Titans Trounce Firebirds

Nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh, which boasts the best scoring defense in all of collegiate women's basketball, led the entire way en route to downing Carthage College, 67-40, to close out the St. Olaf College Country Inn & Suites Holiday Classic on Thursday (Dec. 30) in Northfield, Minn.

UW-Oshkosh (11-2), ranked 23rd in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, scored the first four points of the game and built leads of 15-9 after the first quarter, 29-19 at halftime and 54-35 entering the final period in the first meeting with Carthage College since the 1997-98 season.

The Titans, who own an 11-2 all-time record against Carthage College, have held five consecutive and 10 teams overall to under 50 points this season. UW-Oshkosh went into the day allowing 44.7 points per contest to lead all 1,303 programs across all NCAA divisions and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Nikki Arneson paced the Titans with 15 points while Julia Silloway had a season high 13 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists.

Jenna Jorgensen, Kennedy Osterman and Leah Porath added eight points each for UW-Oshkosh, which also received six points apiece from Brooke Freitag and Abby Kaiser.

Porath, who collected a season best 13 rebounds, moved into a tie for 10th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,188 points, matching Kelly Warnke's total from 1996-99. Porath, a 2021 D3hoops.com First Team All-American, has scored at least eight points during UW-Oshkosh's past 59 games, including 53 double digit scoring efforts.

Porath was named the Most Valuable Player at the Country Inn & Suites Holiday Classic. Jorgensen joined Porath on the six member All-Tournament Team. Porath and Jorgensen scored 17 and 10 points, respectively, during the Titans' 60-36 victory over University of Dubuque (Iowa) on Wednesday (Dec. 29).

UW-Oshkosh went 24 of 55 (.436) from the field, 11 of 30 (.367) and 8-for-14 (.571) at the free throw line. The Titans owned advantages of 13-8 in assists, 7-18 in turnovers and 12-4 in steals. Both teams grabbed 34 rebounds. UW-Oshkosh reached double figures in steals for the fifth time this season and in made 3-pointers on the fourth occasion.

Carthage College (8-4) shot 31.9% (15-47) from the floor, 26.3% (5-19) from beyond the 3-point arc and 55.6% (5-9) at the foul line. The Firebirds, who had their four game winning streak snapped, had a 2-1 edge in blocks. Carthage College's five made free throws were a season low.

Kelsey Coshun led Carthage College with nine points off the bench. Marianna Morrissey chipped in eight points for the Firebirds, who also received five points and a team leading seven rebounds from Lauren Herrmann.

UW-Oshkosh scored less than a minute into the game on a Kaiser free throw, extended its lead to 4-0 on an Arneson 3-pointer before a Silloway 3-pointer provided a 7-2 advantage. The Firebirds pulled within 7-6, but the Titans answered with a 12-3 run spanning the first two quarters, upping their lead to 19-9 following a Freitag jumper at the 8:22 mark of the second period.

The Titans later put the game away with string of 12 unanswered points for a 49-29 advantage with 2:59 left in the third quarter. Arneson had four points during the 12-0 run while Porath and Silloway both drilled 3-pointers and Freitag contributed a jumper. UW-Oshkosh held Carthage College scoreless from the 7:14 mark of the third quarter until there was 2:46 remaining in the period.

UW-Oshkosh owned a double digit lead for the final 16:28 of the contest and built its largest cushion (27 points) when Allison Forney hit a pair of free throws with 1:04 left to provide the final score.

The trip to Minnesota marked the end of UW-Oshkosh's regular season nonconference schedule. The Titans return to Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play at fifth ranked UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Jan. 5).

Photo courtesy of Hannah Robb, St. Olaf College Sports Information