2005-06 UW-Oshkosh Women's Basketball News
Schoonover Named UW-Stout's Head Women's Golf Coach
Kris Schoonover did it before. Now Schoonover will get a chance to repeat history at UW-Stout as she will once again lead a program from it's infancy.
The Blue Devils women's golf team gets into full swing with the 2006-07 season and Schoonover, who will also be an instructor in the Golf Enterprise Management major, brings a wealth of history with her.
Schoonover took over a UW-Oshkosh program, starting from scratch in 1996 and, in 1997, was named the WIAC Coach of the Year for the first time. The Titans won their first conference title in 2000 and Schoonover was again the WIAC Coach of the Year.
The Titans won back-to-back league crowns in 2002 and 2003. Schoonover's 2003 team finished fifth at the NCAA Division III Championship and she was named the NCAA Division III Co-Coach of the Year by the National Golf Coaches Association. Schoonover was tabbed as NCAA District V Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2003.
"I really enjoyed developing a program at UW-Oshkosh," Schoonover said. "To watch the team and the playing ability of the players grow was fun and rewarding. Having produced WIAC championship teams, All-Americans and competing and finishing fifth in the national tournament will give me the drive to get this program on the map as a national powerhouse."
Schoonover, who earned a degree in both education and business administration and marketing from UW-Eau Claire, looks forward to marketing both the Golf Enterprise Management program and the varsity golf programs.
"The GEM program provides a unique opportunity to recruit student-athletes that share an interest in golf and the business of golf," Schoonover said. "UW-Stout has always strived for higher learning and now the GEM program adds another unique opportunity for the students and the student-athletes."
The challenge of beginning a varsity program gives Schoonover a chance to establish short and long term goals. "I would like to get the word out that UW-Stout has a women's golf team and a unique academic opportunity for individuals interested in the golf industry with the degree in Golf Enterprise Management," Schoonover said. "My long term goals are to develop All-American athletes and scholar-athletes, and to compete annually at the NCAA tournament. All goals lead towards producing national championships."
Schoonover, who earned a masters in educational leadership from UW-Oshkosh, was a women's assistant basketball coach from 1996-2003 and also served as the schools director of athletic marketing.
The Blue Devils will also re-institute men's golf after a hiatus of 15 years. A head coach is expected to be announced over the next few weeks.
WIAC Honors Four Titans
UW-Oshkosh's Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa), Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) and Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) have been named to the 2006 All-WIAC Women's Basketball Team. All three players were selected to the first team, with Eggers and Herrick chosen to the top unit for the second straight year.
UW-Oshkosh landed a league-best three individuals on the first team after claiming a share of the WIAC championship and posting double-digits in conference victories (12) for the 19th straight season. The Titans finished the 2005-06 campaign with a 19-8 overall record.
Eggers started 26 of UW-Oshkosh's 27 games this past season and averaged 14.3 points, 4.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds per contest. She shot 39.5 percent (123-311) from the field, 42 percent (37-88) behind the three-point line and 82.4 percent (103-125) from the free throw line. Eggers led the WIAC in assists, while ranking second in three-point field goal percentage, third in blocked shots (0.9), fourth in scoring, fifth in steals and assist/turnover ratio (1.19), sixth in free throw percentage and 10th in three-point field goals (1.37). Eggers played her first two seasons at NCAA Division II University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Herrick started all 27 games for the Titans this past season and averaged a team-leading 16.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest. She also shot 52.3 percent (173-331) from the field and 82.9 percent (97-117) from the free throw line. Herrick ranked second in the WIAC in scoring, third in rebounding, fourth in field goal percentage and free throw percentage and eighth in blocked shots (0.74). Herrick's 107-game UW-Oshkosh career included 1,062 points, the 14th-highest total in school history.
O'Keef started all 25 games that she played in for UW-Oshkosh this past year and averaged 12.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest. She also shot 46.7 percent (104-223) from the field, 49.3 percent (74-150) behind the three-point line and 95.7 percent (22-23) from the free throw stripe. O'Keef led the WIAC in three-point field goal percentage and three-point field goals (2.96) while placing 10th in scoring and field goal percentage. Her shooting percentage behind the three-point arc established a WIAC record, while her total of three-point baskets set a UW-Oshkosh record.
Joining the UW-Oshkosh trio on the first team were Kelsey Duoss and Molly Hendricks of UW-Stout, Mackenzie Hunter of UW-La Crosse, Holly Kaiser of UW-Platteville, Traci Reimann of UW-River Falls, Cassandra Schultz of UW-Stevens Point and Amy Morris of UW-Whitewater. Duoss was voted this season's WIAC Player of the Year.
Receiving honorable mention recognition were Heidi Arciszewski and Rachel Becker of UW-Eau Claire, Abby Johnson of UW-La Crosse, Liz Tesch of UW-Platteville, Melanie Preiner of UW-River Falls, Nathalie Lechault of UW-Stevens Point and Katie Moench of UW-Superior.
The league coaches also recognized a five-member all-defensive team. Individuals receiving recognition were Duoss, Hendricks, Lechault, Reimann and Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) of UW-Oshkosh.
Knapp started all 27 games for the Titans this past season and averaged 9.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 0.7 blocked shots per contest. She shot 47.2 percent (109-231) from the field, 36.7 percent (11-30) behind the three-point line and 61.4 percent (27-44) from the free throw line. Knapp ranked seventh in the WIAC in steals, eighth in blocked shots and field goal percentage, ninth in assists, 12th in rebounding and 21st in scoring.
Titans Ousted From WIAC Tournament
Apparently home court advantage in UW-Stevens Point and UW-Oshkosh’s postseason women’s basketball series isn’t all that important.
Meeting in the semifinals of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament for the fourth time in five years, the road team delivered another victory, but this time it was UW-Stevens Point winning 68-58 on Wednesday (Feb. 22) at Oshkosh.
The Pointers, who avenged home semifinal losses to the Titans in 2002, 2003 and 2005, advanced to their second WIAC tournament championship game and will play at UW-Stout on Saturday. UW-Stevens Point is now 20-7 overall, marking its sixth consecutive 20-win season, while UW-Oshkosh, which lost for the first time in seven semifinal appearances, ended the year at 19-8.
The two teams were meeting in the tournament for the fifth straight year and sixth time in seven years. UW-Stevens Point prevailed at home in its only previous title game appearance in 2004 and lost in Oshkosh in the 2000 quarterfinals, which also was the last time the Pointers played a road game in the tournament.
After a sluggish start, the Pointers had just six points in the first 10 minutes of the game and fell behind early at 19-10, but rallied with nine straight points to tie the game and eventually take a 26-24 halftime lead.
UW-Stevens Point used numerous spurts to build its lead in the second half, but the Titans had an answer every time. The Pointers twice went up by five points early in the half and UW-Oshkosh rallied each time, taking a 36-35 lead with 15:20 left.
The Pointers used another run of their own to push the lead to 45-38 with 12:48 left. The Titans scored the next five points, but again, UW-Stevens Point scored seven straight points for a 52-43 lead with 10:08 left. Ten straight points from the Titans capped by back-to-back inside baskets by Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) put UW-Oshkosh ahead 53-52 with 4:30 left.
Immediately following a timeout, Cassandra Schultz took the inbounds pass for the Pointers and sliced down the baseline for a go-ahead layup. UW-Oshkosh missed its next three shots and the Pointers had turnovers on their next two possessions before freshman Janell Van Gomple drained just her second three-pointer of the season to put UW-Stevens Point ahead 57-53 with 2:36 left.
Van Gomple, making her first career start in place of injured forward Chelsea Kranz, had 11 points and four rebounds while playing a team-high 33 minutes.
Meanwhile, the Pointers smothered the Titans’ shooters on the other end, holding them to one-for-eight shooting in the final four minutes.
Pointers’ guard Haley Houghton followed with a driving layup down the middle of the lane for a 59-53 lead with 1:55 remaining. Laura Neuenfeldt then made two free throws with 1:04 left for an eight-point lead that capped a 9-0 run before the Titans’ Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) hit a three-pointer with 49 seconds left to cut the lead back to five. Schultz missed a bonus free throw for the Pointers with 29 seconds left, but Nathalie Lechault rebounded the miss and scored the putback for a 63-56 lead.
Neuenfeldt led UW-Stevens Point with 19 points and Houghton added 14 for the Pointers. Lechault totaled 10 points and 10 rebounds and Schultz had nine points and eight assists for UW-Stevens Point, which made 19 of 23 free throws, including five of its last six in the final 24 seconds.
Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) had 19 points for the Titans, but was saddled by foul trouble much of the game and totaled 23 minutes. Another key was the Pointers’ defensive effort against Titans’ sharpshooter Kelly O’Keef (Sr. • Shorewood), who ranks second in the NCAA Division III in three-point shooting, but was held to just two points.
UW-Stevens Point will make a return trip to UW-Stout where it lost by 26 points less than two weeks ago. However, the Pointers beat the Blue Devils by 31 points in January. Each team played without its leading scorer in its respective loss.
Titans Rout Pioneers In WIAC Tournament Opener
UW-Oshkosh jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first 12 minutes of play and coasted to an 83-54 victory over UW-Platteville in a quarterfinal round contest of the WIAC Women's Basketball Tournament held Monday (Feb. 20) in Kolf Sports Center. The victory comes less than 50 hours after UW-Oshkosh posted a 61-58 overtime victory over UW-Platteville in the same venue to close the regular season.
UW-Oshkosh (19-7) advances to the semifinal round of the eight-team WIAC Tournament, where the second-seeded Titans will host third-seed UW-Stevens Point (19-7) on Wednesday (Feb. 22). The Pointers qualified for the semifinal round contest with UW-Oshkosh by ousting sixth-seed UW-Eau Claire (13-13), 84-74. UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stevens Point have met twice this season, with the Titans winning 69-62 in Oshkosh and the Pointers winning 66-63 in Stevens Point.
Other quarterfinal round winners in the WIAC Tournament on Monday were top-seed UW-Stout (18-7) and fourth-seed UW-La Crosse (19-7). UW-Stout advanced to host UW-La Crosse on Wednesday by edging eighth-seed UW-Whitewater (12-14), 80-74. UW-La Crosse qualified for its showdown with UW-Stout by defeating fifth-seed UW-River Falls (12-14), 63-53.
UW-Oshkosh, which improves to 8-1 in the quarterfinals of the WIAC Tournament, trailed UW-Platteville (10-15) only twice in the game, counts of 2-0 and 4-2. The Titans rebounded from their 4-2 deficit by scoring 33 of the next 38 points to take a 35-9 lead with 4:50 to play in the first half. UW-Oshkosh took a 40-21 lead to intermission after holding UW-Platteville to just 27.3 percent (6-22) shooting from the field in the opening period. The Titans shot 53.1 percent (17-32) from the field and committed just three turnovers in the first half.
UW-Platteville, which defeated UW-Oshkosh 50-49 on Jan. 3 in Platteville, cut its deficit to 40-22 before the Titans scored nine of the next 11 points to build a 49-24 advantage with 16:43 to play. UW-Oshkosh held a lead of 19 or more points the remainder of the contest, including an 83-52 count with 35 seconds left. The Titans shot 58.6 percent (17-29) from the field in the second half to seal their 32nd victory over the Pioneers in 34 meetings.
Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) led UW-Oshkosh in scoring with a career-best 16 points. Tyriver, who also grabbed five rebounds, made seven of her eight shots from the field and both of her free throw attempts. The Titans also received 15 points and three assists from Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood), 11 points, three rebounds and two assists from Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton), 10 points and three assists from Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) and eight points, six steals, five rebounds and four assists from Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis).
UW-Platteville had three double-figure scorers as Holly Kaiser counted 18 points, Liz Tesch 16 and Michelle Hardyman 11. Kaiser collected six rebounds to lead the Pioneers.
UW-Oshkosh finished the game shooting 55.7 percent (34-61) from the field, 50 percent (6-12) behind the three-point line and 81.8 percent (9-11) from the free throw stripe. The Titans posted a 33-24 rebounding advantage and won the turnover ratio, 13-20.
UW-Platteville shot 37.2 percent (16-43) from the field, including just 18.8 (3-16) behind the three-point line. The Pioneers shot 79.2 percent (19-24) from the free throw line.
Overtime Victory Gives Titans Share Of WIAC Title
The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team claimed its 10th WIAC title in 16 years with a 61-58 overtime victory over UW-Platteville on Saturday (Feb. 18) in Kolf Sports Center.
UW-Oshkosh shares the league championship with UW-Stout, a 57-49 winner over UW-La Crosse earlier in the day. Saturday's victory also gives the Titans the second seed for the upcoming WIAC Tournament. UW-Oshkosh (18-7/12-4 WIAC) opens play by hosting seventh-seed UW-Platteville (10-14/6-10 WIAC) on Monday (Feb. 20) at 7 p.m.
UW-Oshkosh took a 57-55 advantage with 1:44 left in overtime on two free throws by Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton). It was UW-Oshkosh's first lead since a 9-7 advantage with 5:51 left in the first half.
The Pioneers took a 28-24 advantage to intermission by holding the Titans to 37.5 percent (9-24) field goal shooting. After cutting the lead to 30-29 with 15:28 left in the second stanza, UW-Platteville went on a 9-2 scoring run to take an eight point lead at 39-31, the biggest advantage by either team in the game.
Trailing 49-43 with 5:22 to play, UW-Oshkosh scored the next six points, including a layup by Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) to knot the score at 49-49 with 33 ticks left in the contest. UW-Oshkosh's Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) blocked a shot out of bounds with five seconds left and Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) forced a turnover on the next play to give the Titans a chance to end the game in regulation. Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) missed a shot at the buzzer that would have given the Titans the victory.
UW-Platteville went up by five points (54-49) with less than a minute gone in overtime. UW-Oshkosh rallied back and staged a 12-4 scoring run to end the game, including four straight free throws by O'Keef in the last 16 seconds of play.
Herrick led four double-digit scores for UW-Oshkosh with 17 points. She also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Eggers chipped in 16 points and six assists while O'Keef and Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) each finished with 11 points. Tyriver had seven steals in the contest.
Kendall Christian led the Pioneers with 16 points while Liz Tesch added 10 points and six rebounds. Lisa Grantman added a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The Titans finished shooting 39.3 percent (22-56) from the floor, 30.8 percent (4-13) behind the three-point line and 86.7 percent (13-15) from the charity stripe. The Pioneers shot 41.3 percent (19-46) from the field, 43.8 (7-16) beyond the arc and 76.5 (13-17) from the free throw line.
UW-Oshkosh held advantages in steals (19-6), blocked shots (9-1) and turnovers (15-24). Each team had 13 assists, with UW-Platteville owning a 35-28 cushion in rebounds.
Titans Move One Step Closer To WIAC Title
The UW-Oshkosh (17-7/11-4 WIAC) women's basketball team kept its WIAC title hopes alive with an 80-69 win over UW-Whitewater (12-12/6-9 WIAC) in a game held on Wednesday (Feb. 15) in Whitewater.
UW-Oshkosh, which sits in a first place tie with UW-Stout can claim its 10th WIAC title in the last 16 years with a win over UW-Platteville at home on Saturday. UW-Stout travels to UW-La Crosse for the right to take a piece of the WIAC prize.
After missing on their first three-point attempt, UW-Oshkosh connected on their next 11 shots from beyond the arc and finished hitting a WIAC record 84.6 percent (11-13) for the game. Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) connected on seven of those shots from beyond the three point line.
The Titans largest lead of the first half was 11 points at 41-30 with 3:00 left on the clock before settling for a 43-36 advantage at intermission. Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) scored 13 points in the first stanza to lead the Titans. UW-Oshkosh outscored UW-Whitewater 12-4 in the first 3:25 of the second half to take their largest lead of the contest at 55-40. The Warhawks responded with a seven-point run to cut the lead to eight at 55-47 and got to within seven at 60-53 with 9:58 left in the game. UW-Whitewater could not get any closer as UW-Oshkosh held at lead a nine point advantage for the last 5:25 of the game.
O'Keef led the Titans with 23 points and hauled in six rebounds. Knapp added 18 points and six assists and Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) finished with 16 points. Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs) added seven assists, five steals and six rebounds.
Amy Morris topped the Warhawks with 20 points. Lindsey Buechner added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Jessica Wendt came off the bench to pitch in 10 points.
UW-Oshkosh finished the night hitting 66.7 percent (30-45) from the floor and 69.2 percent (9-13) from the free throw line. UW-Whitewater shot 48.3 percent (29-60) from the field, 18.8 percent (3-16) from the three-point line and 88.9 percent (8-9) from the charity stripe.
Titans Put Blugolds Away Early
The UW-Oshkosh (16-7/10-4 WIAC) women's basketball team scored the first 15 points of the contest and cruised to a 61-45 victory over UW-Eau Claire (11-12/6-8 WIAC) on Saturday (Feb. 11) in Kolf Sports Center.
The Blugolds did not score a basket until the 12:14 mark of the first half after misfiring on their first eight shots from the field. After the initial 15-point lead to start the contest, the Titans maintained at least a double-digit advantage for the remainder of the game except when the Blugolds cut the lead to nine points at 21-12 with 9:35 left in the first half.
UW-Oshkosh built a 38-21 cushion at the break by limiting UW-Eau Claire to 24.6 percent (8-28) shooting from the floor in the first half. The Titans also benefited from a 12-2 advantage in made free throws and connecting on 55.6 percent (4-6) of their three-point shots in the first period. Brittany Herrick, (Sr. • Appleton) who became the 16th player in UW-Oshkosh history to score 1,000 points in her career during the game, finished with 10 points in the first stanza.
The Titans lead reached 26 points three times in the second half with the last count coming at 57-31 with 5:11 left in the game. From there the Blugolds outscored the Titans 14-4 to account for the final score.
Herrick finished with 14 points and three steals to lead UW-Oshkosh. Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) and Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) each had 11 points and Eggers added a game high seven assists. Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) and Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) each pulled down nine rebounds.
Rachel Becker scored 13 points and hauled in six rebounds to pace UW-Eau Claire. Brittanni Hakanson added nine points and seven rebounds and Heidi Arciszewski scored nine points.
UW-Oshkosh finished the game shooting 46.7 percent (21-45) from the floor, 55.6 percent (5-9) from the three-point line and 77.8 percent (14-18) from the charity stripe. UW-Eau Claire ended the contest shooting 24.6 percent (14-57) from the field, 37.5 percent (6-16) from beyond the arc and 61.1 percent (11-18) from the free throw line.
J.J. Jumper To Visit Kolf Sports Center
J.J. Jumper, the official basketball mascot of the NCAA, will visit UW-Oshkosh's basketball doubleheader against UW-Eau Claire on Saturday (Feb. 11) in Kolf Sports Center.
J.J. Jumper's purpose is to increase enthusiasm and awareness of NCAA Basketball, while engaging and educating youth on healthy physical, emotional and educational values. J.J.'s mission is to represent both genders and all races.
J.J. Jumper is an attention-getting six-foot, five-inch green creature with orange hair, size 26 shoes and a big heart that motivates youth to do their best on and off the court. J.J. appears at men's and women's basketball games, giving away NCAA Basketball promotional items and performing skits during timeouts and/or halftime.
The 2005-06 basketball season is the sixth for J.J. Jumper. During the past five seasons, J.J. has made more than 300 visits at NCAA institutions, appearing at almost 600 basketball games. J.J. performs at regular season basketball games in all three NCAA divisions, conference tournaments and all NCAA basketball championships.
J.J. Jumper's appearance in Kolf Sports Center is also a part of the NCAA's Take A Kid To The Game Program. Kids, ages 12 and under, will receive FREE ADMISSION to the basketball doubleheader with the purchase of an adult ticket. Ticket prices for the doubleheader are $9 for adults, $6 for senior citizens and $4 for students (elementary through high school). UW-Oshkosh students will be admitted FREE with their university identification card.
UW-Oshkosh's basketball doubleheader against UW-Eau Claire begins at 3 p.m. with the women's game and concludes at 5 p.m. with the men's contest.
Blue Devils Too Much For Titans
Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) made the first shot of the game, a three-pointer, to give the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team the lead over UW-Stout. It would be the first and last time the Titans had more points than the Blue Devils.
Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) scored a game-high 24 points and Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) added 17 but it wasn’t enough as UW-Oshkosh fell to UW-Stout, 88-73, Saturday (Feb. 4) in Menomonie. It marks only the 11th time out of 51 meetings that the Blue Devils have come out on top.
The two teams are now tied for second place in the WIAC with a 9-4 league record. UW-Stevens Point is in first place with a 9-3 league mark.
Kelsey Duoss led the Blue Devils (14-7) with 21 points, while Joanna Bird added 16 and Molly Hendricks 15.
UW-Stout steadily built its lead and by the 10:57 mark in the first half had accumulated a 29-11 advantage. The Titans (15-7) chipped away at the lead in small pieces but the Blue Devils finished the half with a 6-0 run for a 20-point halftime lead.
The teams continued to go back and forth to start things off in the second half until the 5:08 mark when the Titans went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to seven at the 2:03 mark.
However, the Blue Devils answered with an 8-0 run to push their lead to 15. In the closing minute UW-Stout was 6-of-6 from the free throw line as the Titans strategy of fouling to stop the clock didn’t pay off in the end.
The Blue Devils cleaned up on the board, outrebounding UW-Oshkosh 39-25. Dani Boese and Savanah Oeltjen each had six rebounds and Kelsey Duoss added five for UW-Stout. Herrick led the way for the Titans with seven rebounds while Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) and Pam Fehring (Sr. • Hartford) collected five each.
UW-Stout also spread the ball out on offense finishing the game with a 21-10 assist advantage. Hendricks had a team-high five assists and Amanda Geissler added four for the Blue Devils. Nine players finished with at least one assist for UW-Stout as opposed to three for UW-Oshkosh.
Knapp led the Titans with five assists, while Herrick had three and Eggers two.
While the turnover battle was close, UW-Oshkosh lost that battle as well, coughing up the ball 19 times to UW-Stout’s 17.
Free Throws Help Titans Pull Away From Eagles
The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team scored seven unanswered points from the free throw line in the closing minutes of play to pull away from UW-La Crosse and set up a 62-55 victory over the Eagles on Wednesday (Feb. 1) in Kolf Sports Center.
The contest was tied 49-49 when UW-Oshkosh (15-6/9-3 WIAC) paraded to the free throw line on three consecutive possessions to score the game's next seven points.
Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) gave UW-Oshkosh a 52-49 advantage when she made three free throws with 4:12 to play. Following a UW-La Crosse turnover, Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) took her turn at the free throw stripe and drained two shots to give the Titans a 54-49 lead with 3:39 left. After UW-La Crosse missed a three-point shot, Eggers returned to the free throw line and converted two attempts to hand UW-Oshkosh a 56-49 advantage with 2:59 remaining.
UW-La Crosse (16-5/7-5 WIAC) cut its deficit to 58-55 with 46 seconds left in the game, but UW-Oshkosh held off the Eagles the rest of the way by getting a layup from Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) and a pair of free throws from Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis).
UW-Oshkosh scored the first 10 points of the game and built a 15-4 lead with 12:36 left in the first half. UW-La Crosse then went on a 17-1 scoring spree to take a 21-16 advantage with 6:33 remaining in the opening period. The Titans took a 28-26 lead to intermission after ending the first half with a 12-5 scoring run.
UW-La Crosse opened the second half with a 14-6 scoring skein to take a 40-34 lead with 13:31 to play. UW-Oshkosh came right back at UW-La Crosse by battling back to take a 49-46 advantage with 5:01 left in the game. The Eagles tied the contest at 49-49 on a three-point basket by Nicole Palmer with 4:29 remaining.
UW-Oshkosh had four double-figure scorers in the game as Herrick and Knapp counted 12 points each and Eggers and Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) 10 each. Besides their scoring, the Titans also received eight rebounds and two assists from Herrick, five rebounds, two assists and two steals from Knapp and seven rebounds, five steals and four assists from Tyriver.
Palmer, Mackenzie Hunter and Sarah Stachula led UW-La Crosse in scoring with 10 points each. The Eagles also received eight points and six rebounds from Abby Johnson and four points and eight rebounds from Katy Searing.
UW-Oshkosh finished the game shooting 43.1 percent (22-51) from the field and 87.5 percent (14-16) from the free throw line. The Titans, who recorded their 35th win over the Eagles in 36 games, shot 50 percent (4-8) behind the three-point line. UW-Oshkosh committed 13 turnovers in the game, compared to 19 for UW-La Crosse.
UW-La Crosse concluded the game shooting 42.9 percent (21-49) from the field and 66.7 percent (8-12) from the free throw line. The Eagles shot 38.5 percent (5-13) behind the three-point arc and won the rebounding battle, 34-28.
Falcons Fly Past Titans
The UW-River Falls (10-10/6-5) women's basketball team ended the first half on a 12-1 scoring run to take a 28-17 lead at the break and coasted to a 67-48 victory over UW-Oshkosh (14-6/8-3) in a game held on Saturday (Jan. 28) in River Falls. With the lost the Titans fall into a tie for the WIAC lead.
Tied 16-16 in the first half, the Falcons' Miranda Biteler got the 12-1 run started by draining a three point basket for a 19-16 lead at the 5:45 mark. From there four different UW-River Falls players scored, while UW-Oshkosh could only manage one made free throw by Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) in the final 7:32 of the first stanza.
After a made basket gave the Falcons a 30-17 lead to start the second period, the Titans closed to within four points to 30-26 after a 9-0 scoring run. Down by four points again at 34-30 with 14:56 left in the game, UW-Oshkosh would get no closer as UW-River Falls went on a 13-4 skein to hold a 47-34 advantage with 11:57 to play. UW-River Falls would retain a double-digit lead for the remainder of the contest.
The Titans were held without a double-digit scorer for the first time this season as Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) led the Titans with nine points while Herrick added eight points and a team leading seven rebounds. Amanda Bauman (Fr. • Marion) tied a career-high with eight points and Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) contributed four assists and four blocked shots.
UW-River Falls had five players score double digit points led by Krista Cordes who has 14 points. Traci Reimann added 12 points and 14 rebounds and Megan Lindman chipped in with 13 points. Biteler and Kim Sorenson added to the Falcons' cause with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
UW-Oshkosh finished the contest shooting 38.0 percent (19-50) from the floor, 33.3 percent (3-9) from the three-point line and 53.8 percent (7-13) from the charity stripe. The Titans entered the game leading the WIAC in three-point and free throw shooting accuracy at 42.5 percent and 75.9 percent, respectively.
UW-River Falls ended the game shooting 49.1 percent (26-53) from the field, 36.4 percent (8-22) from beyond the arc and 77.8 percent (7-9) from the free-throw line.
The Falcons held the edge in rebounds, (36-28) assists (18-9) and steals (10-8) and both teams had 19 turnovers
Pointers Slice Into Titans' WIAC Lead
Nathalie Lechault’s career night helped tighten up the WIAC title chase as the UW-Stevens Point women’s basketball team pulled out a 66-63 win over league leader UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday (Jan. 25) in Stevens Point.
Lechault had career highs in every category with 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks as the Pointers (14-5/7-3 WIAC) moved within one game in the victory column of the first place Titans (14-5/8-2 WIAC).
UW-Stevens Point opened the game with an 8-0 run and led the entire first half, including 31-27 at halftime. The Titans started the second half with a 6-2 run to tie the game for the first of nine times in a tightly-contested half, but the Pointers eventually used a 9-0 run in the final three minutes of play to come away with the victory. With the game tied at 57-57 with 3:14 left, Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) hit a three-pointer to give the Titans a three-point lead.
Becky Pepper followed with three huge plays for the Pointers. She hit a short fallaway jumper from the side of the lane, banking it with a peculiar angle off the backboard. She then hit two free throws on the next trip down the floor to give the Pointers a 61-60 lead with 2:06 left. Pepper finished her surge with a steal on the Titans’ next possession, setting up a driving layup from Pointers’ guard Laura Neuenfeldt and a 63-60 lead with 1:37 remaining to play.
UW-Oshkosh missed its next four shots and Cassandra Schultz made two free throws with 29 seconds left to give the Pointers a five-point lead. Chelsea Kranz made one free throw with 22 seconds left to finish the nine-point run and put the Pointers ahead 66-60.
UW-Stevens Point missed its last five free throw attempts and Eggers hit a three-pointer with 3.4 seconds left to keep the Titans alive. UW-Oshkosh rebounded another missed free throw with two seconds left, but was unable to get off a potential game-tying shot.
Lechault had six of her blocks in the first 10 minutes of the game and was a huge reason for UW-Oshkosh’s second lowest field goal percentage of the season at 35.6 percent (21-59). Schultz added 16 points and five assists for the Pointers, who shot 41.3 percent from the field.
Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) scored 21 points to lead UW-Oshkosh, while Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) added 13 and Eggers and Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) 10 each. Knapp also grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds to record her second double-double in three games.
In addition to shooting 35.6 percent from the field, UW-Oshkosh also shot 45.5 percent (5-11) behind the three-point line and 84.2 percent (16-19) from the free throw line. The Titans turned the basketball over 14 times, compared to 16 times for the Pointers.
UW-Stevens Point finished the game shooting 41.3 percent (26-63) from the field, 28.6 percent (4-14) behind the three-point line and 55.6 percent (10-18) from the free throw stripe. The Pointers had a 42-39 rebounding advantage.
Titans Exterminate Yellowjackets
Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) scored all 17 of her points in the first half to lead the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team to an 83-48 rout of UW-Superior on Saturday (Jan. 21) in Kolf Sports Center.
UW-Oshkosh (14-4/8-1 WIAC), which leads the WIAC standings by two games in the victory column, had 11 players score points against UW-Superior (3-13/0-9 WIAC). The Titans also had 11 players appear on the hardwood for a minimum of 12 minutes.
Eggers helped UW-Oshkosh build a 45-22 lead at the break. Leading 33-18 with 6:34 to go in the period, UW-Oshkosh held UW-Superior scoreless for a span of 5:08 to take a 45-18 advantage with 1:26 left in the half. The Titans outscored the Yellowjackets 12-0 during the stretch.
After a made lay-up by Pam Fehring (Sr. • Hartford) started the second half, UW-Oshkosh maintained at least a 24 point lead for the duration of the game. UW-Oshkosh's advantage ballooned to 38 points twice, once at 78-40 after two made free throws by Amanda Bauman (Fr. • Marion), and the other at 80-42 after two made free throws by Jessica Abitz (Fr. • Franksville).
Fehring, who started her first match of her career, finished with 10 points and three assists. Bauman connected on career-highs of eight points and seven rebounds and Abitz finished with a career-best eight points. Becky Roberts (Fr. • Bessemer, Mich.) and Amanda Dempsey (Fr. • West Allis) added to the Titans career day by tallying an individual best six points each.
The Titans finished the game shooting 49.2 percent (32-65) from the floor, 85.7 percent (12-14) from the free throw line and 50 percent (7-14) from beyond the arc. The Yellowjackets canned 35.2 percent (19-54) of their shots from the field, 66.7 percent (8-12) from the charity stripe and 11.1 percent (2-18) from the three-point line.
UW-Oshkosh outrebounded UW-Superior 47-26, including hauling in 20 rebounds on the offensive glass, and held a 19-9 advantage in assists. Each team mishandled the ball 19 times and had 11 steals.
Titans Hold Off Warhawks
Normally soft-spoken, UW-Oshkosh's Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) is letting her actions on the floor speak for her. The last two games, her actions are screaming.
Only a couple of days after sinking two game-winning free throws, Knapp dominated the closing minutes of a 70-65 win over UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Jan. 18) in Kolf Sports Center.
She scored seven of the Titans’ final nine points and recorded her third steal of the game with less than 15 seconds remaining in the game.
“She had some big shots from that left side and hit some big free throws,” UW-Oshkosh head coach Terri Schumacher said of Knapp.
The Titans (13-4/7-1 WIAC) withstood a late outbreak of offense by UW-Whitewater (9-8/3-5 WIAC) in the closing minutes. Nursing a 10-point halftime lead, the Titans withstood every charge by UW-Whitewater. Whether it was Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) leading the offense, or clutch jumpers by Knapp in the final four minutes, UW-Oshkosh showcased too much offense for the eighth-ranked defense in the WIAC.
Megan Baker of UW-Whitewater pulled the Warhawks within one on a 3-pointer with 44 seconds left. But four free throws by Eggers and Knapp, along with a timely steal, sealed the game.
Knapp finished with 13 points and Lindsey Buechner led UW-Whitewater with 14. However, the offense ran through Eggers, who led all scorers with 19 points.
The conference leader in assists, Eggers continues to serve the ball to her teammates like a gourmet chef, handing out a game-high seven assists against UW-Whitewater.
“Finally some shots started falling for me,” Eggers said of her second half nine points after a rough outing from the field in the first half. “It also helped in the first half that I got to the free-throw line because those are freebies.”
Opening the game with a 10-2 run, the Titans offense exploded all over UW-Whitewater. It didn’t last though.
Featuring one of the weaker benches in the conference, UW-Oshkosh couldn’t fend off the Warhawks’ rally.
There wasn’t a flurry of offense, but UW-Whitewater pulled within one, 19-18, with several starters for the Titans resting on the sidelines. Closer than anticipated, UW-Oshkosh gradually pulled away with the emergence of it’s starting lineup and led 40-30 at the break.
Titans Clip Falcons
By far, Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) was the coldest shooter on the floor when the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team inbounded the ball.
She hadn’t scored all game when she was fouled on a wicked collision with 16 seconds left and the Titans nursing a fragile one-point lead.
“At first I didn’t even want the ball, actually,” Knapp said, sporting a visible bruise on her right elbow after the game from the collision.
But she considers her two free throws in the final seconds of a 75-72 thriller on Saturday (Jan. 14) in Kolf Sports Center the most important of her collegiate career. The clutch baskets also helped the Titans maintain their first-place lead in the WIAC after a last-second missed 3-pointer by UW-River Falls’ Melanie Preiner.
The win improves the Titans to 12-4 overall and 6-1 in the WIAC. It was also UW-Oshkosh’s first home game in more than a month.
“It’s been forever. We haven’t been home in a while,” Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) said after scoring a team-high 24 points and nine rebounds. “It’s just nice to play where we practice all the time.”
The game was tied 67-67 when guard Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) acquired the lead on a pair of free throws in the final two minutes. A turnover at the other end of the court led to a four-point lead after a jumper by Herrick with a minute and a half remaining. Herrick and Knapp ended the game with a pair of free throws each.
"When it comes down to clutch free throws in a game, all you can do is concentrate,” UW-Oshkosh head coach Terri Schumacher said.
The lead switched hands only six times, but the Falcons always remained in the hunt. The Titans just couldn’t discover a way to close the door on UW-River Falls.
The Falcons featured a potent inside-outside game with Traci Reimann and almost every guard on the team. They drained seven 3-pointers for 21 of their 38 first-half points.
“Pressure was the key and we did not have that,” Schumacher said. “And when they have a great post-player like that (Reimann), our kids need to get up on that ball.”
Reimann led all scorers with 26 points and 16 rebounds.
Herrick powered the Titans to their 40-38 halftime lead. With River Falls ahead 20-19 with two minutes remaining, a jumper by Herrick netted the Titans’ fourth lead of the night. She then converted two more jumpers on the Titans’ next couple of possessions.
Titans Rout Eagles To Take WIAC Lead
The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team scored all but five of its points from its starters in a 84-62 drubbing of nationally-ranked UW-La Crosse on Wednesday (Jan. 11) in La Crosse. UW-La Crosse entered the game ranked 19th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com.
Coupled with UW-Platteville's 79-50 loss to UW-Whitewater on Wednesday, UW-Oshkosh (11-4/5-1 WIAC) moves into sole possession of the WIAC lead with its victory over UW-La Crosse (13-2/4-2 WIAC).
Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) tallied 22 points, including four three-point baskets, to lead five double-figure scorers for UW-Oshkosh. Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) added 20 points, including six three-point baskets, for the Titans, while Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) contributed 15, Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) 12 and Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) 10.
UW-Oshkosh collected 38 rebounds in the game, including 27 by its starting lineup. Herrick paced the Titans with eight rebounds, while Eggers and Knapp grabbed six each. Eggers also dished off a game-high seven assists.
UW-Oshkosh, which never trailed in the game, stormed out to a 46-31 halftime lead as they connected on eight of its nine three-point shots. The Titans' largest lead of the opening period was 18 points, a 36-18 count with 6:37 left before the break.
UW-Oshkosh maintained its double-digit lead the entire second half. The closest the Eagles got to the Titans was 14 points, including a 59-45 score with 9:50 to play. UW-Oshkosh's largest lead of the second half was 24 points, an 84-60 score with 1:05 left.
Nicole Palmer led UW-La Crosse in scoring with 20 points, while Abby Johnson added 18.
UW-Oshkosh posted its 34th win over UW-La Crosse in 35 games by shooting 52.5 percent (31-59) from the field, including 64.7 (11-17) behind the three-point line. The Titans shot 84.6 percent (11-13) from the free throw stripe.
UW-La Crosse shot 38.5 percent (20-52) from the field, 33.3 percent (4-12) behind the three-point line and 75 percent (18-24) from the free throw line. The Eagles shot the same in each half, making 10 of 26 shots from the field, two of six shots behind the three-point line and nine of 12 shots from the free throw line.
Titans Edge Blugolds In Overtime
The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team survived a scare from UW-Eau Claire and pulled out a 63-59 overtime victory over the Blugolds on Saturday (Jan. 7) in Eau Claire.
The Titans went to intermission with a 24-16 deficit. UW-Oshkosh (10-4/4-1 WIAC) hit just 7-of-23 shots from the floor in the first half. The Titans held just one lead in the opening 20 minutes, which lasted about 43 seconds.
The Blugolds (5-9/0-5 WIAC) held its largest lead of the game at 24-15 with 1:42 remaining. UW-Oshkosh quickly began chipping away at UW-Eau Claire's lead. The Titans' shooting and solid defense helped them regain the lead at 29-28 with 14:55 remaining in regulation.
The Titans outscored the Blugolds 13-4 during the comeback run. The Titans never led by more than four points at any time during the game.
Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining to give UW-Oshkosh a 55-52 advantage, but only for seven seconds when UW-Eau Claire's Heidi Arciszewski hit her team's only 3-point field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime.
In the extra frame, the Titans came out shooting, scoring the first points of the session. The Titans' Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) scored five of her team's eight overtime points. Herrick ended the game with 23 points and 10 rebounds, both game highs. Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) only scored four in the game, but accounted for 10 more rebounds for UW-Oshkosh. Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) scored all 15 of her points from behind the arc. Eggers ended her night with 11 points.
For UW-Eau Claire, Arciszewski was the top scorer with 17 points. Brittanni Hakanson added 12.
Pioneers Hand Titans First WIAC Loss
A late rally by the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team fell one-point short as the Titans dropped a 50-49 decision to UW-Platteville on Tuesday (Jan. 3) in Platteville. It was UW-Oshkosh’s second one-point loss in three games, with the other being a 60-59 setback to Emory University (Ga.) on Dec. 29 in Atlanta, Ga.
UW-Oshkosh (9-4/3-1 WIAC) scored 14 of the game’s last 18 points, but it wasn’t enough to erase a 46-35 deficit with 5:16 to play. The Titans pulled to within 50-46 on a pair of free throws by Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) with 1:10 left in the game and 50-49 on a three-point basket by Kelly O’Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) with five-tenths of a second remaining. The Pioneers successfully inbounded the basketball following O’Keef’s score to seal their first win over UW-Oshkosh in Platteville since 1990.
UW-Platteville (7-5/3-1 WIAC) trailed only once in the second half, a 28-26 score with 13:01 to play. Forty-eight seconds later, Michelle Tardyman sank a three-point basket to give the Pioneers a 29-28 lead and an advantage they never lost. UW-Platteville followed Tardyman’s basket with 11 additional unanswered points to take a 40-28 lead with 7:56 left in the game.
UW-Platteville enjoyed a 22-21 lead at intermission despite shooting just 26.7 percent (8-20) from the field. The Pioneers jumped out to a 10-5 lead before the Titans scored nine straight points to take a 14-10 advantage with 8:54 left before the break. UW-Platteville bounced back to score 12 of the next 15 points to build a 22-17 lead with 2:31 in the first half. UW-Oshkosh sliced its halftime deficit to one point on a pair of baskets by Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) in the final 58 seconds of the opening period.
Eggers and O’Keef each scored 12 points to lead UW-Oshkosh, while Knapp added 10 and Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) nine. Knapp also grabbed a team-best seven rebounds.
Holly Kaiser scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead UW-Platteville, while Liz Tesch contributed 16 points. The Pioneers also received 10 points, eight rebounds and three steals from Rachel Korth.
UW-Oshkosh shot 36 percent (18-50) from the field and 61.5 percent (8-13) from the free throw line. The Titans made five of their 14 three-point shots for 35.7 percent accuracy.
UW-Platteville, which won the rebounding battle by a 40-28 count, shot 37 percent (20-54) from the field, 61.5 percent (8-13) from the free throw line and 22.2 percent (2-9) behind the three-point line.
Titans Take Out Scots
The UW-Oshkosh (9-3) women's basketball team used a 22-5 run in the last 10:33 of the first half to take a 39-23 lead into intermission and held on to defeat Maryville College (Tenn.) 68-59 in a game held on Friday (Dec. 30) in Atlanta, Ga.
The Titans held a double-digit lead in the second half until the 5:40 mark when the Lady Scots closed to within eight points at 60-52 with two free throws by Katie Saxe.
Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) put UW-Oshkosh up by 10 points with two made free throws before Maryville College (5-4) cut the lead to 61-54 with a three-pointer by Natalie Munday.
UW-Oshkosh responded with a free throw by Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) and a two-point bucket by Herrick to build the advantage back up to 10 points at 64 54. Maryville College's Summer Dalton drained a three-point shot at the 1:11 mark to cut the lead to seven, 64-57.
The Titans closed out the win by making 4-7 free throws in the last 1:03 of action as the Lady Scots could not get any closer than 65-59 with 36 ticks left on the clock. The win was the second for UW-Oshkosh over Maryville College, with the other being a 83-67 victory in the 1995 NCAA Division III tournament.
Eggers led the Titans with a game-high 25 points and added five rebounds. Herrick tallied a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds and Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) drained 11 points and added four assists and four rebounds.
Munday led the Lady Scots with 12 points and Dalton finished with nine. Beth Reed, Melissa Uner and Saxe each had seven rebounds and Reed finished with five assists.
UW-Oshkosh shot 45.5 percent (25-55) from the field, 23.1 percent (3-13) beyond the arc and 75 percent (15-20) from the free throw line. Maryville College shot 35 percent (21-60) from the floor, 28.6 percent (6-21) from the three point line and 73.3 percent (11-15) from the charity stripe.
The Titans outrebounded the Lady Scots 40-33 but lost the turnover battle 18-21. Both teams had 10 steals and three blocks and Maryville College held a slight 13-12 advantage in assists.
Eagles Nip Titans On Last-Second Shot
Katie Rizzo sank a baseline jump shot with three-tenths of a second left on the clock to give the Emory University (Ga.) women's basketball team a 60-59 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Thursday (Dec. 29) in Atlanta, Ga.
Emory University (7-1), a first-time opponent of UW-Oshkosh (8-3), scored the last six points of the contest to rally from a 59-54 deficit with 1:39 to play. The Eagles cut the Titans' lead to 59-56 on a pair of free throws by Beth Bergmann with 1:18 remaining in the game and 59-58 on a layup by Lora Turner with 14 seconds left to play.
UW-Oshkosh had a chance to increase its one-point advantage with 10 seconds left in the game, but Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) missed a free throw in a bonus situation and the rebound was collected by the Eagles' Lynn Oberschmidt.
Emory University opened the contest with five straight points and held the advantage the entire first half. The Eagles extended their lead to 19-12 at the 8:40 mark of the opening period before settling for a 33-30 advantage at intermission. UW-Oshkosh pulled to within 31-30 on a three-point basket by Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) with 1:19 left in the first half, but Kate Corkle made a layup 39 seconds later to increase Emory University's lead to 33-30.
UW-Oshkosh scored the first four points of the second half to take its first lead of the game, a 34-33 count with 18:03 to play. Following five straight points by Emory University, UW-Oshkosh staged an 11-2 scoring run to take a 45-40 lead with 13:02 remaining in the contest. The Titans' largest lead of the second half was a 57-51 score with 3:34 left in the game.
Eggers scored 19 points to lead UW-Oshkosh, while Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) added 18 and Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) seven. The Titans also received eight rebounds from Herrick, six rebounds from O'Keef and six assists from Eggers. Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) grabbed a game-best nine rebounds to go along with her four points and six assists.
Emory University had three double-figure scorers as Bergmann and Katie Bergfeld tallied 13 points and Erica Kaplan 11. The Eagles also received six points and a team-high eight rebounds from Turner.
UW-Oshkosh shot 36.7 percent (22-60) from the field and 81.3 percent (13-16) from the free throw line. The Titans made just two of their 10 shots beyond the three-point arc.
Emory University, winners in its last six games, shot 37.3 percent (22-59) from the field and 85.7 percent (12-14) from the free throw line. The Eagles made just four of their 16 shots from three-point territory.
Titans Handle Comets
The UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team can now officially say that they have never lost a game to Olivet College (Mich.).
With Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) scoring a career high 20 points and grabbing six rebounds, Kelly O’Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) matching her with 20 points of her own, the Titans earned a 82-65 win on Sunday (Dec. 18) in the first contest between the two schools. The game was played in Franklin, Ind.
Fourteen of Knapp’s points came in the first half as the Titans built a 15-point lead by halftime.
O’Keef’s 20-point outing marks the third time in her last five games that she has reached the plateau. She scored 20 points when UW-Stevens Point fell 69-62 to the Titans on Nov. 30, and a career-high 27, including a school-record tying seven 3-pointers when the Titans won 76-54 on the road at UW-Superior on Dec. 3.
Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) scored 17 points and grabbed four rebounds while Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) led UW-Oshkosh (8-2) with seven rebounds.
Olivet College’s Jennifer O’Neil led all scorers with 24 points and also tied for the lead in assists for the team with five. Amy Brackenwagen matched O’Neil’s five assists and scored nine points. Callie Reed added 11 points for the Comets (6-4).
Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) also had an outstanding all-around performance for the Titans, scoring 15 points and passing out a team-high five assists.
UW-Oshkosh had control of the contest through out the game. After building the 15-point halftime lead, D3hoops.com’s 20th ranked team led by 10 or more points for the final 26:04 of the contest.
Vikings Beat Titans
Brittany Herrrick (Sr. • Appleton) poured in 27 points, but the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team couldn’t recover from a slow first half as the Titans dropped a 65-61 decision to North Park University (Ill.) on Saturday (Dec. 17) in Franklin, Ind.
Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) also scored in double figures for UW-Oshkosh (7-2) with 10 points.
North Park University (5-4) jumped out to a 34-27 halftime lead and kept its distance most of the second half.
Evie Peterson led the way for North Park University with 19 points, while Shandrel Young added 12 and Laura Mount 10.
The Titans couldn’t find the shooting range, hitting on just 42 percent (18-43) from the floor and 25 percent (2-8) from beyond the arc.
UW-Oshkosh also turned the ball over 23 times, which led to 28 North Park University points. North Park turned the ball over 17 times, but the Titans managed just 14 points off of the miscues.
Titans Prevail Over Nationally Ranked Blue Devils
UW-Oshkosh's Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa), Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) and Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) proved to be to much for the UW-Stout women's basketball team as the Titans defeated the Blue Devils, 80-68, on Saturday (Dec. 10) in Kolf Sports Center. The contest matched two of the top teams in the country, with UW-Stout entering game ranked 19th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com and UW-Oshkosh 27th.
Herrick led the way for UW-Oshkosh (7-1/3-0 WIAC) by scoring 22 points and collecting eight rebounds, both team bests. She made nine of her 17 shots from the field and four of her five attempts from the free throw line.
Eggers counted 21 points for the Titans on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 shooting from the free throw line. She also grabbed four rebounds, dished off four assists and recorded two steals. Due to foul trouble, Eggers played only seven of her game's 27 minutes in the first half.
Knapp scored a career-best 16 points for UW-Oshkosh on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 shooting from the free throw stripe. She also dished off six assists, grabbed five rebounds and registered three steals.
While the efforts of the UW-Oshkosh trio were stellar, the top individual performance of the game belonged to UW-Stout's Kelsey Duoss. Duoss scored 21 points, grabbed a season-best 18 rebounds, blocked three shots and recorded one steal in 25 minutes of playing time. She made nine of her 12 shots from the field and three of her six tosses from the free throw line.
In addition to Duoss, the defending WIAC co-champion Blue Devils also received 13 points from Lindsey Geissler and 10 points, five assists and four rebounds from Molly Hendricks.
UW-Oshkosh connected on its first five shots from the field to take 13-7 lead just 3:15 into play. Following four straight points by UW-Stout, the Titans then scored nine consecutive points to take a 22-11 lead at the 10:06 mark of the opening period. With exception of a 29-29 tie, UW-Oshkosh remained in front the rest of the first half. The Titans went to intermission leading 39-35.
UW-Stout, which had won its four previous games against UW-Oshkosh, scored the first eight points of the second half to take a 43-39 lead with 17:06 to play. The Blue Devils held a 47-46 advantage before the Titans staged a 15-1 scoring run to take a 61-48 lead with 7:55 remaining in the game. UW-Oshkosh held a lead of at least 11 points the rest of the game, including a 71-54 count with 3:18 left.
UW-Oshkosh shot 45 percent (27-60) from the field, 55.6 percent (5-9) behind the three-point line and 63.6 percent (21-33) from the free throw line. Meanwhile, UW-Stout shot 32.4 percent (22-68) from the field, 31.6 percent (6-19) from the three-point line and 64.3 percent (18-28) from the charity stripe.
UW-Stout (5-3/2-2 WIAC) won the rebounding battle, 54-35, but UW-Oshkosh won the turnover count, 13-20. The game featured 47 fouls, including 28 in the first half.
Titans Wound Yellowjackets
Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) scored a career-high 27 points as the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team defeated UW-Superior, 76-54, on Saturday (Dec. 3) in Superior.
O'Keef made 10 of her 12 field goal attempts, including seven of her eight tries behind the three-point line. O'Keef's seven three-point baskets tied a school record.
UW-Oshkosh (6-1/2-0 WIAC) also received 10 points from Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) and eight each from Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa), Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) and Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh). The Titans also benefited from Eggers' game-high nine assists and Tyriver's game-best seven rebounds.
Jenny Carlson led UW-Superior (1-3/0-2 WIAC) in scoring with 15 points, while Katie Moench added 12.
UW-Oshkosh tallied the first seven points of the contest and built a 39-16 lead with 2:59 left in the first half. The Titans opened the second half with a 24-6 scoring run to take a 64-28 lead with 11:43 to play.
UW-Oshkosh recorded its 43rd straight victory over UW-Superior by shooting 63.0 percent (29-46) from the field, including 63.6 percent (7-11) behind the three-point line. The Titans shot 91.7 percent from the free throw line, making 11 of their 12 attempts.
UW-Superior shot 31.5 percent (17-54) from the field and 66.7 percent (14-21) from the free throw line. The Yellowjackets shot 27.3 percent (6-22) beyond the three-point arc.
Titans Win WIAC Opener
The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team kicked off its WIAC schedule by defeating rival UW-Stevens Point, 69-62, on Wednesday (Nov. 30) in Kolf Sports Center.
UW-Stevens Point (4-2/0-1 WIAC) jumped out to a 23-11 lead with 8:32 left in the first half. The Pointers' early scoring included eight points by Laura Neuenfeldt and seven by Haley Houghton.
UW-Oshkosh (5-1/1-0 WIAC) ended the first half with a 22-7 scoring run to take a 33-28 lead to intermission. Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) keyed UW-Oshkosh's scoring run with 10 points, while Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) added five, including a jumper from the lane at the buzzer.
Tied 49-49, UW-Oshkosh pulled away from UW-Stevens Point thanks to a 14-2 scoring run. The scoring spurt gave the Titans a 63-51 lead with 2:34 to play. UW-Oshkosh held a lead of six or more points the remainder of the contest.
UW-Oshkosh, which snapped a five-game losing streak on its home court to UW-Stevens Point, had four double-figure scorers in the contest. Herrick led the way with 22 points, while Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) added a career-best 20, Eggers 13 and Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) 10. Eggers also contributed nine rebounds and nine assists, both team bests.
Neuenfeldt led UW-Stevens Point in scoring with 20 points, while Houghton added 16. Cassandra Schultz collected seven rebounds to lead the Pointers.
UW-Oshkosh shot 39.7 percent (23-58) from the field and 95 percent (19-20) from the free throw line. UW-Stevens Point shot 41.4 percent (24-58) from the field and 57.1 percent (8-14) from the charity stripe. The Pointers made six three-point baskets in the game and the Titans four.
Titans Overcome Early Deficit To Oust Red Hawks
The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team won its third consecutive game, defeating Ripon College, 69-59, on Saturday (Nov. 26) in Ripon.
Ripon College (2-2), which advanced to the second round of last year's NCAA Division III Championship, dominated play early by jumping to a 27-21 lead at the 6:17 mark of the first half. UW-Oshkosh (4-1) closed the period with a 16-5 scoring run to take a 37-32 lead to intermission.
The second half was all UW-Oshkosh as the Titans jumped to a 51-41 lead with 14:21 to play. The Titans' advantage ballooned to 68-51 on a jump shot by Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis) with 3:11 remaining. The Red Hawks closed the game on an 8-1 scoring run, including a three-point basket by Morgan Roberts with one second left.
Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) led the Titans with 21 points, while Knapp added 14 and Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) and Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) 12 each. UW-Oshkosh's five starters accounted for 65 of its 69 points. Knapp and Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) each grabbed seven rebounds to pace UW-Oshkosh.
Ripon College, which has dropped all six of its meetings with UW-Oshkosh, was led by Morgan Roberts' game-high 23 points. Karalyn Dehn hauled in a double-double with 10 rebounds and 10 points, while Anne Ackerman finished with 13 points and six assists.
UW-Oshkosh concluded the game shooting 48.4 percent (30-62) from the field, while Ripon College shot 43.4 (23-53). The Red Hawks made 11 three-point baskets in the contest, while the Titans made six.
Ripon College was hampered by 19 turnovers, while only forcing 10 miscues. UW-Oshkosh turned the 19 Ripon College turnovers into 28 points.
Titans Defeat Eagles
Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) scored 22 points and grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds while Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) scored 15 points and dished off a career-best 10 assists as the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team defeated Edgewood College, 61-46, on Friday (Nov. 25) in Kolf Sports Center.
UW-Oshkosh (3-1), which trailed 3-2 for its only deficit of the game, led Edgewood College, 32-20, at intermission. Herrick scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Titans in the first half, while Eggers scored eight points and dished off eight assists.
In the second half, Edgewood College scored 13 straight points to make the score 46-40 with 7:01 to play. The Titans coasted to the finish by outscoring the Eagles, 13-4, in the final 4:32 of the contest.
Edgewood College, which is winless in six games against UW-Oshkosh, was led by Nickie Updike's 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Eagles also received 12 points from Katie Mueller.
Titans Overwhelm Cougars
Terri Schumacher's first game as head coach of the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team was a resounding success as the Titans defeated Fontbonne University (Mo.), 74-51, on Nov. 18
Schumacher's second win as UW-Oshkosh's head coach was even more impressive as the Titans routed Concordia University (Ill.), 88-23, in their home opener on Tuesday (Nov. 22) in Kolf Sports Center.
Action in the first half was a landslide of offensive prowess by UW-Oshkosh. The Titans drained their first six shots from the field, including three three-point baskets by Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood), to build a 15-2 advantage.
Leading 17-6, UW-Oshkosh scored 19 straight points, including seven by Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton), to take a 35-6 advantage with 4:07 left in the first half. The Titans went to intermission leading 37-10 as Herrick and O'Keef tallied 11 points each.
UW-Oshkosh opened the second half with a 27-6 scoring run, including eight points by Herrick, to take a 64-16 lead with 11:47 to play. The Titans ended the contest with a 24-2 scoring spree, including nine points by Erin Willkom (Fr. • Marshfield), to post their 65 point victory. The 23 points scored by Concordia University was the fewest allowed by UW-Oshkosh in 338 games.
UW-Oshkosh dominated every statistical category. The Titans shot 54.2 percent (32-59) from the field, including 46.2 (6-13) behind the three-point line, and 75 percent (18-24) from the free throw stripe. The Titans posted advantages of 42-30 in rebounds, 14-5 in assists and 19-30 in turnovers.
Concordia University, a first-time opponent of UW-Oshkosh, shot just 19.2 percent (10-52) from the field and 25 percent (1-4) from the free throw line. The Cougars shot 15.4 percent (2-13) behind the three-point line.
Herrick totaled 19 points and eight rebounds to lead the Titans in both categories. UW-Oshkosh also received 15 points and three rebounds from Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa), 11 points and two assists from O'Keef and nine points and two rebounds from Willkom. Becky Roberts (Fr. • Besemer, Mich.) tied Herrick with a team-best eight rebounds.
Concordia University was led by Kari Zielke's six points and Kelly Glidewell's eight rebounds.
Pioneers Shoot Their Way Past Titans
The Carroll College women's basketball team shot 60 percent from the field in each half to defeat UW-Oshkosh, 71-58, in the championship game of the Kilgour Tournament held Saturday (Nov. 19) in Waukesha.
Carroll College (2-0), which recorded just its third win against UW-Oshkosh in 19 games, ousted the Titans (1-1) by making 15 of its 25 field goal attempts (60 percent) in the first half and 14 of its 23 field goal tries (60.9 percent) in the second.
Defensively, Carroll College limited UW-Oshkosh to just 34.4 percent (21-61) shooting from the field. The Titans made only eight of their 28 shots (28.6 percent) in the first half and 13 of their 33 attempts (39.4 percent) in the second.
Carroll College, which trailed 1-0 for its only deficit of the game, staged a 17-5 scoring run to take a 25-11 advantage with 6:12 left in the first half. The Pioneers extended their lead to 31-15 before the Titans closed the opening period with an 8-2 scoring run. Despite making just two of its first 17 shots from the field, UW-Oshkosh trailed only 33-23 at intermission.
The closest UW-Oshkosh got to Carroll College in the second half was a 35-32 score with 16:35 to play. The Titans also trailed 49-45, but six straight points by the Pioneers put the score at 55-45 with 5:46 left in the game. Carroll College went the rest of the contest with a lead of at least six points.
Whitney Tyriver (So. • Oshkosh) scored a career-high 15 points to lead UW-Oshkosh, while Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa) added 12 and Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) 11. The Titans also received eight points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals from Becky Knapp (Jr. • West Allis).
Carroll College was led by the 20 points, 11 rebounds and five steals of Kim Wickert. The Pioneers also received 18 points and seven rebounds from Melanie Foreman, 15 points, nine assists and four rebounds from Crystal Hoewisch and 11 points and seven rebounds from Kate Elwood. Foreman made all nine of her shots and Wickert nine of her 11 shots from the field.
Carroll College turned the basketball over 23 times, but crashed the boards to post a 38-25 rebounding advantage. UW-Oshkosh had 16 turnovers in the game.
Schumacher's Coaching Debut A Success
Terri Schumacher's return to the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball program was a successful one as the Titans defeated Fontbonne University (Mo.), 74-51, in a first round game of the Carroll College Kilgour Tournament held Friday (Nov. 18) in Waukesha
Schumacher, who played for the Titans during the 1984 and 1985 campaigns, was named UW-Oshkosh's head coach in July after serving the previous 13 seasons as the head girls' basketball coach at Oshkosh West High School.
UW-Oshkosh, which won its season opener for the 26th time in 32 years, took a 3-0 lead on a basket by Kelly O'Keef (Sr. • Shorewood) four seconds into play and never looked back. The Titans increased their advantage to 23-10 by making 10 of their first 16 shots from the field. UW-Oshkosh went to intermission leading 36-22.
Leading 40-26, UW-Oshkosh scored 12 straight points to take 52-26 advantage with 13:15 to play. Five different players counted points during UW-Oshkosh's scoring spree, including a three-point basket by O'Keef. The Titans held a lead of 22-plus points the remainder of the contest.
Brittany Herrick (Sr. • Appleton) scored a career-best 26 points to lead UW-Oshkosh. Herrick, who also grabbed five rebounds and dished off one assist in the contest, made nine of her 13 shots from the field and all eight of her free throw tries. The Titans also received 14 points, eight assists, four rebounds and four steals from Shannon Eggers (Sr. • Council Bluffs, Iowa). O'Keef finished the contest with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Fontbonne University, a second-time opponent of UW-Oshkosh, was led by Meghan Kohnen's 17 points and five rebounds. The Griffins also received 11 points and six rebounds from Kristin Chamberlain. Fontbonne University turned the basketball over 26 times and recorded only six assists.
UW-Oshkosh shot 54.9 percent (28-51) from the field, including 62.5 (15-24) in the second half. The Titans also shot 33.3 percent (4-12) behind the three-point line and 70 percent (14-20) from the free throw stripe.
Fontbonne University shot just 29.6 percent (16-54) from the field, including only 16.7 (4-24) behind the three-point line. The Griffins shot 75 percent (15-20) from the free throw stripe.
Titans' 2005-06 Season Preview
The UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball program turns to Terri Schumacher, one of the Titans’ all-time greats, for guidance during the 2005-06 season. Schumacher, who made UW-Oshkosh’s Albee Hall her home for two seasons in the mid-1980s, replaces Pam Ruder, who resigned after nine seasons to become the head women’s basketball coach at Southwestern University (Texas).
Schumacher returns to her alma mater after spending the past 13 years as the head girls’ basketball coach at Oshkosh West High School. Schumacher’s tenure at Oshkosh West High School included WIAA Division I state championships in 2003 and 2004 and a glittering 131-35 record since 2000.
Schumacher is the fourth head women’s basketball coach in UW-Oshkosh history. She inherits a program that has compiled 11 21+ win seasons in the past 12 years. The Titans have won 262 of their last 311 games, including 22-of-28 a year ago.
Schumacher’s transition from high school to college will be made easier with the return of six letter winners, including three starters. Among the returnees are two players who received All-WIAC first team honors last season and one player who started on both of Schumacher’s state championship teams at Oshkosh West High School.
Leading the list of returning starters for UW-Oshkosh is senior forward Brittany Herrick (Appleton). Herrick received NCAA Division III All-Central Region first team honors by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, NCAA Division III All-Central Region third team accolades by D3hoops.com and All-WIAC first team mention last winter after averaging a team-leading 13.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. She also shot 52.0 percent from the field and reached double-figure scoring in 20 of UW-Oshkosh’s 28 games a year ago. Herrick has played in 80 games during her UW-Oshkosh career, including 27 as a starter.
Another heralded starter back for the Titans is senior guard Shannon Eggers (Council Bluffs, Iowa). Eggers gained All-WIAC first team honors last year after transferring to UW-Oshkosh from NCAA Division II University of Nebraska-Omaha. Eggers’ first season in a UW-Oshkosh uniform found her averaging 11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. She also shot 44.8 percent from the field, including 38.7 behind the three-point line, and 76.0 percent from the free throw stripe.
The third starter returning for UW-Oshkosh is sophomore guard Whitney Tyriver (Oshkosh). Tyriver started for Schumacher at Oshkosh West High School and logged significant minutes for the Titans a year ago. Tyriver’s rookie season at UW-Oshkosh featured her averaging 3.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. She converted 85.3 percent of her free throw attempts to rank second on the team.
UW-Oshkosh also welcomes back returning veterans Pam Fehring (Hartford), Becky Knapp (West Allis) and Kelly O’Keef (Shorewood). Fehring, a senior forward, averaged 1.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 24 games played last season. She has played in 75 games during her UW-Oshkosh career. Knapp, a junior guard, started six of her 28 games played last season and averaged 5.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per outing. She has played in all of UW-Oshkosh’s 55 games the past two seasons.
O’Keef, a senior guard, started three of her 24 games for UW-Oshkosh last season and averaged 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest. She has started 21 games for the Titans the past two years after transferring from NCAA Division I Loyola University (Ill.).
Freshmen additions to the UW-Oshkosh program this year are guard Jessica Abitz from Franksville (Shoreland Lutheran High School), guard Amanda Bauman from Marion (Marion High School), Amanda Dempsey from West Allis (West Allis Central High School), guard Beth Garman from Lake Mills (Lake Mills High School), guard Becky Roberts from Bessemer, Mich. (Johnston High School) and Erin Willkom from Marshfield (Marshfield High School).
UW-Oshkosh has finished third place or higher in the WIAC standings every year since 1990. The Titans captured WIAC titles in 1985, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2004. UW-Oshkosh has made 10 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances since 1990, with visits to the postseason event in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. The Titans captured the NCAA Division III title in 1996.