW shot just 20-49 (33.9%) from the field, and just 3-18 (16.7%) from three-point range. They were 9-15 (60%) from the line. The Warhawks had more rebounds with a 38-30 advantage.

RF opened the game out strong going on a 17-3 to run that was capped off by a Cordes three-pointer. RF continued to pour it on later in the half building the lead to 17 points. The Falcons went up 30-13 with 5:19 left in the half that was capped by a Preiner three-pointer. The Falcons led 35-20 at recess.

In the second half, RF continued to maintain it's strong lead on another Preiner three-pointer to put the Falcons up by 16 with 19:23 left in the game. The Warhawks got as close as four points after a Trisha Thill made layup with 7:56 left in the game. The Falcons responded strong going on a 7-0 run to put the Falcons up by 11 with 6:47 left in the game. The Falcons never looked back and won the game 65-52.

The Falcons, now 12-12 overall and 8-7 in the WIAC, will play at LaCrosse on Wednesday night. Game time is 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose at UWEC

Feb. 8, 2006

The Falcons lost a 56-32 WIAC game at UW-Eau Claire Wednesday night at Zorn Arena.

RF was led by Megan Lindman who had eight points, five rebounds and three steals. Krista Cordes also pitched in with five rebounds. Chisato Nakaike led the team with three assists. The Falcons turned the ball over 27 times compared to Eau Claire's 16.

Eau Claire was led by Heidi Arciszewski's 16 point, six rebound performance. Brittanni Hakanson added 10 points. Rachel Becker led the team with eight assists and pitched in with eight points. Amanda Zenner led the team with six steals.

UWRF shot a woeful 13-41 (31.7%) from the field, including just 2-15 (13.3%) from behind the arc. They were 4-6 (66.7%) from the line. UWEC shot 24-55 (43.6%) from the field, and just 4-13 (30.8%) from three-point range. They were 4-7 (57%) from the line. Eau Claire had more rebounds with a 35-27 advantage.

RF kept it close in the first half after a Miranda Biteler three-pointer tied the game at 15 with 8:48 left. Eau Claire then went on a 9-0 run to make the score 26-17 after a Hakanson jumper with left 3:48 left in the half. RF closed the half with two made baskets to make the score 26-21.

UWEC opended the second half with a 19-2 run that was capped off by a Jen Charboneau jumper to make the score 49-23 EC with 5:53 left in the game. The 32 points is a season low for the Falcons, who are now 1-9 on the road this season.

The Falcons, now 11-12 overall and 7-7 in the WIAC, will play at Whitewater on Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m.

Biteler Scores 15 to Lead Falcons Past UWP

Feb. 4, 2006

Miranda Biteler scored 15 points to help lead the Falcons to a 50-47 win over UW-Platteville on Saturday night at the Karges Center.

Biteler finished 5-7 from the field, including a perfect 3-3 from behind the arc and 2-2 at the line. She also had five rebounds, one assist to two blocks. Krista Cordes and Megan Lindman each scored 10 points. Lindman led the Falcons with seven rebounds and five blocks. Cordes finished with six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Melanie Preiner scored nine points, had five rebounds and she led the Falcons with four steals. The Falcons played without leading scorer (14.2) and rebounder (10.5), Traci Reimann, and Jana Benitz, who is sixth on the team in scoring (4.9). Both were injured and did not suit up for the game.

UWP was led by Holly Kaiser and Liz Tesch who both scored 12 points. Kaiser led UWP with seven rebounds.

UWRF shot 14-46 (.304) from the field, including 7-20 (.350) from behind the arc. They were 15-18 (.833) from the line. UWP shot 14-49 (.286) from the field, and just 2-12 (.167) from three-point range. They were 17-22 (.773) from the line. The Falcons held a 40-32 advantage in rebounding.

UWP enjoyed two six point leads in the first half. The Falcons went on an 11-0 run in the last 3:55 to take a 25-20 halftime lead. UWP tied the game, 32-32, with 3:42 to play when Tesch hit two free throws. RF took a 41-40 lead with 2:27 to play when Biteler hit a three-pointer. UWP's Emily Adrian missed a three at the buzzer that would have tied the game. UWRF was 9-10 and UWP was 7-8 from the line in the last two minutes of play.

The Falcons, now 11-11 overall and 7-6 in the WIAC, will play at Eau Claire on Wednesday. Game time is 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose To WIAC Leader Stout

Feb.1, 2006

The Falcon women's basketball team lost to conference leader UW-Stout 64-56 Wednesday night at Johnson field house.

River Falls was led by Miranda Biteler who scored 15 points. She was three of six from beyond the arc. Melanie Preiner also made three three-pointers on eight attempts. She scored nine points and had three steals. Traci Reimann added 13 points and a team high 13 rebounds for the Falcons.

The Falcons fell behind early after a three-pointer by Stout's Lindsay Geissler to make the score 13-9 with 15:27 left in the first half. RF came back strong and took the lead at halftime 31-28 after a Krista Cordes jumper with 10 seconds left in the half.

In the second half, RF pushed the lead to 34-28 after a Preiner three-pointer with 19:25 left in the game. They increased the lead to 38-31 after a Megan Lindman jumper with 14:50 left in the game. Stout took over from there going on a 17-5 run capped off my a Kelsey Duoss jumper with 7:36 left in the game. Stout ended the game with many clutch free throws en route to winning 64-56.

River Falls shot the ball well from the field making 43.5 percent (20-46). The Falcons shot 38.9 percent from the three point line (7-18) and 81.8 percent from the free throw line (9-11).

Stout was led by Duoss who for the season is averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds per game. She finished the game with 18 points and seven rebounds. Geissler was the only other Blue Devil in double figures scoring 11 points and dishing out three assists. She was three for four from beyond the arc.

The Falcons 10-11 (6-6 WIAC) look to move add another win in conference this Satuday night against UW-Platteville at the Karges Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Blow Away UW-Oshkosh

Jan. 28, 2006

The Falcon women's basketball team beat UW-Oshkosh 67-48 Saturday afternoon at the Karges Center.

River Falls was led by Krista Cordes who scored 14 points. Also scoring in double figures for the Falcons were Megan Lindman (13), Traci Reimann (12), Miranda Biteler (12), and Kim Sorenson who had 11 points. Reimann led the team with 14 rebounds and Melanie Preiner chipped in with seven assists.

River Falls shot the ball well from the field making 49.1 percent (26-53). The Falcons shot 36.4 percent from the three point line (8-22) and 77.8 percent from the free throw line (7-9).

Oshkosh was led by Whitney Tyriver who scored nine points. Brittany Herrick and Amanda Bauman each added eight points for Oshkosh

The Falcons 10-10 (6-5 WIAC) look to move add another win in conference this Wednesday night at UW-Stout. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Pick Up Much Needed Win Against Superior

Jan. 25, 2006

The Falcon women's basketball team beat UW-Superior Wednesday night 56-46 at the Karges Center.

River Falls was led by Traci Reimann who had 15 points and a dominating 17 rebounds. Melanie Preiner added 13 points and three steals and Jana Benitz came off the bench to score nine points. Kim Sorenson added six assists to lead the Falcons.

The first half started out with the early lead and they never looked back leading by as much as 25-10 in the first half after a Miranda Biteler three-pointer. The Falcons led at half 27-16.

The second half RF pushed the lead to 33-19 after another Biteler three-pointer with 16:48 left in the game. After a 6-0 Yellow Jackets run to cut the lead to 38-32 RF, the Falcons went on another run to put the game away for good going up 47-35 on a Reimann layup with 6:56 left in the game. The Falcons won 56-46.

River Falls shot the ball well from the field making 37.9 percent (22-58). The Falcons shot 23.5 percent from the three point line (4-17) and 47.1 percent from the free throw line (8-17).

Superior was led by Katie Moench who had 19 points and Molly Ray added 11 points for the Yellow Jackets. For the game Superior shot 33.3 percent (19-57).

The Falcons 9-10 (5-5 WIAC) look to move add another win in conference this Saturday afternoon against UW-Oshkosh at the Karges Center. Tip-off is set for 3p.m.

Falcons Dropped By Pointers

Jan. 21, 2006

The Falcon women's basketball team welcomed UW-Stevens Point to Karges on Saturday afternoon and came up short, 55-46.

River Falls did not recieve the usual scoring output they expect from their players. Traci Reimann scored only six points to go along with nine boards. With Reimann kept under wraps, the Falcons had to look elsewhere. River Falls was led by Megan Lindman's 16 points followed by Melanie Preiner's 12. Minus Lindman and Preiner, no Falcons scored above six points.

The first half started out rocky for the Falcons as they got behind early. The Pointers controlled the game with the 12-2 lead until Falcon Miranda Biteler cashed a triple with 14:26 remaining in the half. The Falcon defense went into lock down mode and held UWSP at the 12 point park until the Falcons were able to take the lead, 13-12. The Falcon lead would be short lived as the Pointers went on a 17-7 run to close out the half. River Falls went into the locker room trailing 29-20.

The second half involved slightly more scoring for the Falcons but they could not keep the SP lead in single digits. The game was slow and every trip down the floor was a possession battle. Because of the pace, the Falcons were not able to gather themselves and make a quick run. The game concluded with the Pointers taking the nine point victory.

River Falls had a less than stellar night from the field where they went 17-69 (.246). They also shot poorly from long distance, 3-19 (.158), and from the charity stripe, 9-16 (.563).

The Falcons just could not get anything going, added in with Point taking 13 more attempts from the free throw line. The Falcons drop to 8-10 overall and 4-5 in the WIAC.

The Falcons look to get back to .500 in conference when UW-Superior comes to the Falls on Wednesday. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Get Back On Track

Jan. 18, 2006

The Falcon women's basketball team invited La Crosse to Karges on Wednesday night and won big, 74-52.

River Falls started off hot and jumped out to a 14-4 lead after a three from Jana Benitz with 14:49 left in the first half. The Falcons were on fire from long range all night where they went 11-19 (.579) for the game. Melanie Preiner led the Falcons in scoring with 20, she also added seven assists and five rebounds. River Falls allowed La Crosse to stay in the game in the first half and went into the locker room trailing 33-35.

The second half was all River Falls as they were able to take the lead back early and never look back. The Falcons pushed their lead to 51-40 following a three pointer from Preiner with 11:58 remaining in the game. River Falls shot 26-48 (.542) from the field compared to La Crosse's 20-57 (.351). The night proved to be one of River Falls' most consistant nights in the shooting departement. After Preiner, Megan Lindman was second on the team in scoring with 17, followed by 12 from both Krista Cordes and Traci Reimann. The Falcons took control of the game and rolled to a 22 point victory.

The Falcons next game is on Saturday when conference foe Stevens Point comes to Karges. The game is set to start at 3 p.m.

Falcon Comeback Falls Short at UWO

Jan. 14, 2006

The Falcon women's basketball team's comeback effort at UW-Oshkosh fell just short on Saturday afternoon as the Titans took a 75-72 win at the Kolf Sports Center.

The Falcons trailed by nine (53-44) with 14:29 to play in the second half. But the Falcons went on a 6-0 run to get to within 53-50 with 12:18 to play when Traci Reimann scored on a lay up. The Titans led by between one and five points until UWRF took a 65-64 lead with 3:23 to play when Jana Benitz hit a three-pointer. Oshkosh took a two point lead (67-65) when Kelly O'Keefe hit a three with 3:19 to play. The Falcons tied the game (67-67) with 3:07 to play when Reimann hit two free throws. But UWO took a 69-67 lead wtih 2:33 to play when Eggers hit two free throws. UWO went ahead 71-67 with 1:33 to go when Herrick hit a jumper. But the Falcons took a lead (72-71) with :28 to play when Melanie Preiner scored on a lay up, was fouled, and made the free throw. With :22 to play, Herrick was fouled and she hit two free throws to put the Titans ahead for good, 73-72. Then with just 13 seconds to play Becky Knapp was fouled and she made both free throws to give UWO a 75-72 lead.

The Falcons were led by Miranda Biteler who scored a career high 26 points. She was 9-15 from the field, including 7-9 from three-point range. She was 1-2 at the line and had seven rebounds. The seven three-pointers made is the second most by a Falcon in a single game. Reimann scored 14 points and led all players with 16 rebounds. She had 16 rebounds once earlier this year and that is her season high. The Falcons shot 25-60 from the field (.477), including 11-24 (.458) from three-point range. They were 11-16 (.688) from the line. The Falcons had a 44-31 advantage in rebounds.

UWO was led by Herrick who scored 24 points and she grabbed nine rebounds. Eggers scored 20 points and O'Keef scored 21. The Titans were 24-58 (.474) from the field, including 8-24 (.333) from three-point range. They were a near perfect 19-20 (.950) from the line.

Falcons Lose Tough Game Against Stout

Jan. 11, 2006

The UW-River Falls women's basketball team played their second conference game of the break and game up short against Stout, 71-59.

The Falcons did not recieve much help in the scoring department other than Traci Reimann's 27 points, one point short of her career high. After Reimann the next leading scorer for River Falls was Melanie Preiner with 10.

The Falcons jumped out to an 11-5 lead three minutes into the first half. The River Falls run would end at 13 where Stout took the lead, 13-15. after a jumper from Steffanie Nemitz. Reimann tried to keep the Falcons in the game with her 15 first half points but she wasn't getting any help elsewhere. Stout extended their lead to 25-15 with a three from Molly Hendricks. The Falcons went into the locker room losing to The Blue Devils, 45-29.

The second half started off decent for River Falls as they were able to cut the Stout lead down to single digits two minutes in, 45-36. The Falcon run would end there as Stout steamed ahead for the win. Reimann not only led the team in scoring, she also pulled down eight boards to take that category as well.

The story of the game was simply River Falls not getting much from anyone besides Reimann. Krista Cordes only had three points coming off of her 24 point preformance against UW-Whitewater and Megan Lindman added eight. If the Falcons are looking to be successful in the WIAC they are going to need to find more ways to get more output from their role players, or at least get a little more consistant.

The team looks to move forward when they visit UW-Oshkosh on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off with be at 3 p.m.

Falcons Take Down Whitewater

Jan. 7, 2006

The UW-River Falls women's basketball welcomed UW-Whitewater to Karges and evened their overall record with a win, 69-59.

The story of the night for the Falcons was Krista Cordes. Cordes dropped a career high 24 points which included five field goals from long range. Cordes also added seven rebounds to help River Falls to their third conference win. Melanie Preiner also made a strong effort and scored 13 points while pulling down five boards.

The first half was an up and down battle and neither team built a concrete lead. UW-Whitewater took the lead early, 8-5, when Lindsay Gerber put home a layup. The three point lead would be the Warhawks biggest lead of the game. Both teams went scoreless for the next four minutes until Miranda Biteler hit a long range three pointer that put the Flacons in the lead, 10-8. Cordes made her first three of the game when she knocked one down with 6:12 remaining in the half. Two minutes later Cordes dropped another tray which gave River Falls the 23-19 lead. The Falcons would go into the half looking at a 26-23 lead over the Warhawks.

The second half was blemished with fouls upon fouls. The pace of the game was slowed down and the game turned into an almost two hour contest. Free throws decided the game where the Falcons made 24 compared to Whitewater's 18. Cordes continued her solid effort with her third three of the game with 9:14 remaining to tie the game at 43. The Warhawks added a layup and a free throw of their own to take a three point lead. The Falcons battled back and Cordes hit her fourth three of the game with 6:16 reminaing to put the Falcons up for good, 53-49. The game concluded with River Falls taking 16 free throw attempts and making 13 of them. The Falcons extended their lead to eight points and ended the night with th victory.

River Falls improves their overall record to 7-7 and now have a winning record in conference play, 3-2.

The Falcons look to get another conference win on Wednesday when Stout visits River Falls. The game is slated to start at 7 p.m.

Falcons Fall Short Against St. Scholastica

Jan. 2, 2006

The UW-River Falls women's basketball team continued their season on Monday night at Karges and lost to a good St. Scholastica team, 69-56.

Traci Reimann and Melanie Preiner kept River Falls in the game throughout and did not let up the intensity. Reimann finished the game with a team high 15 points while Preiner dropped in 10. Preiner also tallied a double-double with her team leading 14 rebounds.

The Falcons showed dominance over the Saints early in the first half. River Falls jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead two minutes in. St. Scholastica battled back and took the lead five minutes later. The Saints then put their foot on the gas and never trailed for the rest of the game. Going into the half, the Falcons trailed the Saints 33-29.

After the break, River Falls came out with a new attitude but still was not able to overcome their defecit. St. Scholastica's Sarah Klocke and Jen Kne provided most the scoring for the Saints and put the Falcons away for good. Klock scored a game high 26 points, 15 of which came from the stripe where the Saints shot 80% for the game. Kne added 19 to go along with her 11 boards. St. Scholastica slowy increased their lead throughout the second half and ran away with the victory.

River Falls had a tough time finding the net as they shot just over 29 percent from the field for the game. The Falcons were also dominated in free throws where they only made nine attempts compared to the Saints 25.

The Falcons look to rebound from their loss when they take on Whitewater at Karges on Saturday. The game is set to tip-off at 1 p.m.

Falcons Crush Northestern 62-32

Dec. 15, 2005

The Falcons women's basketball dominated Northwestern College 62-32 Friday night at the Karges Center.

RF was led by Traci Reimann who had a team high 16 points. She also added six rebounds. Melanie Preiner had 14 points, a team high eight rebounds, and four assists. Krista Cordes and Megan Lindman each chipped in with nine points each.

In the first half, RF jumped out the early lead 17-0 after a three-pointer by Miranda Biteler with 14:48 left in the first half. RF ended the half leading 37-16.

In the second half, RF kept pouring it on pushing the lead to 46-19 after a Jana Benitz made three-pointer with 11:46 left in the game. RF dominated the game and won 62-32.

For the game, RF shot 45.8 percent (22-48) and 50 percent (7-14) from the free throw line. RF shot 52.4 percent (11-21) from the three point line. Northwestern shot 34.9 percent (15-43) from the field.

Northwestern was led by Heather Thompson who had eight points and seven rebounds.

RF 6-6 (2-2 WIAC) host St. Scholastica Monday, Janurary 2nd at the Karges Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Blow Away Macalester 65-29

Dec. 14, 2005

The Falcons women's basketball crushed Macalester Wednesday night at the Karges Center 65-29.

RF was led by Traci Reimann who had a team high 10 points and nine rebounds. Melanie Preiner had 10 points, six assists, and six steals in only 22 minutes of action. Jodi Kauth had a team high 10 rebounds.

In the first half, RF jumped out the early lead 29-6 after a Preiner made layup with 7:06 left in the first half. The score at recess was 34-10 RF.

In the second half, RF kept pouring it on leading by as much as 51-15 after another Preiner layup with 14:07 left in the game. RF ended up winning the game 65-29 after a dominating performance.

For the game, RF shot 46 percent (29-63) and 36.4 percent (4-11) from the free throw line. RF shot 18.8 percent (3-16) from the three point line. Macalester shot 26.8 percent (11-41) from the field.

Macalester was led by Callie PaStarr who had 14 points. Elise Pagel chipped in with nine points.

RF 5-6 (2-2 WIAC) host Northwestern Wednesday, December 16th at the Karges Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Fall To Winona State 66-59

Dec. 11, 2005

The Falcons women's basketball lost to Winona State Sunday afternoon 66-59.

RF was led by Traci Reimann who had a team high 16 points and seven rebounds. Melanie Preiner chipped in with 12 points, seven assists, and four steals. Krista Cordes added 15 points.

For the game, RF shot 41.1 percent (23-56) and 50 percent (6-12) from the free throw line. RF shot 33.3 percent (7-21) from the three point line. Winona shot 44.7 percent (21-47) from the field.

Winona was led by Kayleigh Lutz who had 16 points. She was one of five players to score in double figures for Winona. Leslie Ross had a team high seven rebounds.

RF 4-6 (2-2 WIAC) host Macalester Wednesday, December 14th at the Karges Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Loses Close Game To Rival UW-Platteville

Dec. 10, 2005

The Falcons women's basketball lost at UW-Platteville Saturday night 63-61.

RF was led by Traci Reimann who had a team high 23 points and 12 rebounds. Also in double figures were Jana Benitz who had 13 points and Melanie Preiner who had 10 points. Miranda Biteler chipped in with five assists and Megan Lindman had seven rebounds.

In the first half, RF took the early 4-0 lead but UWP responded late in the first half with a 36-28 lead before Lindman made a layup cut into the lead. The score at half was 36-30 UWP.

In the second half, RF played much better getting the game to within a point after a Krista Cordes made jumper to make the score 53-52 with 8:26 left in the game, but that's the closest the Falcons got. Platteville went on a run and closed the game with a few clutch free throws to secure the win 63-61 over the Falcons.

For the game, RF shot 39.1 percent (24-61) and 66.7 percent (8-13) from the free throw line. RF shot 23.8 percent (5-21) from the three point line. Platteville shot 45.8 percent (22-48) from the field.

UWP was led by Michelle Hardyman who came off the bench to score 11 points. Holly Kaiser chipped in with 10 points and a five rebounds. Lisa Grantman had a team high seven rebounds.

RF 4-4 (2-1 WIAC) travel to Winona Sunday December 11th. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

Falcons Beat Eau Claire To Move To 2-1 In WIAC

Dec. 7, 2005

The Falcons women's basketball beat UW-Eau Claire Wednesday night 72-61 at the Karges Center.

RF was led by Melanie Preiner who had a team high 18 points and four assists in 35 minutes of action. Miranda Biteler and Megan Lindman also chipped with 13 points each. Biteler also added six assists and four rebounds. Traci Reimann had a team high nine rebounds.

In the first half, RF took the early lead 9-2 only two minutes into the game. Eau Claire responded and took the lead 20-16 with 7:50 left in the half, but RF came back and took a 31-28 lead into recess.

In the second half, RF took over with an 8-0 run to start the second half capped by a Reimann jumper. The Falcons never looked back. They got the lead all the way up to 62-45 with 7:25 left in the game. RF cruised to an easy 72-61 win to improve to 2-1 in conference.

For the game, RF shot 40 percent (28-70) and 100 percent (7-7) from the free throw line. RF shot 29 percent (9-31) from the three point line. Eau Claire shot 42.6 percent (23-54) from the field.

Eau Claire was led by Michelle Burns who had 17 points and seven rebounds. Ashley Anderson came off the bench to score nine points for the Bluegolds.

RF 4-4 (2-1 WIAC) travel to Platteville Saturday night. Tip-off s set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Lose First WIAC Game On Road Against Pointers

Dec. 3, 2005

The Falcons women's basketball lost to Stevens Point 71-60 Saturday afternoon at Stevens Point.

RF was led by Melanie Preiner who had a team high 15 points, five assists, and five rebounds. Krista Cordes and Traci Reimann also chipped in with 13 points each. Reimann also had a team high six rebounds. Miranda Biteler added 11 points and three assists.

In the first half, RF got as close as 24-22 after a Preiner layup with 5:57 left in the first half. The Pointers came right back and ended the half on a eight to four run to make the score 32-26 at recess.

In the second half, the Pointers came out strong with a Haley Houghton three-pointer on their first possession to put Stevens Point up by nine and they never looked back. The closest the Falcons got in the second half was eight points after a Preiner made jumper with 7:25 left in the game to make the score 51-43 UWSP. The Pointers pushed the lead all the way to as many as 17 points and the Falcons ended up losing by 11 points. The final score was 71-60 UWSP.

For the game, RF shot 36.7 percent (22-60) and 68.8 percent (11-16) from the free throw line. RF shot 38.6 percent (5-13) from the three point line. Stevens Point shot 48.3 percent (28-58) from the field.

Stevens Point was led by Cassandra Schultz who had 15 points and nine assists. Houghton added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

RF 3-4 (1-1 WIAC) will host Eau Claire on Wednesday night. Tip-off s set for 7 p.m

Falcons Win WIAC Opener At Superior

Nov. 30, 2005

The Falcons women's basketball picked up their first conference win of the season 70-53, Wednesday night at Superior.

RF was led by Melanie Preiner who had a team high 20 points, four steals, and three assists in 38 minutes of action. Miranda Biteler chipped in with 13 points and three assists. Megan Lindman added 14 points and five rebounds. Jana Benitz came off the bench to score 11 points and Traci Reimann had a team high seven rebounds.

In the first half, RF shot 40.7 percent (11-27) from the field and 50 percent (2-4) from the free throw line. They also made five three-pointers. Superior shot 44 percent (11-25) for the half. The score at halftime was 29-28 RF.

In the second half, RF took control shooting 45.5 percent (10-22) and hitting many clutch free throws (17-20). They also made four three-pointers. Superior shot the ball worse in the second half only making 30.8 percent (8-26). RF outscored the Yellow Jackets 41-25 in the second half.

For the game RF shot 42.9 percent (21-49) and 79.2 percent (19-24) from the free throw line. RF shot 45 percent (9-20) from the three point line. Superior shot 37.3 percent (19-51) from the field.

Superior was led by Katie Moench who had 17 points and six rebounds. Molly Ray and Whitney Johnson each piched in with 10 points.

RF 3-3 (1-0 WIAC) will travel to Stevens Point on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off s set for 3 p.m

Falcons Fall To Tommies In OT, 66-64

Nov. 27, 2005

The Falcons women's basketball lost for the third time this season falling to St.Thomas 66-64 in overtime.

RF was led by Miranda Biteler's 16 points and six assists. Traci Reimann chipped in with 15 points and a team leading 11 rebounds. Melanie Preiner added 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists before fouling out. Krista Cordes added eight points.

In the first half, RF jumped out to the early lead with an 11-0 run to make the score 13-4. The score at halftime was 29-27 after the Tommies made a late first half surge.

In the second half, RF used another 11-0 run to make the score 49-45 with 6:25 left in regulation. St.Thomas came right back with an 8-0 run to make the score 54-51 UST with 2:33 left. After a Preiner steal and layup with 32 seconds left it tied the score at 54 and it sent the game into overtime.

In overtime, UST freshman point guard Chelsea Wirtz took over with a clutch three-pointer and two free throws in the last two minutes. Cordes missed a potential game winning three-pointer after it hit the front of the rim as time ran out. UST won the game 66-64.

The Falcons shot 36.6 percent (26-71) for the game. They shot 26.9 percent (7-26) from behind the arc and shot 45.5 percent (5-11) from the free throw line.

UST was led by Wirtz's 15 points. Meliss Keiser and Erica Opdahl each chipped in with 12 points and Jessica Katch had a game high 15 rebounds. For the game UST shot 39.3 percent.

RF begins WIAC play this Wednesday, November 30th at Superior. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Win Home Opener, 75-71

Nov. 25, 2005

The Falcons women's basketball team won their home opener Saturday afternoon, 75-71, over the V-Hawks of Viterbo.

The score remained close in the first half. The Falcons led by as many as four points numerous times, but were never able to extend the lead. The V-Hawks largest lead was three, with 12:29 remaining in the first half. The Falcons entered the half with a 26-22 lead.

In the second half the Falcons retained their first half advantage and were able to keep the lead throughout most of the second half. The V-Hawks tied the game with 9:13 remaining, but the shortly thereafter the Falcons pulled away on a jumper by Traci Reimann and a three point basket by Melanie Preiner to give the Falcons a 58-53 lead that they would never relinquish.

The Falcons were led by Traci Reimann. She scored 25 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, adding to her averages of 16.8 and 12.3 rebounds per game. Biteler played a strong second half, scoring all 12 of her points in the second stanza. She also picked up three assists and three steals. Melanie Preiner added another 16 points for the Falcons and was able to knock down clutch free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.

The Falcons finished the game shooting 49 percent (24-49) from the field, 33 percent (3-9) from three-point range and 65 percent (24-37) from the line.

The Falcons forced 30 turnovers and picked up 18 steals. The Falcons turned the ball over 20 times.

The Falcons travel to St. Thomas on Sunday afternoon to face off against the Tommies. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.

Falcons Fall at Hamline

Nov. 22, 2005

The Falcon women's basketball lost for the second game in row, 65-53, at Hamline on Tuesday evening.

The Falcons shot very poor in the first half (8-29) making only 27.6 percent of their shot attempts. They were also poor from beyond the arc (1-6) in the first half making just 16.7 percent. The Falcons still were only down 26-21 at half.

In the second half, the RF shot better (12-31) making 38.7 percent from the field. They also shot the three ball better (4-10) making 40 percent in the half. The Falcons were still outscored in the second half 39-32 despite the better shooting.

For the game the Falcons shot 33.3 percent (20-60) from the field. They made five three-pointers and shot 50 percent from the foul line (8-16).

Hamline shot 25 percent (8-32) in the first half. In the second half they shot a lot better 41.7 percent (10-24). For the game Hamline shot 32.1 percent (18-56) from the field. They also managed to make six three-pointers.

The Falcons were led by Miranda Biteler who had a team high 10 points and four assists. Traci Reimann added eight points and a team high eight rebounds. Jana Benitz came off the bench to chip in with eight points and three assists.

The Falcons next game is set for Saturday at the Karges Center against Viterbo. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.

Falcons Lose To Kalamazoo in Championship

Nov. 19, 2005

The Falcon women's basketball team picked up their first loss of the year 63-54 Saturday afternoon against Kalamazoo. The two day tournament was held in Kalamazoo, MI.

RF and Kalamazoo were tied at halftime 34-34. RF shot 34.3 percent from the field in the first half and 23.3 percent from the three-point line. The Falcons made three three-pointers in the first half.

In the second half, the Falcons were outscored 29-20 and didn't play very well shooting only 27.3 percent in the half and 22.2 percent from the three-point line.

For the game the Falcons shot just 30.9 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from the three-point line. The Falcons made five three-pointers in 22 attempts.

The Falcons were led by Traci Reimann who had a team high 17 points and 12 total rebounds. Melanie Preiner added 10 points and seven rebounds. Megan Lindman also had 10 points and she pitched in with five rebounds. Miranda Biteler led the team with five assists.

Kalamazoo shot 47.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the three-point line.

The Falcons next game is set for November 22 at Hamline. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m.

Falcons Open Season With A Dominating Win Against Finlandia

Nov. 18, 2005

The Falcon women's basketball team defeated Finlandia 95-61, to pick up their first win of the season Friday night in the Kalamazoo, Mich.

The Falcons dominated the game from the begining with a 10 point lead at halftime. The Falcons shot 37 percent in the first half and made 17 shots. They also made one three-pointer

In the second half, the Falcons scored a very promising 57 points and shot 56.4 percent from the field. They made 22 shots and four three-pointers. For the game the Falcons shot 45.9 percent from the field and 27 percent from the three-point line.

The Falcons had five players score in double figures. Miranda Biteler and Megan Lindman led the team with 18 points each. Traci Reimann had 17, Melanie Preiner had 14 and Meghan Hunstock chipped in with 10 points. Reimann led the team with 16 total rebounds. Preiner (9) and Lindman (8) were next for the Falcons in rebounds. Biteler added seven assists and Preiner added five.

The Falcons held Finlandia to 35.5 percent shooting for the game and 28.9 percent from the three-point line. Finlandia was led by Brigitte LaPointe's 23 points and six three-pointers.

The Falcons play the winner of the Kalamazoo-Marietta game at 3 p.m. on Saturday for the tourney championship.

Falcons Open 2005-06 Season at Kalamazoo Tourney

Nov. 15, 2005

The Falcon women's basketball team comes into the season with high expectations after finishing the 2005 season with a record of 17-8.

"This season we will be playing a different style. We will be a more slow down and less running team because most of our scoring will come from the post players," Falcon Coach Cindy Hovet said.

     The Falcons lost Erin Effle, who was a key player for the woman's basketball team for four years. She was the team's leading scorer for all four of her years at UWRF. She was named to the first All-WIAC team last year and was the sport's Scholar-Athlete in 2005.

"Erin will be missed, but we have a few women that will step in and contribute," Hovet said.

The Falcons hope to have more balanced scoring this season with a lot of depth at the post-position. Their strength this season will be getting the ball into the post players and hopefully getting them scoring looks. On defense, they will try to mix things up to get more turnovers and easier baskets.

The Falcons return post players Megan Lindman (8.9 PPG) and Traci Reimann (10.4 PPG), both juniors. They also return perimeter players Miranda Biteler (6.6 PPG), a senior, and Melanie Preiner (7.0 PPG), a junior. These players will be relied on this year to show leadership on and off the court.

"Miranda is a good leader who will be looked on to bring leadership. Reimann and Lindman are two very good post players that have improved with every practice and will looked upon to score some big baskets," Hovet said.

Other returning players include senior guard Chisato Nakaike (.3 PPG), junior guard Krista Cordes (2.8 PPG), and sophomore guard Kim Sorenson (1.6 PPG).

The Falcons also got a few new faces that will step in and play some key minutes this season. Post players Meghan and Caitlin Hunstock and Jodi Kauth will be look at to help inside. Jana Benitz looks to get some minutes on the perimeter this season.

"Jodi has a great attitude and she is improving everyday. Jana is a very good player that will get some key minutes. The Hunstock sisters, who transferred here, will both get some big minutes in the post," Hovet said.

Stout looks to be the pre-season favorite in the WIAC, but the Falcons hope to have a good chance to compete for the title this season also. Oshkosh, Eau Claire, and Stevens Point also should be in the upper half of the conference in 2006.

Hovet believes that the league is very strong this year. She feels that every team has a shot to win it. Top to bottom, she feels that the WIAC is one of the best in Div. III. "There is a lot of parity in the league this season. It's very even and no game will be easy."

The Falcons open the season at the Kalamazoo Tournament on Friday and play Finlandia in their first game. Action starts at 6 p.m. The team's home opener is set for Nov. 26 against Viterbo with action starting at 3 p.m. at the Karges Center.