Titans Register Season-Opening Win Over Lions
Nikki Arneson scored 13 of her team leading 16 points in the second half and collected a game high eight rebounds as the nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team defeated Finlandia University (Mich.), 60-53, during the regular season opener for both teams Friday (Nov. 5) in Hancock, Mich.
UW-Oshkosh (1-0), ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, never trailed after going on a 13-0 scoring run spanning eight minutes, 18 seconds that turned a 13-10 deficit with 2:51 left in the first quarter into a 23-13 advantage at the 4:32 mark of the second quarter.
Finlandia University (0-1) tied the score at 32 and 35 in the third quarter before pulling even again at 45 with 5:06 remaining in the game, but the Titans answered with back-to-back layups from Abby Kaiser and Arneson for a 49-45 advantage they would not relinquish. Arneson finished the contest shooting 5-for-11 from the floor, including 4-for-8 from 3-point range.
UW-Oshkosh secured the win by making nine free throws over the final 86 seconds of the game and finished the contest 27 of 29 at the foul line, marking the program's most made free throws since going 28-for-38 against UW-River Falls on Feb. 20, 2018. The Titans have won all five of their meetings with Finlandia University.
Kaiser and Leah Porath added 10 points apiece for the Titans while Julia Silloway and Jenna Jorgensen chipped in nine and six points, respectively, for a balanced UW-Oshkosh offense that featured nine different scorers. Kaiser collected a game best three steals. Kennedy Osterman's three assists led the Titans.
Porath, a 2021 D3hoops.com First Team All-American, has now scored in double figures 43 times in UW-Oshkosh's last 46 games. Porath also registered seven rebounds and a pair of assists.
The Titans shot 28.6% (13-46) from the field, 30.4% (7-23) from 3-point range and 93.1% at the free throw line. UW-Oshkosh owned advantages of 39-32 in rebounds, 13-15 in turnovers and 9-5 in steals. Both teams blocked four shots.
The Lions went 18 of 52 (.346) from the floor, 6-for-18 (.333) from beyond the 3-point arc and 11 of 17 (.647) at the foul line. Finlandia University held a 10-7 edge in assists.
Finlandia University's Carsyn Osterman led all players with 22 points to go along with team highs of seven rebounds and five assists.
Finlandia University led on three occasions for a total of just more than three minutes during the first quarter, including its largest advantage at 13-10, until UW-Oshkosh closed out the opening period with two free throws from both Silloway and Jorgensen for a 14-13 edge entering the second quarter.
The Titans' four free throws to finish the first quarter were the start of 13 unanswered points that continued with 3-pointers from Porath and Arneson and concluded with one made free throw by Allison Forney and a pair of makes at the foul line from Kaiser for a 23-13 lead.
Finlandia University ended a scoreless drought of more than eight minutes to pull within 23-15 with under five minutes remaining until intermission and scored the final six points of the second quarter to trim its deficit to 30-25 at halftime.
Arneson began her big second half with eight points during the third quarter, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and scoring all but two of the Titans' points in the frame as UW-Oshkosh went into the final period with a 40-37 lead.
Arneson then drained another 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter scoring for a 43-37 UW-Oshkosh advantage. After the Lions rallied to knot the score at 45, Kaiser and Arneson both scored in the paint, and Kaiser's second layup of the period provided the Titans a 51-46 lead. Kaiser and Silloway then combined to make nine free throws down the stretch, including seven by Silloway, to preserve the hard-fought win.
UW-Oshkosh conducts its home opener Monday (Nov. 8) against Lakeland University in Kolf Sports Center.