EAU CLAIRE, WIS. – The University of Northwestern women's basketball team traveled east across the state border to take on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire [7-0 overall] Saturday evening. The Eagles came up short in the hard-fought dual, falling to the Blugolds by a final score of 68-64. With the loss, UNW drops to 3-4 on the season.

The Blugolds snatched the first frame, 14-12, over the visiting Eagles. Throughout the second period, UNW kept the score close as they trailed by five at the intermission break, 28-23.

Amy Berglund (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) put up a strong first half, as the junior guard tallied 15 points, while as a team, UNW shot 38.4% from the field [10-for-26].

The Eagles showed grit in the third as they outscored the Blugolds, 21-18, while UW-Eau Claire still held the advantage, 46-44.

Opening up the final frame, Berglund sank two jumpers to give Northwestern its first lead on the half [48-46] with nine minutes to go. Shortly following, UW-Eau Claire jumped a lead once again, but the Eagles still remained in the fight.

Trailing by three points with six seconds left in regulation, UNW attempted to tie the game, but fell short in their efforts as the Blugolds took the non-conference contest, 68-64. 

Concluding the night's competition, the Eagles finished by shooting 47.1% from the floor, while the Blugolds ended by hitting 48.1% of their shots. On the defensive end, UNW grabbed 26 boards [5 OFF, 21 DEF], snatched nine steals, noted one block, and forced 15 turnovers against the home team.

Berglund paced the Eagle offense all night, finishing with a career-high 26 points. She went 12-for-16 from the hardwood, 1-for-2 from long range, and shot perfectly [1-for-1] from the charity stripe. She also recorded six rebounds, swiped two steals, and tabbed one assist. Freshman Rio Landers (Grand Meadow, Minn./Grand Meadow) was the only other player to finish in double digits, pouring in 13 points, while Senior Alex Peterson (St. Paul, Minn. /Como Park) and Junior Taryn Tumbleson (Sherburn, Minn./Martin County West) tallied seven.

Northwestern will open up conference play on Wednesday, December 6, against Bethany Lutheran College. Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m. in Mankato. Fans can find more information on the women's program by visiting www.unweagles.com and by following @unwwbb on Twitter.