Titans Record Largest Win Over Pointers Since 1999

Eliza Campbell led all players with 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists as the nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team moved into a tie for first in the conference standings with a 72-44 victory at UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday (Jan. 24).

UW-Oshkosh (15-2, 5-2 WIAC), which has won seven straight meetings with the Pointers, earned its largest margin of victory over UW-Stevens Point since a 78-50 triumph on Jan. 6, 1999.

The Titans, which trailed for just 22 seconds at 5-4 early in the first quarter, built leads of 18-13 after one period, 38-25 at intermission and 60-37 entering the final quarter.

With the win, UW-Oshkosh moves into a five-way tie for first at the midway point in the WIAC standings with its 5-2 record, joining UW-Whitewater (15-3), UW-River Falls (14-4), UW-Eau Claire (13-5) and UW-La Crosse (12-6). The Titans are ranked 14th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com while UW-Whitewater lists 18th.

UW-Oshkosh's Isabella Samuels matched her career high with 16 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field and added a team-leading two steals.

Emma Melotik added 14 points for the Titans, shooting 4-for-5 from 3-point range and converting both of her free throw attempts. She went into the game leading the conference with a .413 3-point percentage.

All 14 Titans in uniform saw action as Melanie Schneider and Madeline Staples contributed seven and six points, respectively, off the bench.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the game with advantages in field goal percentage (.483 to .306), 3-point percentage (.500 to .214), rebounds (35-28), assists (17-6), steals (7-6) and turnovers (13-10). The Pointers, who were held to their lowest rebounding total of the season, were out-rebounded, 17-6, during the first half.

The Titans entered the contest leading the nation with 10.1 turnovers per game and a 1.60 assist-to-turnover ratio while also pacing the conference in scoring (75.5), scoring defense (47.4), field goal percentage (.456), 3-point percentage (.370), made 3-pointers (119), blocks (68), average rebounding margin (+12.5) and average turnover margin (+6.9).

UW-Oshkosh took the lead for good at 11-9 on a layup by Samuels with 5:51 remaining in the first quarter. Clinging to a 22-19 edge with 6:39 left in the second period, Campbell and Melotik combined to score the next nine points as the Titans increased their advantage to 31-19 with 3:23 to go before halftime.

Melotik's second 3-pointer of the game provided UW-Oshkosh a 29-19 lead with four minutes to play in the first half, and the Titans led by double digits for the remainder of the contest.

Schneider completed a three-point play for a 60-35 UW-Oshkosh lead with 2:15 left in the third quarter. The Titans then held the Pointers scoreless for a stretch of nearly five minutes in the fourth period on the way to building a 66-39 advantage with just over four minutes to play.

UW-Oshkosh, which has won five straight league games, owned its largest lead of 28 points on two occasions in the fourth quarter. Staples split a pair of free throws for a 69-41 advantage with 1:46 left, and Nikki Arneson hit a 3-pointer that provided the final score with 45 seconds remaining.

Reserve Carly Cerrato and starter Mickey Roland led UW-Stevens Point with 12 points apiece. Cerrato added a game-best three steals.

Pointer starters combined for just 21 points on 6-for-25 (24 percent) shooting from the floor.

UW-Oshkosh hosts UW-River Falls on Saturday (Jan. 27) in Kolf Sports Center.