Titans' Strong Shooting Performance Leads To Win Over V-Hawks

The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team had its best shooting performance in more than four years during a 93-78 win over Viterbo University on Tuesday (Dec. 1) in La Crosse.

Six Titans scored in double figures as the Titans shot 57.9 percent (33-57) from the field, including 54.2 percent (13-24) from beyond the 3-point arc, and 82.4 percent (14-17) from the free throw line. UW-Oshkosh recorded its best field goal percentage since a .588 rate in a 100-51 victory over Silver Lake College on Feb. 20, 2010.

Charlie Noone paced the Titans with a career-high 20 points on 6 of 7 shooting from the floor, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range.

Ben Boots added 15 points for UW-Oshkosh, which also received 12 points each from Kyle Bolger, Sean Dwyer and Max Schebel and 10 from Alex Olson. Bolger made all four of his field goal attempts, while Schebel went 6-for-9 and Boots 5-for-7. Dwyer converted 4 of 7 shots from behind the 3-point stripe.

Bolger, Olson and Brett Wittchow all had a team-leading four rebounds, and Bolger led all players with five assists.

UW-Oshkosh (3-2) took a 5-4 lead it wouldn't relinquish on a 3-pointer by Dwyer just over four minutes into the game. Dwyer then connected on two more 3-pointers during an 18-0 run that gave the Titans a 20-4 lead with 12:49 left in the first half.

Viterbo University missed six consecutive shots and committed five turnovers during the Titans' 18-point skein, which included five straight baskets and two free throws during a span of just over three minutes.

Dwyer's fourth 3-pointer of the game gave UW-Oshkosh a 29-19 lead, and the Titans maintained a double-digit advantage for the last 27 minutes of the contest.

Bolger scored the last four points of the first half, including a jumper at the buzzer, to extend UW-Oshkosh's lead to 44-25 at intermission.

The Titans held their largest lead of 24 points at 57-33 on a layup by Schebel with 15:54 remaining.

The V-Hawks cut their deficit to 73-61 at the 6:42 mark, but the Titans responded with seven unanswered points for an 80-61 edge following a 3-pointer by Boots and four free throws by Noone.

Viterbo University outscored UW-Oshkosh, 53-49, in the second half despite the Titans shooting 62.1 percent (18-29) from the field and 75 percent (9-12) from the charity stripe in the final period. The V-Hawks went 8-for-19 on 3-pointers and recorded assists on 15 of their 18 baskets during the second stanza.

The V-Hawks' Jake Bamke led all players with 27 points on 8 of 14 shooting from the field, including 5 of 8 from long range. Bamke and Dakota Lindgren had a team-leading five rebounds apiece.

Austin Poehls added 14 points off the bench for Viterbo University, which also received 12 points and four assists from Pete Drummond.

Viterbo University (3-6), which lost its fourth straight game, ended the contest shooting 43.3 percent (26-60) from the floor, 42.3 percent (11-26) from 3-point range and 78.9 percent (15-19) from the free throw line.

After suffering losses in the first two games of the season, UW-Oshkosh has averaged 93.3 points during its current three-game winning streak that began with an 88-81 victory over Wisconsin Lutheran College on Nov. 21.

Including their 99-53 triumph over Edgewood College last Tuesday (Nov. 24), the Titans have surpassed the 90-point barrier in consecutive games for the first time since 2001, when UW-Oshkosh defeated Finlandia University (Mich.), 101-56, and Northland College, 99-43, on Dec. 28-29.

UW-Oshkosh returns home to face Maranatha Baptist University next Tuesday (Dec. 8) in Kolf Sports Center.