Titans Advance in NCAA Tournament After Defeating Generals in a Thriller
ADA, Ohio—A thrilling finish in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament saw the UW-Oshkosh Titans defeat the Washington and Lee Generals 58-55.
The Titans (20-8) will play Ohio Northern University (24-4) on March 4 at 6:30 p.m. CST in Ada, Ohio.
With three seconds remaining in the game, Jenna Jorgensen put the Titans up by one at 56-55. A late foul by the Generals sent Kennedy Osterman to the line with no time left on the clock as Osterman drained the pair of free throws to advance the Titans in the tournament.
Friday night marked coach Brad Fischer's 300th appearance as the Titans Women's Basketball head coach.
Jorgensen led the Titans with 17 points (7-of-21 FG) and was joined in double-digit figures by Ava Douglas (14) and Kayce Vaile (11). Sarah Hardwick led the Titans in rebounding efforts with nine as Jorgensen and Douglas combined for six of the Titans 10 steals.
The Titans shot 31% from the field (22-of-71), made five 3-pointers, and went 9-of-14 from the free throw line. The Titans collected 37 rebounds, 12 assists, and 10 steals in the contest.
Game Summary
Vaile answered an opening 3-pointer from the Generals and scored the first five points for the Titans. The Titans were held scoreless for three minutes before Jorgensen hit a 3-pointer to give the Titans a 10-8 lead. The Generals outscored the Titans 4-0 in the final minute of the first quarter.
Douglas tied the game at 12, making the first shot of the second quarter for either team. Jorgensen started a 9-1 run for the Titans which saw Allison Forney put the Titans up by six at 21-15 with just over five minutes remaining in the first half. The Titans and Generals battled back-and-forth over two minutes as the Titans maintained their lead over the Generals. Olivia Argall hit a jumper with 1:58 remaining in the game, giving the Titans a seven-point lead.
The Titans opened the third quarter on an 8-4 run as the Titan defense held the Generals scoreless for two-and-a-half minutes. Vaile put the Titans up by 11 at 45-34 with 1:15 remaining in the third quarter. The Generals made a layup in the closing seconds of the third quarter as the Titans would lead by 10 with one quarter remaining.
Jorgensen connected with Vaile to start the fourth quarter as the Titans took a 13-point lead. The Titans held the Generals scoreless for two minutes in the fourth quarter. The Generals staged a late comeback, scoring eight points in just under two minutes. The Generals tied the game at 49 after trailing since in the second quarter. It was a back-and-forth battle in the closing minutes as the Generals made an old-fashioned 3-point play with 1:35 remaining in the game. Jorgensen hit the final 3-pointer, which put the Titans ahead, on a pass from Douglas.
Looking at Ohio Northern
The Polar Bears of Ohio Northern posted a 54-43 victory over Berea College (KY) in their opening round of the NCAA tournament. The Polar Bears were led by Brynn Serbin (16 points), Brooke Allen (15 points), and Kristen Luersman (10 rebounds) in the contest. Serbin, Allen, and Luersman have led the Polar Bears all season in scoring and rebounding.