SUPERIOR, Wis. – After winning their first two conference games of the season, the Yellowjacket women's basketball team paused Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action Wednesday, as they welcomed UW-Eau Claire inside Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium.
 
Despite junior Elise Besonen (Ewen, Mich./Ewen-Trout Creek) notching 15 points, the Yellowjackets would fall to the Blugolds by a score of 54-32.
 
Besonen notched her first points of the contest with a shot from downtown, allowing the 'Jackets to take an early lead. The Blugolds would capitalize on Yellowjacket turnovers and jump to a 6-3 lead. Besonen would counter on a three pointer after Chloe Peterson (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) nailed a jumper inside the paint, but the Blugolds kept things close throughout the rest of the quarter after Emma Donovan nailed both free throw attempts after getting fouled to end the first ten minutes of action.
 
Both teams kept things tight entering quarter number two, as Katie Dobson (Black River Falls, Wis./Black River Falls) hit a jump shot to counter a Blugold jumper. The 'Jackets were able to take a lead after Besonen secured another jumper before Erika Mattson (Ely, Minn./Ely Memorial) would hit a jump shot of her own for a 16-13 edge. Peterson took a foul from UW-Eau Claire's Brianna Nelson and drained her free throws, but Kylie Strop took a foul of her own and sunk both to give the Blugolds a 19-18 lead. For the remainder of the quarter, both teams would commit numerous turnovers but were unable to find the bottom of the net, keeping UW-Eau Claire in front of UW-Superior at 19-18.
 

After halftime commenced, Charlotte Ferstl (Plain, Wis./River Valley) would notch her first layup of the contest. The Blugolds would score 11 unanswered points after this, however, before Besonen would take a foul and secure two free throws and bring the score to 30-22. Teams would trade possession for the remainder of the third quarter.
 
The final quarter of play began with the Blugolds scoring early and often before Mattson hit a jumper to pause the scoring. Teams traded jumpers but were unable to capitalize on the scoring opportunities, but UW-Eau Claire scored a pair of jump shots to bring their lead to 46-26. Besonen took a feed from freshman Kyra Latvala (Solon Springs, Wis./Solon Springs) and drained a shot from downtown, and later Latvala would drain one of her own.
 
From here the Blugolds would turn to their bench and they would provide four more points to take the victory by a 54-32 decision.
 
For UW-Eau Claire's head coach Tonja Englund, this victory would give her 400 at the helm, joining a distinct group of coaches to earn this mark.
 
UWS was paced by Besonen's 15 points, three rebounds and three steals. Peterson notched six points of her own, while making all four free throws she attempted. Dobson would lead with six rebounds, as MyKenzie Leccia (Somerset, Wis./Somerset) notched five boards of her own and Emily Dehler (Pierz, Minn./Pierz Healy) with four.
 
The Yellowjackets continue non-conference action as they face off with St. Scholastica Saturday, Dec. 16. Tipoff inside Reif Gymnasium is scheduled for 1 p.m.