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Taylor Schmidt scored 17 points while counting three assists and two steals against the Falcons.
Taylor Schmidt scored 17 points while counting three assists and two steals against the Falcons.

Falcons Take WIAC Title With Win Over Titans

Box Score

UW-Oshkosh couldn't overcome a lackluster first-half shooting performance as UW-River Falls clinched the WIAC women's basketball title with a 63-56 win in a matchup of nationally ranked teams on Saturday (Feb. 20) in River Falls.

After scoring the game's first six points, UW-Oshkosh missed 21 consecutive shots from the field during a 23-4 run by the Falcons that spanned the first two periods. The Titans trailed, 34-17, at intermission after connecting on just 15.2 percent (5-33) of its attempts from the floor, including 0 of 15 from behind the 3-point arc during the first half.

UW-Oshkosh, which shot 53.1 percent (17-32) from the field during the second half, pulled within six points at 57-51 on a 3-pointer by Morgan Kokta with 2:34 remaining. UW-River Falls committed two straight turnovers, but the Titans failed to convert either of the miscues into points, and the Falcons extended their advantage to 59-51 on a pair of free throws by Richell Mehus with 35 seconds to play.

UW-River Falls (21-4, 12-2 WIAC), ranked 13th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, secured its first league title since 1989 and will be the top seed  for next week's league tournament. Paired with a 76-69 decision over UW-Oshkosh on Jan. 6, the Falcons swept the season series with the Titans for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign.

UW-Oshkosh (20-5, 11-3 WIAC), ranked 14th nationally, will receive a first-round bye for the WIAC Championship. The second-seeded Titans are the two-time defending league tournament champion.

The WIAC Championship begins with a pair of first-round games on Tuesday (Feb. 23). Third-seeded UW-Stevens Point (19-6, 10-4 WIAC) will host sixth-seeded UW-Stout (10-15, 4-10), and fourth-seeded UW-Whitewater (19-6, 8-6) will host fifth-seeded UW-Eau Claire (13-12, 8-6).

UW-River Falls will host the lowest remaining seed, while UW-Oshkosh will host the highest remaining seed in the semifinal round of the WIAC Championship on Thursday (Feb. 25). The semifinal winners will meet at the higher seed next Saturday (Feb. 27) for the WIAC's automatic berth into the 64-team NCAA Championship.

Brynn Liljander led all players with 22 points for UW-River Falls. She made 4 of 7 shots from 3-point range and added five rebounds.

Taylor Karge registered 15 points and nine rebounds for the Falcons, while Mehus chipped in six points, eight boards, three steals and two assists.

UW-River Falls ended the contest shooting 47.9 percent (23-48) from the floor, 35.7 percent (5-14) from beyond the 3-point line, and 75 percent (12-16) from the free throw line. The Falcons also held advantages in rebounds (38-35), blocks (2-0) and steals (6-5).

UW-Oshkosh held the Falcons scoreless for more than three minutes until Liljander drained a 3-pointer to cut their deficit to 6-3 with 6:57 left in the first quarter. UW-River Falls took its first lead at 9-8 on a layup by Mehus, and the Falcons maintained an advantage for the final 33:45 of the game.

A layup by Alex Richard ended UW-Oshkosh's field goal draught with a three-point play that cut the Falcon lead to 23-13 with 5:09 remaining in the second quarter. UW-River Falls then scored the next seven points to increase its lead to 30-13 with just over four minutes left in the half.

UW-River Falls led by double figures for the entire third quarter. A jumper by UW-Oshkosh's Eliza Campbell on the opening possession of the fourth period trimmed the Falcon lead to 47-38, but UW-River Falls tallied eight of the next 10 points for a 56-40 advantage at the 7:08 mark of the final stanza.

Taylor Schmidt led UW-Oshkosh with 17 points, three assists and two steals. Campbell recorded 13 points and four rebounds for the Titans, while Madeline Staples had seven points and five rebounds, and Richard four points and a team-leading nine rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the contest shooting 33.8 percent (22-65) from the floor, including 17.4 percent (4-23) from 3-point range. The Titans held advantages in turnovers (15-9) and assists (8-6).

The Titans finished second in the WIAC regular-season standings for the fourth consecutive season.