Reimann, Preiner Named to All-WIAC Basketball Teams
Feb. 28, 2007

Traci Reimann (Sr., North Branch, Minn.) was named to the first team and Melanie Preiner (Sr., Stillwater, Minn.) earned honorable mention to the 2007 All-WIAC basketball team.

Reimann, a 6-0 post player, was named to the first All-WIAC team in 2006 and earned honorable mention to the 2005 team. She was named the WIAC Player of the Week on Jan. 15. She scored in double digits 18 times and had double digits in rebounds nine times. She had seven double-doubles. She scored a season high 22 points against Stout on Jan. 10 and grabbed a career high 17 rebounds against Finlandia on Jan. 2. Reimann led the team in assists eight times and led the team in steals twice. She finished fifth in scoring and first in rebounding in the WIAC. She was the only Falcon to start all 26 games. Reimann finished her career as the school's all-time leading rebounder with 840. She averaged 11.5 points and 8.4 rebounds a game in her career. She scored her 1,000th career point during the season and finished with 1,139. She finished with 188 assists, 131 steals and 43 blocked shots.

"I think Traci Reimann was the best player in the WIAC this year, she has proved herself in every facet of the game," said Falcon Coach Cindy Hovet.

Preiner, a 5-6 guard, earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team in 2006. She was named the WIAC Player of the Week on Feb. 5. She was the team's Player of the Week three times. Preiner was second on the team in scoring (10.6) and averaged 3.7 rebounds a game. She led the team in three-pointers (39), assists (64) and tied for the team lead in steals (53). She scored in double digits 13 times with a season and career high 20 points against La Crosse on Jan. 17. She led the team in assists six times and had a tem best seven assists against Stout on Jan. 10. She led the Falcons in steals 11 times and had a team best seven steals against Oshkosh on Jan. 13. The seven assists and seven steals were both career high. Preiner finished second in steals, second in three-pointers and fifth in assists in the WIAC. In her four-year career she played in 98 games and averaged 8.2 points and 3.8 rebounds a game. Preiner finished fourth in career steals (229), second in career three-pointers (147) and second in career three-pointers attempted (418).

"For Melanie Preiner, being named honorable mention means there are coaches that know she's a top 10 player," said Hovet. "Honorable mention in this league is a great compliment. Honestly though, there's no question in my mind that she's a first-team player. I think she's the best point guard in our league."

Both Reimann and Preiner were named to the All-Defensive team. Reimann was named to the team after the 2006 season.

"Traci and Mel have both worked really hard to earn these honors," said Hovet. "They're competitors and love the game, you can see that everyday on the court. Having two players named to the five player All-Defensive team is a tribute to the commitment our team made to defense this year. Traci and Mel both deserve that recognition."

The Falcons finished the 2007 season 16-11 overall and 9-7 in the WIAC. They advanced to the WIAC playoff semifinals.

2007 Falcon statistics

WIAC page

Falcons Fall to Stout 70-59 in WIAC Semifinals

Feb. 21, 2007

Turnovers and fouls plagued River Falls in Wednesday's WIAC tournament 70-59 second round loss at Stout.

The Falcons had four players score in double digits: Melanie Preiner lwith 15, Chantele Melgaard 13, Krista Cordes 12, and two steals, and Traci Reimann contributed 10 points and led the Falcons with nine rebounds. UW-River Falls shot 20-49 (.408) from the field, 5-11 (.455) from three-point range and 14-19 (.737) from the foul line.

With the nine rebounds Reimann had in the game she is now the Falcon career leader with 840.

Dani Boese and Char Edwards led Stout with 14 points apiece. Savanah Oeltjen added 11 points and led all players with three steals. Lindsey Geissler chipped in 10. Kelsey Duoss lead the Blue Devils in rebounds with seven. UWS shot 20-50 (.400) from the field, with 2-7 (.286) from behind the arc and 28-38 (.438) from the free throw line.

UWS jumped to an early 4-0 lead after Duoss made a jump shot only to watch River Falls answer with seven straight points with 17:01 left in the half. Stout managed to recover and go up by five, its biggest lead of the half, (16-11) after another Duoss jumper with 11:15 on the clock. Cordes made a three-pointer to tie the game at 16-16 at 7:58 and Reimann tie it up for a second time, at 18 all, with 7:41 to go. The Falcons proceeded to go a seven point scoring run and led 27-20 with 3:16 in the half. Stout chipped away at the lead and ended the half with a 31-29 lead.

River Falls kept the game close until Amanda Geissler made a pair of free throws, putting Stout ahead by seven (48-41) with 11:19 remaining. The Blue Devils slowly continued to distance the score until they went up to their biggest lead of the game (15) putting the score at 57-42 with 7:47 left to play. The Falcons managed to cut the lead to 10 after a pair of free throws by Melgaard with 4:19 on the clock. Stout kept its double digit lead for the remainder of the game.

UWRF ended its season with a 16-11 overall record.

Basketball Teams Open WIAC Playoffs on Road

Feb. 18, 2007

The Falcon women's and men's basketball teams open the WIAC playoffs on the road in games on Monday and Tuesday.

The Falcon women play first - at Stevens Point on Monday at 7 p.m. The Falcons finished as the WIAC's No. 5 seed and UWSP is seeded No. 4. The Falcons beat UWSP twice during the regular season - 67-60 on Dec. 2 in River Falls and 68-44 on Jan. 20 in Stevens Point. Traci Reimann leads the Falcons in scoring averaging 12.6 points and in rebounding averaging 9.5. Melanie Preiner is second in scoring with a 10.4 average. Haley Houghton leads UWSP in scoring averaging 9.2 points. Natalie Lechault leads the Pointers in rebounding with a 5.3 average. The Falcons enter tournament action with a 15-10 overall record while UWSP is 18-6. In other first round games, Oshkosh (8) is at Stout (1), La Crosse (6) travels to Eau Claire (3) and Platteville (7) is at Whitewater (2). If the Falcons beat UWSP, they would play the winner of the Stout-Oshkosh game on Wednesday. If Stout wins the game will be in Menomonie and if Oshkosh wins, the game would be in River Falls. The championship game is set for Feb. 24 at the site of the highest remaining seeded team. WIAC Championship Site.

The Falcon men play at Oshkosh on Tuesday at 7 p.m. UWRF finished as the tourney's No. 6 seed while Oshkosh is seeded No. 3. The Titans beat the Falcons twice during the regular season - 69-66 on Jan. 13 in River Falls and 97-60 on Jan. 27 in Oshkosh. The Falcons, 10-15 overall, are led in scoring by Nate Robinson who averages 14.6 points a game. He also leads the Falcons in rebounding with a 6.9 average. Three other Falcons average in double figures - Courtney Davis, 13-5, Jontae Koonkaew, 13.3, and Ryan Thompson, 13.0. Davis is second in rebounding averaging five per game. The Titans, 20-5 overall, are led in scoring by Jim Capelle, who averages 16.1 points. Kerry Gibson, who leads the team in rebounding (7.8) is second in scoring with a 13.9 average. D.J. Marsh is third in scoring, 10.0. In other first round games, Eau Claire (8) is at Stevens Point (1), Platteville (5) is at Whitewater (4) and Stout (7) is at La Crosse (2). If the Falcons beat UWO, they would play the winner of the Stout-La Crosse game on Thursday. If La Crosse beats Stout, the game would be in La Crosse. If Stout beats La Crosse, the game would be in River Falls. The championship game is set for Feb. 24 at the site of the highest remaining seeded team. WIAC Championship Site.

Falcons End Regular Season with 67-54 Overtime Win Over La Crosse

Feb. 14, 2007

The Falcon women's basketball team outscored La Crosse, 17-4 , in overtime to take a 67-54 win at the Karges Center on Wednesday night.

Traci Reimann lead River Falls with another double-double performance. She lead scoring with 16 and pulled down 12 rebounds. Chantele Melgaard put up 14 points of her own, nine of them in overtime. Megan Lindman added eight points and five rebounds. Melanie Preiner lead the game in steals with six, and grabbed seven rebounds. UWRF shot 26-59 (.441) from the field, 6-21 (.286) from three point land and 9-18 (.500) from the foul line.

The Eagles' Nicole Palmer lead all scorers with 22, shooting 6-8 from behind the arc. Katy Searing also shot double digits with 10 and grabbed three steals. Ashley Wagner helped the UWL effort with eight points, six rebounds and six assists. UW-La Crosse shot 19-53 (.358) from the field, with 7-15 (.467) from three-point range and 9-16 (.563) from the free throw line.

The Eagles started the game with a Palmer three pointer at 19:41. River Falls answered back with 12 straight points, putting the score at 12-3 with 16:29 left in the half. The Falcon lead was cut to eight (16-8) when Karrie Lamers hit from behind the arc. Preiner put UWRF up by their biggest lead of 14 after hitting a jump-shot with 9:12. UWL slowly chipped away at the River Falls lead, bringing it down to eight to close out the half after a Searing lay up. Reimann hit a three-pointer to put the Falcons up by nine, their biggest lead of the second half, with 18:28 in regulation. With the help of two three-pointers by Palmer, the lead was cut down to four, and the game was eventually tied up at 35-35 when Karrie Lamers made a jump shot at 12:05 to play. River Falls continued to go up by leads of two, (37-35 at 10:49) and five (44-39 at 6:16) only to have La Crosse tie the game up again. The Falcons went up by three (50-47) after Preiner made a 2-2 trip to the foul line with 43 seconds left to play. The Eagles tied the game for the fourth time when Palmer hit from behind the arc with 32 seconds left. Regulation ended with a 50-50 tie. Melgaard capped off an opening nine point River Falls scoring run with a lay up, putting the score at 59-50 with 2:05 left in overtime. Lindsay Wahl made a free throw at 1:56 remaining to pull the score within seven. (59-52) The Falcons proceeded to rack up another eight unanswered points putting the score at 67-52 with 17 seconds left. Ashley Wagner hit a jump shot to close out the scoring

The Falcons, 15-10 overall and 9-7 in the WIAC, will wait for the final conference games to be played this weekend to see who and where they will play in the first round of the conference tourney. The opening round games are set for Monday.

Poor Shooting Plagues Falcons in 73-57 Loss to Whitewater

Feb. 10, 2007

Traci Reimann lead River Falls with 11 points, in Saturday's loss against UW-Whitewater at the Karges Center.

Reimann put up a double-double figures with 11 points and 10 rebounds, in addition to four assists. She was 3-10 from the field and a perfect 5-5 from the foul line. Kim Sorenson chipped in eight points and three steals. Tesa Rohl was UWRF's third highest scorer with seven. River Falls shot 19-53 (.358) from the field, 03-17 (.176) from behind the arc and 16-26 (.615) from the free throw line.

Whitewater had five players score in double digits: Lindsey Buechner had 15, Trisha Thill had 13, Sarah Moran had 12, Nicole Bundy had 11 and Dana Thompson had 10. Thill lead the game with five assists Moran was 4-6 from three point range, and Thompson lead steals with four. UWW shot 24-45 (.533) from the field, including 08-17 (.471) from three-point range and 17-25 (.680) from the free throw line.

River Falls opened the game with five unanswered points when Krista Cordes hit a three pointer with 17:16 left on the clock. Chantele Melgaard put the Falcons up by 11 (16-5), their biggest lead of the evening, when she hit a jump-shot with 13:17 in the half. Throughout the majority of the half, UWRF maintained a lead, which never fell below three points until Moran hit from behind the arc, to bring the Warhawks within two (29-17), with 34 seconds left in the half. Whitewater proceeded to go an a six point scoring run and took a 33-29 lead into halftime. The Warhawks never lost their lead during the second half. Early on, the Falcons managed to come within two (35-33), after Reimann made a lay up at 17:36 remaining. Despite the efforts by River Falls, Whitewater managed to go up by 14 (49-35) when Tiffany Morton made a lay up at 13:08 remaining. UWRF managed to chip the lead down to eight (63-55) after a Rohl lay up, with 3:20 left to play. UWW proceeded to add to their lead for the rest of regulation and closed out the game with a final score of 73-57.

The Falcons, now 14-10 overall and 8-7 in the WIAC, go up against UW-La Crosse next on Wednesday at the Karges Center. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Fall to Blugolds 65-68 in Overtime

Feb. 7, 2007

Despite the point-leading efforts of Traci Reimann, who had 14, the Falcons came up short against UW-Eau Claire in Overtime, Wednesday at the Karges Center.

Reimann also lead UWRF in rebounds with nine, and was 4-8 from the field and 5-6 at the free throw line. Melanie Preiner contributed 13 points of her own and had three steals. Chantele Melgaard was the third Falcon to score in the double digits with 10. Mellgaard pulled down six rebounds and had thee steals. River Falls shot 24-54 (.444) from the field, 11-19 (.579) from the free throw line.

Rachel Mueggenborg had the most points scored (24) with seven three pointers. Heidi Arciszewski had 18 points and was a perfect 6-6 in free throws. Ashley Anderson chipped in 10 points as well. Eau Claire shot 23-54 (.426) from the field, including 13-22 (.474) from three-point range.

The Falcons jumped up by five (7-2) when Preiner hit a two-pointer with 15:50 left in the first. The rest of the half was back and forth with neither team getting ahead by more than three until the Falcons went on a scoring streak starting when Kim Sorenson made a jump shot to put the score at 20-21 with 07:03 remaining. The Falcons scored 10 unanswered points to and Krista Cordes put the Falcons up by nine (30-21) with 02:37 remaining. The score remained the same going into half-time. In the second half, River Falls reached their biggest lead of the night with 10, after Sorenson made a lay up at 18:02 left. Slowly the Blugolds chipped away at the lead to bring it down to five (34-29) when Michelle Burns made a lay up at 16:39 to go. The Falcons built up another eight point lead (37-29 at 14:58), only to have it brought down to three (37-34) after a three-pointer by Mueggenbord with 13:25 in the game. Eventually Eau Claire went ahead by one (43-44) with 09:14 left and eventually built up a six point lead (45-51) at 05:55 remaining. During the rest of regulation, River falls chipped away at the lead to close out the period with a 59-59 tie. Over time played out with Preiner putting the Falcons up by 3 with a three-pointer at 03:58, making the score 62-59. The Blugolds tied the game up 63 with 02:20 left on the clock, when Amanda Zenner made a free throw. Krista Cordes cut the lead down to one after making a lay up with 20 seconds remaining. Arciszewski put UWEC up by three after making a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left to play. Cordes tried to tie the game again with a missed three-point shot to end the game.

The Falcons, now 14-9 overall and 8-6 in the WIAC, go up against UW- Whitewather next on Wednesday the 7th at the Karges Center. Tip off is at 03:00 pm.

Preiner Named WIAC Player of the Week

Feb. 6, 2007

Guard Melanie Preiner (Sr., Stillwater, Minn.) helped the Falcons win two WIAC games last week and has been named the WIAC Player of the Week according to Sports Information Director Matt Stanek.

The two wins included a 79-68 win over Stout, the top team in the WIAC and a team ranked No. 10 in the nation. Against Stout she scored 15 points and had three assists. In the team's 61-48 win at Platteville, she led the team with 18 points and she had seven rebounds and four assists. In the two games she was 11-20 from the field (.550), including 7-11 (.636) from three-point range. She was a perfect 4-4 from the line and scored 33 points. She had eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 70 minutes of playing time. Preiner, 5-6, is averaging 11.1 points and 3.3 rebounds a game. She is second in steals (35) and second in assists (47).

Falcons Beat Pioneers, 61-48

Feb. 3, 2007

Melanie Preiner helped the Falcons find victory over Platteville with 18 points, and seven rebounds, Saturday at UW-Platteville.

Preiner was 7-9 from the field and 4-5 from three point land in addition to four assists and two steals. Traci Reimann had a double-double game with 12 points and a game leading 13 rebounds. The third Falcon to score double figures was Krista Cordes, who had 11. UW-River Falls shot 23-56 (.411) from the field, 9-17 (.529) from behind the arc. The Falcons had a 36-29 advantage in rebounds.

Lisa Grantman led the Pioneers in points and rebounds with 12 and 3 respectively. Lisa Wubben helped with 11 points. Vanessa Nemitz contributed 10 points of her own. UWP shot 14-48 (.292) from the field, including 4-20 (.200) from three-point range. Platteville was 16-22 (.727) from the free throw line.

The Falcons jumped ahead early with eight unanswered points with 17:55 left in the first period when Preiner made a lay up. River falls maintained their lead through the half, hitting their largest lead of 15 (33-18), when Reimann hit a three-pointer at 05:20 left in the half. UWRF went into the half with a comfortable 12 point lead (36-24). During the second half, the Falcon kept up the lead and jumped to their biggest point advantage of 19, (54-35) when Krystal Parr scored from behind the line, with 06:51 in regulation. The Pioneers managed to cut the Falcons to their shortest lead of the half, 11 (58-47) when Lisa Grantman hit one from the field at 02:28 remaining.

Falcons Upset Stout, 79-68

Jan. 31, 2007

Traci Reimann scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help lead Falcons to an upset 79-68 win over UW-Stout Wednesday at the Karges Center.

Stout was in first place in the WIAC with a 10-1 record and were ranked No. 10 in the d3hoops.com poll going into the game.

Reimann was 6-13 from the field and a perfect 6-6 at the line. She also led all players with five assists. She also had two blocks. Three other Falcons scored in double figures - Melanie Preiner with 15, Kim Sorenson with 11 and Chantele Melgaard with 11. Melgaard grabbed seven rebounds and had three blocks. Sorenson also had seven rebounds. Kelsie Flanscha led the Falcons with four blocked shots and she had seven rebounds. UWRF shot 23-47 (.489) from the field, including 5-10 (.500) from behind the arc. The Falcons were 28-34 of the line (.824) from the line. The Falcons had a 39-32 advantage in rebounds.

Savanah Oeltjen led UWS with 18 points and four steals. Kelsey Duoss addded 17 points and four rebounds. Julia Hirssig added 11 points and four rebounds. Stout shot 22-59 (.373) from the field, including 2-14 (.143) from three-point range. The Blue Devils were 22-31 (.710) from the line.

The biggest Falcon lead in the first half was 14 points (30-16) with 2:34 to play when Krystal Parr hit a three-pointer. With 18:35 to play in the game, the Falcons had their biggest lead, 17 points (41-24), when Krista Cordes hit two free throws. Stout, now 17-4 overall and 10-2 in the WIAC, got to within eight (70-62) with 1:13 to play when Oeltjen hit two free throws.

The Falcons, now 13-8 overall and 7-5 in the WIAC, will next play at UW-Platteville on Saturday. Tip off is set for 3 p.m.

Falcons Earn WIAC Win at Oshkosh, 61-54

Jan. 27, 2007

Melanie Preiner and Traci Reimann helped lead the Falcon women's basketball team to a 61-54 win at Oshkosh on Saturday afternoon.

UWO jumped out to a 31-28 halftime lead. The Titans scored the first four points of the game before the Falcons went on a 10-0 run to take a six-point lead. With 16:09 to play Preiner hit a three-pointer to give UWRF a 10-4 lead. The Falcons held the lead until Oshkosh's Becky Knapp hit a three-pointer to give the Titans a 25-24 lead with 6:37 to play in the half. UWO went ahead, 31-26, when Kayla Sharpee hit two free throws with 2:23 to go. Krista Cordes got the Falcons to within 31-28 when she scored on a lay up with 45 seconds to play in the half.

Both teams struggled in their offensive ends for the first six minutes of the second half. UWRF scored three points and UWO four during that time period. The Falcons then took control and went on an 11-0 run to take a 42-37 lead with 9:47 to play. Kelcie Flanscha hit two layups and Kim Sorenson hit a jumper and later completed a three-point play to give the Falcons the lead. UWO then got to within one, 44-43, with 7:20 to play before the Falcons went on a 7-0 run. Flanscha hit a lay up, Preiner hit a long three and Megan Lindman hit a lay up to give UWRF a 51-43 lead with 4:56 to play. UWO later got to within 55-51 with 1:22 to play. Preiner hit another three-pointer to give the Falcons a 58-51 lead with 1:01 to go. In the last 27 seconds, Preiner was 1-2 at the line and Reimann was 2-2.

Preiner led the Falcons with 16 points. She had four rebounds, two assists and two steals. She was 5-8 from three-point range. Reimann scored 13 points and led the Falcons with eight rebounds. Flanscha, who came off the bench, scored 10 points and was 5-5 from the field. Cordes, who scored two points, led the Falcons with three blocks. Chantele Melgaard, who scored six points, led the Falcons with six assists and three steals. Lindman finished with five points and six rebounds. UWRF shot 23-52 (.442) from the field, inclduing 7-17 (.412) from behind the arc. They were 8-12 (.667) from the line. UWRF held a 33-26 advantage in rebounding.

UWO was led by Whitney Tyriver who scored 23 points. She was 11-11 from the line. Knapp scored 16 points and had six rebounds. UWO shot 17-45 (.378) from the field, including 4-11 (.364) from behind the arc. They were a near perfect 16-17 (.941) from the line.

The Falcons, now 12-8 overall and 6-5 in the WIAC, will next host Stout on Wednesday at the Karges Center at 7 p.m.

Lindman Scores 20 to Lead Falcons to Win at UWS

Jan. 24, 2007

Megan Lindman scored 20 points to help lead the Falcon women's basketball team to a 79-61 win at UW-Superior on Wednesday night.

The 79 points is the second most by the Falcons in a game. UWRF scored 80 in a win over Augsburg early in the season. UWRF's biggest lead of the first half was 22 points (40-18) with 3:35 to play when Lindman hit a jumper. The Falcons' biggest second half lead was 30 points (62-32) with 12:31 to play when Lindman again his a jumper. UWS got to within 12 points, 68-56, with 3:37 to play in the game when Nord hit a jumper. The Falcons were 5-6 from the line after that.

Lindman was 7-9 from the field and 6-6 at the line to lead UWRF. Traci Reimann scored 18 points and had nine rebounds. She was 8-11 from the field, including 2-4 from behind the arc. She had six assists. Melanie Preiner scored 12 points and had five assists. UWRF shot 30-54 (.556) from the field, including 6-18 (.333) from three-point range. They were 13-15 (.867) from the line. The team's shooting percentage from the field was a season best. UWRF shot 17-28 (.607) from the field in the first half.

Carissa Nord led UWS with 21 points, four rebounds and eight assists. Katie Moench scored 14 points. UWS shot 19-46 from the field (.413), including 10-26 (.385) from behind the arc. They were 13-18 (.722) from the line.

The Falcons, now 11-8 overall and 5-5 in the WIAC, will next play at Oshkosh on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Falcons Cruise to 68-44 Victory Over Stevens Point

Jan. 20, 2007

Melanie Preiner's 19 points and carried to Falcons to a 68-44 road victory over tough conference opponent Stevens Point. The Pointers were ranked No. 22 nationally in the D3Hoop.com poll.

Leading by eight at halftime the Falcons caught fire in the second half, shooting 67 percent and knocking down 5-6 three-pointers to seal the deal.

Preiner shot 6-11 from the field, including 5-6 from the three-point line. Traci Reimann added 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Falcons. Reimann's 16 points puts her over the 1,000 point mark in her career. She now has scored 1,008 points. Kim Sorenson tallied 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Megan Lindman gave the Falcons a big lift off the bench, contributing 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Chantele Melgaard added seven points and five rebounds off the bench.

The Falcons led 41-31with 9:45 to play in the game when they began to pour it on. They went on a 11-0 run to increase their lead to 52-31 and seal the victory.

The Falcons shot 51 percent from the field as a team, including 70 percent from the three-point line. The Pointers, on the other hand, struggled from the line, shooting just 25 percent as a team.

Katie Webber led the Pointers with eight points on 3-10 shooting.

The Falcons, now 10-8 overall and 4-5 in the WIAC, will next play on Wednesday at Superior. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

UWLC Tops Falcons at Buzzer

Jan. 17, 2007

La Crosse's Nicole Palmer hit a jumper at the buzzer to help lead her team to a 52-51 win over the Falcons on Wednesday night at Mitchell Hall.

UWRF's Melanie Preiner had given the Falcons a 52-50 lead with just 10 seconds to play when she hit a long three-pointer.

There were four ties in the close second half and the biggest lead was a five-point La Crosse advantage, 41-36, with 5:01 to play. The Falcons went on a 6-0 run to take a 42-41 lead with 3:43 to play. Traci Reimann hit a jumper and a lay up and Preiner hit a jumper to give the Falcons the lead. UWRF's Krista Cordes hit a three with 1:26 to play to tie the game, 49-49. With :33 to go UWLC's Mackenzie Hunter hit two free throws to give the Eagles a 51-49 lead. Then Preiner hit her three-pointer to put UWRF ahead, 52-51. That set up Palmer's winner at the buzzer.

UWRF led by eight twice in the first half. Preiner hit back-to-back three pointers to put UWRF ahead, 17-9, with 8:17 to play. The Eagles got to within 17-11 but then Kim Sorenson hit a jumper to put the Falcons ahead, 19-11, with 4:20 to go. But UWLC went on a 10-0 run to take a 21-19 lead with 1:50 to play in the first half. Preiner then hit a jumper to tie the game with 34 seconds to play. But Palmer responded with a three pointer to give the Eagles a 24-21 halftime lead.

Preiner led UWRF with 20 points - that ties her career high. She was 8-15 from the field, including 4-7 from behind the arc. She had three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sorenson was the only other Falcon to hit double figures - she finished with 11. She had five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Reimann, who scored eight points, had a game high nine rebounds and five assists. Cordes added nine points and three rebounds. Megan Lindman, who scored four points, had one blocked shot and she is now the UWRF career leader in that category with 103. UWRF shot 23-52 (.442) from the field, including 6-16 (.375) from behind the arc. They were 0-2 at the line. The Falcons had a slight 34-33 advantage in rebounds.

Hunter led UWLC with 19 points and she had five rebounds and four steals. Palmer added 17 points, five rebounds and two steals. Palmer finished 4-9 from three-point range. UWLC was 16-53 (.302) from the field, including 6-18 (.333) from three-point range. They were 15-18 (.833) from the line.

UWRF, now 9-8 overall and 3-5 in the WIAC, will next play at Stevens Point on Saturday with action starting at 5 p.m. UWSP was ranked No. 22 in the country in this week's d3hoops.com poll.

Box Score

Reimann Named WIAC Player of the Week

Jan. 16, 2007

Falcon Traci Reimann (Sr., North Branch, Minn.) has been named the WIAC Player of the Week, according to league Sports Information Director Matt Stanek.

Reimann had two outstanding games for the Falcons in WIAC play last week. Reimann, a 6-0 post player, led the Falcons in scoring and rebounding in both games finishing with two double-doubles. At No. 15 ranked Stout, she led all scorers with 22 points and he had 12 rebounds. Against Oshkosh she came back with just as an impressive game with 20 points and 12 rebounds. In the two games she was 20-38 (.526) from the field and 2-3 (.667) from the line. She had 24 rebounds, scored 42 points, had four assists, three steals and three blocks in 60 minutes of playing time. Behind Reimann's defensive play the Falcons held Oshkosh to its lowest point total in 787 games. She had six defensive rebounds and two steals in the game.

Reimann Records Double-Double in Falcon Win Over UWO

Jan. 13, 2007

Falcon Traci Reimann recorded her second straight double-double, and her fifth of the season, in helping lead the women's basketball team to a 47-32 win over Oshkosh Saturday afternoon at the Karges Center.

Reimann scored 20 points and 12 rebounds. She was 10-20 from the field and had two assists, three blocks and two steals in the win. Melanie Preiner finished with eight points, seven rebounds and three assists. Kim Sorenson scored seven points and had two rebounds. Krista Cordes scored six points, had nine rebounds and four assists. Megan Lindman, who scored four points and had two rebounds, had one blocked shot. She now has 102 career blocks and is tied for the career shot block lead at UWRF. She is tied with Patty Saxton who played at UWRF from 1978-82. UWRF shot 18-53 (.340) from the field, including 3-16 (.188) from behind the arc. UWRF was 8-15 (.533) from the line.

UWO was led by Kayla Sharpee who scored 12 points and had 11 rebounds. Whitney Tyriver scored six points before fouling out. Jessica Abitz scored five points and had four rebounds. Jenna Southworth, who scored three points, had six rebounds. UWO shot 11-52 (.212) from the field, including just 1-18 (.056) from three-point range. They were 9-10 (.900) at the line.

The Falcons led 29-14 at the half. After the Falcons went ahead, 2-0 on a Cordes lay up to start the game, UWO's Southworth hit a three to give the Titans their only lead of the game. The Falcons then went on a 9-0 run to take an 11-3 lead with 14:03 to go in the half. The Falcons' biggest lead was 15 points at the half.

UWO got to within 11 points twice in the second half. The first time came after Sharpee hit two free throws to make it 29-18 with 17:35 to play. Sharpee hit two free throws with 3:29 to play the make the score 43-32. But the Falcons responded each time to keep the second half lead in double digits. Reimann finished with eight points and seven rebounds in the second half.

UWRF, now 9-7 overall and 3-4 in the WIAC, will next play at La Crosse on Wednesday with tip off set for 7 p.m.

Box Score

Falcons Lost Close One at Stout, 56-55

Jan. 10, 2007

The Falcon women's basketball team nearly upset No. 15 ranked UW-Stout, but lost a 56-55 decision on Wednesday night in Menomonie.

The Falcons had a 28-23 halftime lead and had two seven point leads in the first half. UWRF started on a 6-0 run when Traci Reimann hit two jumpers and Krista Cordes followed with another good jumper to give the Falcons a 6-0 lead just 2:08 into the game. The Falcons led 28-21 with :52 to play when Reimann hit another jumper to give the Falcons a seven point lead.

UWRF had two 10 point second half leads, the last coming with 5:12 to play when Kim Sorenson hit a jumper to give the Falcons a 53-43 lead. But then Stout got hot and outscored the Falcons 11-2 the rest of the way. UWS took its second lead of the game, 55-54, with 1:48 to play when Kelsey Duoss hit a lay up. Reimann put the Falcons back ahead, 55-54, with 1:26 to go when she scored on a jumper. With just :26 to play, Stout's Dani Boese hit two free throws to put the Blue Devils back on top, 56-55. Sorenson missed a last second shot at the buzzer.

Reimann led all scorers with 22 points and all rebounders with 12. She was 10-18 from the field and 2-3 at the line. Melanie Preiner, playing in just her second game since returning from an injury, scored 11 points and led all players with seven assists. UWRF shot 24-58 (.414) form the field, including 3-18 (.167) from behind the arc. They were 4-6 (.667) from the line.

UWS was led by Savanah Oeltjen who scored 12 points. Duoss, who was averaging 17.1 points and nine rebounds a game entering the contest, was held to six points and three rebounds. UWS shot 21-58 (.362) from the field, including 1-18 (.056) from three-point range. They were 13-17 (.765) from the line. UWS held a 41-35 advantage in rebounding.

UWRF, now 8-7 overall and 2-4 in the WIAC, will next Oshkosh on Saturday at the Karges Center. The WIAC game starts at 3 p.m.

Box Score

Falcons Lose WIAC Game at UWW, 72-46

Jan. 6, 2007

The Falcon women's basketball team shot just .381 from the field and were outrebounded, 40-18, in a 72-46 loss at UW-Whitewater Saturday afternoon.

UWRF held just one lead, 2-0, early in the game. But UWW tied the game and took a 5-2 lead with 18:41 to play to go on to the win. The Falcons trailed by as much as 17 points in the first half before battling back to trail at the half, 32-23. The second half didn't get much better for the Falcons as UWW held a 33 point lead with 4:06 to play.

Kelcie Flanscha came off the bench to score 13 points to lead the Falcons. Krista Cordes also came off the bench to score 11. Traci Reimann led the Falcons with five rebounds. Kim Sorenson, who scored six points, was second with three rebounds and no other Falcons had more than one. UWRF turned the ball over 27 times. UWRF shot 16-42 (.381) from the floor, including 2-5 (.400) from behind the arc. The Falcons were 12-20 (.600) from the line.

Nicole Bundy led UWW with 16 points and Shannon Moore had 14. UWW shot 20-44 (.455) from the floor and 8-13 (.615) from three-point range. UWW was 24-34 (.706) from the line. UWW turned the ball over 28 times.

The Falcons made a late run in the first half. Trailing 30-13 with 4:04 to play, the Falcons outscored the Warhawks, 10-2, to trail by nine at the half. Cordes hit a three-pointer with eight seconds to play to make it 32-23 at the half.

UWRF, now 8-6 overall and 2-3 in the WIAC, will next play at Stout on Wednesday. The WIAC game starts at 7 p.m.

Falcons Drop 57-50 Decision at St. Scholastica

Jan. 4, 2007

St. Scholastica outscored the Falcon women's basketball team by nine points in the second half and the Saints made that hold up in a 57-50 win on Thursday night in Duluth, Minn.

The Falcons held a 26-22 lead at the half, but CSS outscored UWRF, 35-24, in the second half.

Kim Sorenson and Traci Reimann led the Falcons with 14 points each. Sorenson shot 5-8 from the field, including 2-5 from three-point range. She was 2-3 at the line. Reimann was 6-12 from the field and 2-3 at the line. She led the Falcons with 17 rebounds which ties her career high. Krista Cordes scored 10 points off the bench. She was 3-12 from the field, including 2-7 from behind the arc. She was 2-4 at the line. UWRF shot 19-55 (.345) from the field, including 6-26 (.231) from behind the arc.

CSS, now 4-7 overall, was led by Whitney Lathum who scored 16 points and Jessie Stenberg who scored 12. The Saints shot 17-49 (.347) from the field, including 6-12 (.500) from three-point range. They were a near-perfect 17-19 (.895) from the line.

UWRF had two six-point first half leads, the last came after Reimann scored on a lay up with 1:44 to play. That gave the Falcons a 26-20 lead. CSS went on a 6-0 second half run and took its first lead, 32-30, with 14:26 to play when Kirsten Heuhom hit a three-pointer. The Falcons battled back to tie the game, 45-45, with 5:24 to play when Krystal Parr scored on a lay up. But the Saints went on a second 6-0 run over the next three minutes to take a 51-45 lead. CSS hit 4-4 free throws in the last 15 seconds.

UWRF, now 8-5 overall, will next play at Whitewater on Saturday. The WIAC game starts at 3 p.m.

Falcons Top Finlandia, 74-46

Jan. 2, 2007

The new year got off to a great start for the women's basketball team as Kelsie Flanscha, Traci Reimann and Krista Cordes all scored in double figures to help lead the Falcons to a 74-46 win over Finlandia on Tuesday night at the Karges Center.

Flanscha, coming off the bench, scored a career-high 16 points to lead UWRF. She was 6-8 from the field and 4-5 at the line. She also had five rebounds. Reimann scored 15 points and led UWRF with eight rebounds. Cordes also came off the bench and she finished with 14 points. She was 6-9 from the field, including 2-4 from behind the arc. Kelli Hilt, who scored three points and had six rebounds, led the Falcons with four assists and four steals.

Kristina Nikkinen led the Lions with 12 points and three assists. Brigitte LaPointe scored 11 points and had three rebounds. Ally Tincknell led the Lions with seven rebounds.

UWRF led 38-24 at the break and the 14 point lead was the most of the first half. UWRF went on an early 8-0 run to take a 14-3 lead with 11:43 left in the first half. The Lions got to within four points three times later in the half. But UWRF outscored Finlandia, 10-3, over the last 3:56 of the half. The Falcons held a double digit lead throughout the second half. The biggest lead was 31 points, 72-41, with 3:04 to play.

UWRF shot 27-60 (.450) from the field, including 4-19 (.211) from three-point range. They were 16-22 (.727) from the line. The Lions were 17-51 (.333) from the field, including 6-13 (.462) from behind the arc. The Lions were 6-13 (.462) from the line. UWRF held a 44-30 advantage in rebounds and forced the Lions into 26 turnovers. This is the fourth straight game the Falcons have limited their opponents to under 50 points. It is the seventh time the Falcons have kept their opponents under 50 points this season. UWRF is 6-1 when holding its opponents to under 50 points.

UWRF, now 8-4 overall, will next play at St. Scholastica on Thursday. Action starts at 6 p.m.

Falcons Lose to Wesleyan, 49-45

Dec. 29, 2006

The Falcon women's basketball team's come back attempt fell just short in a 49-45 loss to Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon at the Grand Canyon Classic in Phoenix, Ariz.

The first half had eight lead changes and five times the score was tied. WU led at the half, 23-19, and that was the biggest lead by either team in the first half. UWRF jumped out to a 5-2 lead with 17:08 to play in the first half when Chantele Melgaard made two free throws. That was the biggest lead for the Falcons in the first half. WU had a three-point 14-11 lead with 6:40 to play when Kiah McAndrews-Davis hit a free throw. The Falcons grabbed an 18-17 lead with 3:34 to play when Megan Lindman scored on a lay up. But WU outscored the Falcons, 7-2, the rest of the way hold the 23-19 halftime lead.

WU opened a 17 point 40-23 lead with 13:04 to play in the game when Nikki Maletta hit a three-pointer. But the Falcons went on a 12-0 run over the next four minutes to get within five, 40-35, with 8:27 to play. Krista Cordes led the Falcons during the run with seven points. WU then went ahead 44-35 with 7:20 to play when Kelly Bowman hit two free throws. But again the Falcons responded and cut the lead to three, 44-41, with 3:45 to play. Melgaard scored on a lay up to get UWRF to within three. After WU hit two free throws with 2:41 to play, Melgaard again got the Falcons to within three, 46-43, with 2:06 left when she hit a jumper. WU hit three free throws and Lindman hit a jumper with three second to play to make the final, 49-45.

UWRF was led by Lindman's 12 points. She shot 6-8 from the field and had three blocks and one steal. Cordes scored nine points off the bench. Melgaard also scored nine points. Traci Reimann, who scored eight points, led all rebounders with 12. The Falcons had a 42-28 advantage in rebounds, but turned the ball over 30 times compared to 15 for WU. UWRF shot 18-44 (.409) form the field, including 2-11 (.182) from behind the arc. They were 7-14 (.500) from the line.

WU was led by Ali Fourney who scored 15 points and had six rebounds, and Maletta who scored 12 points. Fourney led both teams with nine steals and Sarah Milburn had seven. WU shot only 13-53 (.245) from the field, including 2-13 (.154) from three-point range. The difference came at the line where the Cardinals, now 6-2, were 21-29 (.724).

UWRF, now 7-4 overall, will next host Finlandia on Tuesday at the Karges Center. Action starts at 6 p.m.

Falcons Top Drew, 68-46

Dec. 29, 2006

The Falcon women's basketball team had four players score in double figures en route to a 68-46 win over Drew University on Friday afternoon at the Grand Canyon Classic in Phoenix, Ariz.

UWRF jumped out to a 31-18 halftime lead and outscored the Rangers, 37-28, in the second half.

Freshman Kelsie Flanscha came off the bench to lead the Falcons with 14 points and nine rebounds in 23 minutes of action. She was 5-7 from the floor and 4-5 at the line. She also had a block and a steal. Freshman Krystal Parr also came off the bench to score a career high 12 points. She was 4-7 from the floor with all of her shots coming from behind the arc. She also had two rebounds, one assist and two steals. Senior Chantele Melgaard and Megan Lindman each scored 11 points. Melgaard was 4-12 from the field, including 3-8 from three-point range. She had five rebounds, two assists and three steals. Lindman was 4-7 from the floor and 3-6 from the line. he had eight rebounds, one assists and led the Falcons with three blocks. Traci Reimann, who scored eight points, led the Falcons with nine rebounds. UWRF shot 26-57 from the floor (.456), including 7-21 (.333) from behind the arc. They were 9-14 (.643) from the line.

Drew's Melissa Kraft led all scorers with 22 points. She was 7-14 from the field, including 3-9 from three-point range and 5-5 from the line. She also led the Rangers with six rebounds. Courtney Cunningham scored 13 points and had five rebounds for Drew. The Rangers shot 16-53 (.302) from the field, including 4-17 (.235) from behind the arc. DU, now 5-5 overall, was 10-14 (.714) from the line.

The Falcons, now 7-3 overall, will play Wesleyan University at noon (PT) on Saturday.

Falcons Win at Northwestern 54-37

Dec. 15, 2006

The UWRF women's basketball team got back in the win column when they traveled to Northwestern College Friday night winning 54-37.

Kim Sorenson and Kelli Hilt each started their first game this season for the Falcons. Sorenson scored four points for the Falcons and registered two assists. Hilt scored eight points and registered four assists. Megan Lindman also scored 12 points for the Falcons in the victory.

The Falcons led most of the first half and held a 15 points lead with two minutes remaining in the half. The scoring was spread out in the first half but Traci Reimann lead the team with six points at the half and Chantele Melgaard had five as the Falcons led 31-17.

The Falcons' dominance carried over into the second half as they kept pouring it on. The Falcons lead by as much as 23 in the second half as Lindman lead the way with eight points.

Northwestern was lead by Julie Ross who scored 15 points and Jen Adamson who scored nine points.

UWRF shot 20-52 (.321) from the field, including 4-14 (.286) from three-point range. UWRF was 10-15 (.667) from the line. Northwestern shot 15-45 (.333) from the field, including 3-12 (.250) from behind the arc. Northwestern was 4-6 (.667) from the line.

Up next for the Falcons, now 6-3 (2-2 WIAC), is the Phoenix Tournament. The team's first game is set for Dec. 29 against Drew University, tip off is set for 11 a.m.

Falcons Lose at Macalester 52-46

Dec. 13, 2006

The UWRF women's basketball team lost its third consecutive game on Wednesday falling at Macalester 52-46.

The Falcons were led by Chantele Melgaard who scored 19 points and pulled down four rebounds. Traci Reimann also had a good performance scoring 10 points and registering 10 rebounds.

The Falcons were dominated in the first half as they were outscored 17-3 in the opening 10 minutes of the game. Macalester led by as much as 19 in the first half with five minutes remaining but the Falcons did enough to cut the defecit to 13 at the half. Macalester led 28-15 at halftime.

The Falcons came out in the second half and looked like a different team. The Falcons outscored Macalester 16-4 in the opening nine minutes of play and pulled ahead, 33-32, just before the halfway mark in the second half.

However, Macalester would come back and do just enough to regain control of the game. Although they led by as much as nine following the Falcon comeback Macalester finished with a lead of six over the visiting Falcons, 52-46.

Macalester was led by Danielle Johnson who scored 22 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Ann Baltzer also scored 16 point and pulled down nine rebounds in the win for Macalester.

UWRF shot 18-54 (.281) from the field, including 4-23 (.174) from three-point range. UWRF was 6-13 (.429) from the line. Macalester shot 17-43 (.395) from the field, including 3-9 (.333) from behind the arc. Macalester was 15-30 (.500) from the line.

The Falcons, now 5-3 (2-2 WIAC), next go on the road to take on Northwestern on Friday, tip off is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Drop Second Straight; Fall to Platteville 54-52

Dec. 9, 2006

The UWRF women's basketball team lost its second consecutive WIAC game as they were defeated by UW-Platteville 54-52 at home on Saturday.

The game was a hard-fought battle and two Falcons put on a show of their own. Kim Sorenson scored a career-high 16 points beating her previous record of 11 at UW-Oshkosh last season. Traci Reimann also showed her aggressiveness around the basket pulled down 14 rebounds, 12 of which were on the defensive side of the court.

The first half was a low scoring affair as the two teams went back and forth down the court. The Falcons did not score their first basket until Chantele Melgaard made a lay up 2:15 into the half. Both teams were plagued by poor shooting and foul trouble. The Falcons committed 12 fouls in the first half and shot 6-29 (.207) from the field and 1-8 (.125) from three-point range. Platteville committed eight fouls in the first half and shot 5-21 (.238) from the field and 0-4 (.000) from three-point range.

The first half ended with the Falcons leading Platteville 18-15

Platteville came out early in the second half and took the lead 20-18. Falcon Head Coach Cindy Hovet then decided to make a move substituting in Sorenson, Kelsie Flanscha, Kelli Hilt, and Katie Sheets leaving only Traci Reimann as a remaining starter. Following the substitution Flanscha scored six of the Falcons' next eight points to leave the game at 30-28 in favor of Platteville.

The two teams would go back and forth again until Sorenson made two free throws, another jumper and a three-pointer to put the Falcons back into the lead 52-50. Platteville countered by going 4-6 from the line down the stretch to lead 54-52. Krista Cordes had a look a three-point jump shot in the closing seconds of the game but missed. After Platteville blocked the inbound pass following the final Platteville free throw the game ended 54-52 in favor of UW-Platteville.

Platteville was led by Lisa Wubben as she scored 21 points in 35 minutes of playing time. Charity Stotmeister also had 11 points in the victory.

UWRF shot 18-59 (.305) from the field, including 5-20 (.250) from three-point range. UWRF was 11-19 (.579) from the line. Platteville shot 19-45 (.422) from the field, including 4-12 (.333) from behind the arc. UWP was 12-22 (.545) from the line.

The Falcons, now 5-2 (2-2 WIAC), next travel to St. Paul, Minn., to take on Macalester on Wednesday, tip off is set for 7 p.m.

Falcons Fall to Eau Claire 60-50

Dec. 6, 2006

The UWRF women's basketball team was handed their first loss of the season on Wednesday at Eau Claire 60-50.

Despite the loss Traci Reimann turned in a strong performance for the Falcons scoring 21 points and pulling down eight rebounds. Megan Lindman also had a good outing as she scored 13 points in the game.

The Falcons started strong as they opened the game with a three-pointer from Krista Cordes and followed with another basket from Traci Reimann. However, Eau Claire answered with a 9-0 run and the Falcons were never able to recover.

Despite being down by 18 at the half the Falcons came out in the second half looking to mount a come back. The Falcons outscored Eau Claire 19-7 in the opening 13 minutes of the second half to pull within five but that would be as close as they would come. Eau Claire did just enough to put the game away down the stretch outscoring the Falcons 19-14 in the closing minutes of the game to secure the victory.

Eau Claire was led by three players who scored in double digits. Heidi Arciszewski scored 16 points, Brittanni Hakanson scored 14, and Amanda Zenner scored 12 to lead their team.

UWRF shot 16-48 (.333) from the field, including 2-11 (.182) from three-point range. UWRF was 16-22 (.727) from the line. Eau Claire shot 23-47 (.489) from the field, including 1-8 (.125) from behind the arc. UWEC was 13-16 (.813) from the line.

The Falcons now 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the WIAC look to bounce back at home against UW-Platteville on Saturday at the Karges Center. Tip off is set for 3 p.m.

Falcons Down Stevens Point; Remain Unbeaten

Dec. 2, 2006

The UWRF women's basketball team beat UW-Stevens Point 67-60 on Saturday to improve its record to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the WIAC.

Traci Reimann led the way for the Falcons scoring 17 points and registering nine rebounds. Chantele Melgaard and Kelli Hilt also had strong performances. Melgaard scored 13 points, pulled down five rebounds and registered five assists. Hilt came off the bench to score 14 points and register six rebounds.

The first half was close as River Falls led by as much as five and the two teams went into the locker room with the Falcons leading, 25-23. The second half was also close as the teams went back and forth throughout. Stevens point led by as much as two but the Falcons went ahead with a three-pointer from Traci Reimann and would never fall behind again.

Stevens Point was led by Laura Neuenfeldt who scored 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds.

UWRF shot 20-45 (.444) from the field, including 4-12 (.333) from three-point range. UWRF was 23-31 (.742) from the line. Stevens Point shot 25-63 (.344) from the field, including 3-13 (.231) from behind the arc. UWSP was 7-14 (.500) from the line.

The game was the first time the Falcons have defeated Stevens Point since Feb. 15, 2005 and the first victory at home over Stevens Point since Dec. 8, 2004.

The Falcons next play on Wednesday at UW-Eau Claire with tip off set for 8 p.m.

Falcons Defeat Superior; Improve to 4-0

Nov. 29, 2006

The UWRF women's basketball team beat UW-Superior 75-33 on Wednesday. Three Falcons scored in double digits to lead the way. Chantele Melgaard scored 16 points while Melanie Preiner and Krista Cordes each had 11. Thirteen of Melgaard's 16 points came in the first half.

Kelsie Flanscha continued her impressive start to her freshman season. Flanscha scored seven points for the Falcons, pulled down 11 rebounds, and had three blocks.

The beginning of the first half was back and forth but the Falcons went on a 8-0 run to open the game up and take the lead at 14-4. The Falcons would never look back after that run as they followed up their run by outscoring Superior 16-5 in the final five minutes of the first half.

The Falcons carried their momentum through halftime into the second half outscoring Superior 21-9 in the first 10 minutes of the second half to pull away from Superior.

Superior was led by Katie Moench who scored 12 points and pulled down five rebounds and Ashley Laidley who had seven points and pulled down six rebounds.

UWRF shot 30-66 (.448) from the field, including 11-31 (.355) from three-point range. UWRF was 4-18 (.222) from the line. Superior shot 10-35 (.286) from the field, including 2-6 (.333) from behind the arc. Superior was 11-18 (.611) from the line. UWRF outrebounded Superior 44-30 in the game and dominated on defense registering 18 steals compared to Superior's eight.

The Falcons, now 4-0 overall (1-0 WIAC), continue WIAC competition as they host UW-Stevens Point on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Karges Center.

Lindman Scores 27 As Falcons Defeat St. Thomas

Nov. 27, 2006

Megan Lindman scored a career-high 27 points and pulled down six rebounds for the Falcons women's basketball team as they beat visiting St. Thomas 58-48 on Sunday. Lindman's 27 points was a career high for her beating her previous mark of 20 points set against Stout during the 2004 season.

The first half of the game was low scoring, the Falcons led St. Thomas 24-14 at the break. Both teams went on to score 34 points in the second half as the game opened up when St. Thomas was looking to come back late. Chantele Melgaard fouled out with 4:41 remaining and Traci Reimann also fouled out later in the closing minutes of the game.

Melanie Preiner added 13 points and Reimann scored nine while registering seven rebounds. Preiner, Reimann, Melgaard, Lindmann and Krista Cordes all played over 30 minutes in the game with Lindman clocking the most playing time with 38.

St. Thomas was led by Jessica Katch who scored 16 points and Chelsea Wirtz who scored 10.

The Falcons led, 43-23, with 6:27 to play in the game. But UST went on an 8-0 run to make it a 43-31 game with 5:47 to play. The Tommies closed to within 51-46 with :49 to play when Wirtz hit three free throws. But Lindman went 3-4, Preiner went 2-2 and Kelli Hilt went 2-2 from the line down the stretch to secure the win.

UWRF shot 16-42 (.381) from the field, including 2-14 (.143) from three-point range. UWRF was 24-43 (.558) from the line. The Tommies shot 12-48 (.250) from the field, including 3-17 (.176) from behind the arc. St. Thomas was 21-25 (.840) from the line. St. Thomas outrebounded the Falcons 41-31 the Falcons showcased their defense registering 17 steals compared to 9 for St. Thomas.

The Falcons, now 3-0 overall, open WIAC play against UW-Superior on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Karges Center.

Reimann Scores 20 to Lead Falcons Over Augsburg

Nov. 25, 2006

Traci Reimann scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help lead the Falcon women's basketball team to an 80-40 win over Augsburg on Saturday afternoon at the Karges Center.

The Falcons jumped out to a 47-23 halftime lead. UWRF went on a 12-0 run early in the first half and never trailed in the game.

Reimann shot 10-11 from the field to lead UWRF. She also had two steals in 22 minutes of play. Megan Lindman scored 12 points and had five rebounds. Kelsie Flanscha added 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks for the Falcons. Kim Sorenson was the fourth Falcon to score in double figures - she scored 10. She led the Falcons with four steals. Chantele Melgaard led UWRF with five assists and Jana Benitz had two blocks.

Augsburg was led by Kristina Lurken who scored 15 points and Megan Krumrie who scored 10. Jacci Mattern, Katie LaGrave and Lurken all had four rebounds.

UWRF shot 32-66 (.485) from the field, including 6-21 (.286) from three-point range. UWRF was 10-15 (.from the line. The Auggies shot 13-42 (.310) from the field, including 1-3 (.333) from behind the arc. AC was 13-22 (.591) from the line. UWRF had a 42-29 advantage in rebounds.

The Falcons, now 2-0 overall, will host St. Thomas at 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Karges Center.

Falcons Dominate Hamline to Open Season With Win

Nov. 21, 2006

The women's basketball team opened the season with a big 76-51 win at home over Hamline on Tuesday night.

The Falcons got off to a fast start with a 9-0 run to start the game. The visiting Pipers didn't score a basket until there was 15:40 remaining in the first half. The Pipers would never recover from the fast start as the Falcons ran away with it as the game progressed.

Kelsie Flanscha set the tone for a big season in her Falcon debut as she played 23 minutes, registered 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Chantele Melgaard also had a strong performance in her first game since the 2004-05 season as she played 27 minutes and scored 12 points for the Falcons.

Melanie Preiner and Traci Reimann also had strong outings as they returned to the Falcons for their senior year. Preiner played 27 minutes and contributed 12 points to the big win. Reimann continued her dominance in the post as she registered eight rebounds and six points in 22 minutes played.

The Falcons shot 25-58 (.431) as a team including 21-32 (.656) from the free throw line and 5-21 (.238) from three-point range. The Falcons dominate shooting helped them put away the Pipers as the game went on.

Hamline was led by Shelby Hyllengren who scored 18 points and she had eight rebounds. Britta Schwartzhoff scored three points and had 10 rebounds and Jessica Heinen scored nine points with 10 rebounds.

Up next for the Falcons is another home game against Augsburg College to be held Saturday at 3 p.m.

Falcons Open Season Hosting Hamline on Nov. 21

Nov. 15, 2006

Quality athletic programs don't rebuild year to year; they reload. This is the only way to describe the talented group that will be taking the court this year for the UW- River Falls women's basketball team. The Falcons finished 12-14 overall (8-8 WIAC) last season but look to make their mark this year with a balance of experienced seniors and talented freshmen.  

Head Coach Cindy Hovet is very pleased with the team that will be competing for the Falcons this year. The Falcons boast a roster loaded with talent, led by five seniors. "They are the core of the team," Hovet said of her seniors. Of the five seniors for the Falcons four played last year. Senior Chantele Melgaard took a year off last year to have her daughter, Jordan Marie Melgaard-Torrez, but is back this year and is looking to make waves for the Falcons. During the 2004-2005 season Melgaard averaged 31 minutes a game and was named to the All-WIAC Defensive team. Hovet is hopeful that Melgaard will be able to help fill in the gap left by Miranda Biteler who graduated last year.  "[Biteler] was one of our better perimeter players, she is the key player who graduated," Hovet said.  

The four seniors who did play for the Falcons are also looking to have strong seasons. Megan Lindman is back for the Falcons after she registered 24 blocks last season bringing her career total to 86; just 16 short of Patty Saxton's record set 25 years ago.

Another senior standout returning is Traci Reimann. Reimann also had an outstanding season last year as she registered nine double-doubles for the Falcons, was named UWRF Player of the Week five times and was named to the All-WIAC team as well as the All-WIAC Defensive team.

Also looking to have another stellar year is Melanie Preiner. Preiner's ability to excel both on offense and defense showed last season as she finished with 73 steals and made 55 three-pointers last year. Also returning is Krista Cordes who brings outstanding shooting ability. Cordes shot 35 percent last year from three-point range.

Also promising for the Falcons is talented sophomore guard Kim Sorenson. After missing her freshman year due to an injury Sorenson returned to the Falcons for her sophomore year and made her presence known. Averaging 18.5 minutes per game and registering 34 steals and 42 assists for the Falcons Sorenson established herself as a key player for the Falcons. "[Sorenson] is one of the very good players in the league and is looking real good so far this year," Hovet said.  

There are also a number of new faces for the Falcons this year. Kelli Hilt and Katie Sheets are both graduates of Lakeville North High School in Lakeville, Minn., and both come to River Falls with an outstanding list of accomplishments. Hilt and Sheets were both named all-conference in high school. Sheets was named to the St. Paul Pioneer Press All-State team in 2005. Hovet is looking forward to seeing how both Hilt and Sheets will perform this season. "They will see a lot of minutes early, they are both smart and tough," Hovet said.

Kelsie Flanscha will also be a new face for the Falcons but she is no stranger to River Falls. Flanscha attended River Falls High School where she earned four letters and was a three-year starter. Flanscha also brings her own credentials to the Falcons as she was named All-State honorable mention in high school.

There are two new faces on the Falcon coaching staff this season. Mike Babler was an assistant coach at River Falls High School in 2005-06 before coming to UWRF. Also new for the Falcons is Nick Hall who played for four years on the UWRF men's team before becoming a coach for the women.

With a talented mix of experience and raw talent the Falcons have understandably high expectations. "Expectations are sky high in our program, we will be much better than people expect," Hovet explained.  

With lofty expectations typically come equally lofty goals but Hovet kept it simple in regards to the upcoming season.  "With our team and if we can get the students out to watch, this season could be a special thing," Hovet said.

2006-07 Falcon Schedule
Nov. 21 Hamline, 7 p.m.
Nov. 25 Augsburg, 3 p.m.
Nov. 26 St. Thomas, 3 p.m.
Nov. 29 Superior*, 7 p.m.
Dec. 2 Stevens Point*, 5 p.m.
Dec. 6 at Eau Claire*, 8 p.m.
Dec. 9 Platteville*, 3 p.m.
Dec. 13 at Macalester, 7 p.m.
Dec. 15 at Northwestern, 7 p.m.
Dec. 29 vs. Drew at Phoenix Tournament, 11 a.m.
Dec. 30 vs. Wesleyan at Phoenix Tournament, Noon
Jan. 2 Finlandia, 6 p.m.
Jan. 4 at St. Scholastica, 6 p.m.
Jan. 6 at Whitewater*, 3 p.m.
Jan. 10 at Stout*, 7 p.m.
Jan. 13 Oshkosh*, 3 p.m.
Jan. 17 at La Crosse*, 7 p.m.
Jan. 20 at Stevens Point*, 5 p.m.
Jan. 24 at Superior*, 7 p.m.
Jan. 27 at Oshkosh*, 3 p.m.
Jan. 31 Stout*, 7 p.m.
Feb. 3 at Platteville*, 3 p.m.
Feb. 7 Eau Claire*, 8 p.m.
Feb. 10 Whitewater*, 3 p.m.
Feb. 14 La Crosse*, 7 p.m.
Feb. 19 WIAC Tournament Playoffs, TBD