SUPERIOR, Wis. – The UW-Superior women's basketball team broke open a one-point game after the first quarter en route to an 81-43 victory on Senior Day at Mertz Mortorelli Gym on Saturday.
 
Martin Luther held the Yellowjackets to a just a 11-10 lead through 10 minutes, before UWS outscored the visiting Knights by 20 in the second for a 40-19 halftime advantage. Superior was not challenged from there on its way to a third straight win and sixth in seven games.
 
Senior Eva Reinertsen (Duluth, Minn./Homeschooled) paced four players in double figures for the 'Jackets (16-7, 12-2 UMAC) with 23 points. Marissa Ruiz (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) had 14 points to go with three assists and Emily Carpenter (St. Peter, Minn./St. Peter) had 10 points and six assists. Ellie Leadstrom (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 of her own to go with a game-high-tying eight rebounds.
 
UWS limited the Knights (3-20, 3-12 UMAC) to just nine points in the second quarter while shooting 63 percent in the second stanza itself. Superior engineered a 22-2 run opening a 37-18 advantage with 40 seconds left before halftime.
 
A Reinertsen layup in the first minute of the second half and a pair of Leadstrom free throws halfway through the third quarter pushed the lead to the largest of the period at 26 two times. It ballooned to a 38-point game at 78-40 with a Paris Kallevig (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) layup with 2:25 remaining.
 
UWS forced 21 turnovers and outrebounded the Knights, 48-35 for the game.
 
Cassandra Rose scored 11 points and had three assists and two steals to lead Martin Luther.
 
UWS hosts Northwestern Wednesday at 7:15 p.m., looking to avenge a UMAC defeat in St. Paul on Jan. 22.