Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's basketball team was narrowly defeated by Simpson College with a score of 77-73. This game took place on Saturday at the Market & Johnson Blugold Tip-Off Tournament, marking the first college basketball game at the newly established Sonnentag Event Center.

The Blugolds, now standing at 0-1, had a strong start, shooting over 50% in the first half and securing a 10-point lead by halftime. Reanna Hutchinson, making her debut for the Blugolds, scored 18 points in the first half. In a high-scoring opening quarter, Simpson led 23-22. However, UW-Eau Claire made significant progress in the second quarter, outscoring Simpson 24-13. An 8-0 run featuring consecutive three-pointers from Hutchinson and Kyla Overskei helped solidify their lead.

At halftime, UW-Eau Claire led 46-36. The team's advantage grew to as much as 13 points during the third quarter and remained at 63-54 going into the final quarter. Despite this lead, Simpson managed to erase their deficit with an impressive 11-0 run in the closing minutes of the game. A layup by Hutchinson tied the game at 73 with just under a minute remaining, but Simpson scored four unanswered points to secure their victory.

Hutchinson concluded her performance with a total of 30 points and five rebounds. Overskei contributed with an additional 12 points and five rebounds while Jessilyn Ernst added nine points and three rebounds to UW-Eau Claire's efforts.

Overall, UW-Eau Claire shot 46% from the field and achieved a three-point shooting percentage of 40%.

The Blugolds will continue their participation in the Market & Johnson Blugold Tip-Off Tournament against No. 11 Gustavus Adolphus College on Sunday, November 10th at the Sonnentag Event Center with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

For further updates on the Blugolds throughout the season, fans can visit Blugolds.com or follow them on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook through Blugold Sports.