2003-04 UW-Oshkosh Women's Basketball News

Mikolajczak Receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

UW-Oshkosh women's basketball player Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) has received a postgraduate scholarship of $7,500 by the NCAA.

The NCAA recently awarded 58 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who participated in winter sports, which included women's archery, men's and women's basketball, women's bowling, men's and women's fencing, men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's rifle, men's and women's skiing, women's squash, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's synchronized swimming, women's team handball, men's and women's indoor track and field, and wrestling.

After playing her freshman campaign (2001) at UW-Eau Claire, Mikolajczak transferred to UW-Oshkosh and eventually led the Titans to three 20-plus win seasons and a share of the WIAC championship in 2004. Her 80-game career at UW-Oshkosh included 67 starting assignments and participation in 62 victories. UW-Oshkosh's all-time statistical listings finds Mikolajczak ranked first with 127 career blocked shots, ninth with 643 career rebounds and 11th with 1,124 career points.

Mikolajczak began the 2004 campaign as a pre-season NCAA Division III All-America third team selection by the internet site D3hoops.com. She went on to lead UW-Oshkosh to a 21-6 record, a share of the WIAC title and a pair of top-20 national rankings by averaging 17.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocked shots per game. Mikolajczak led the WIAC in 2004 with 12 double-doubles, including 20 points and 15 rebounds in a 79-77 overtime loss to UW-Stevens Point. She also scored a career-best 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in an 85-79 victory over UW-Stout.

Mikolajczak's 2004 post-season honors included All-America first team awards by D3hoops.com and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. She also was named to the All-WIAC first team for the second straight year. However, her most prestigious post-season honor came when she was presented the 2004 Jostens Trophy, an award recognizing the most outstanding female student-athlete in NCAA Division III basketball.

In 2003, Mikolajczak helped UW-Oshkosh to a 22-6 record and a pair of top-20 national rankings by averaging 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds. 2.7 steals and 1.9 assists per game. In 2002, Mikolajczak helped UW-Oshkosh to a 21-7 record and a pair of national top-20 rankings by averaging 11.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.6 steals per contest.

Mikolajczak owns an astonishing 3.928 cumulative grade point average in the classroom. She graduated on May 15 with a degree in biology and minor in pre-physical therapy. Mikolajczak was selected to the 2004 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America College Division Women's Basketball second team, an honor that marked the first time a women's basketball player from the UW-Oshkosh was nationally-recognized by the organization. She also was one of three recipients for the WIAC's 2004 Judy Kruckman Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award.

Mikolajczak has been a member of the WIAC's Scholastic Honor Roll all four years of college, making UW-Oshkosh's Dean's List every semester. She is a past recipient of the UW-Oshkosh Governor's, the UW-Oshkosh Chancellor's and the Brady Corporation scholarships. Recently, Mikolajczak was announced as one of the 2004 recipients of the UW-Oshkosh Chancellor's Award For Excellence and the UW-Oshkosh John Taylor Senior Scholar-Athlete award.

Mikolajczak has volunteered numerous hours with the Special Olympics, Senior Day Care, youth camp and clinics and serves an active role with ADVOCAP. She currently is president of UW-Oshkosh's Student-Athlete Advisory Board and is active with the campus's Gender Equity Committee. Mikolajczak is a three-year member of the UW-Oshkosh women's track and field team, where she placed fifth in the heptathlon at the 2002 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship to receive All-America honors.

In addition to the winter sports honorees, the NCAA also presents 116 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes participating in fall and spring sports in which the NCAA conducts championships or designates as an emerging sport, for a total of 174 postgraduate scholarships annually. Mikolajczak is the second WIAC student-athlete to receive a NCAA postgraduate scholarship this year, following Curt Johnson of the UW-Stevens Point men's cross country team who received one of the fall scholarships.

To qualify for a NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) or its equivalent and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics. The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student.

Mikolajczak Named To All-America Team

UW-Oshkosh's Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) and UW-Stevens Point's Amanda Nechuta have been named to the 2004 Kodak/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America First Team and D3hoops.com All-America Second Team.

Mikolajczak was named the 2004 Jostens Trophy winner, an award recognizing the most outstanding female student-athlete in NCAA Division III basketball, earlier this season. She led the conference with a 55.8 field goal percentage, while ranking second with 17.1 points per game, 9.1 rebounds per contest and 1.3 blocked shots per game. Mikolajczak also led the WIAC with 12 double-doubles (points-rebounds) and registered a career-high 26 points against UW-Stout on January 3. She leads UW-Oshkosh's all-time list with 127 career blocked shots and ranks 11th with 1,124 career points.

Mikolajczak becomes the fifth Kodak/WBCA All-American in school history, joining Holly Spoo (1998), Wendy Wangerin (1996), Lisa Kirchenwitz (1991) and Terri Schumacher (1985).

Nechuta, a junior forward from Mosinee, Wis., is the second Kodak/WBCA All-American in school history after Sonja Sorensen received the accolade in 1987 and 1988. Nechuta was named the WIAC Player of the Year this season after leading the league in scoring with 18.7 points per game, while ranking third with 2.67 steals per contest, fourth with a 53.1 field goal percentage and sixth with 7.3 rebounds per game.

She led the team in scoring in 22 games this season, including a career-high 36-point performance against UW-Oshkosh on February 18. Nechuta's 617 points this season set a school single-season record and her 1,348 career points rank fourth on the school's all-time list.

Joining the conference duo on the Kodak/WBCA All-America Team were Allison Coleman of Eastern Connecticut State, Tara Rausch of Wilmington (Ohio), Lora Trenkle of Bowdoin (Maine), Lauren Harris of Hardin-Simmons (Texas), Angie Peterson of Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.), Shervon James of Kean (NJ), Alyssa Antolick of De Sales (Pa.) and Erika Smith of Rochester (NY).

Mikolajczak and Nechuta were joined by Smith, Peterson and Annetta Benjamin of Marymount (Va.) on the D3hoops.com squad.

Mikolajczak Named Jostens Trophy Recipient

UW-Oshkosh's Kay Mikolajczak has been selected as the 2004 recipient of the Jostens Trophy, an award recognizing the most outstanding female student-athlete in NCAA Division III basketball.

Mikolajczak, a senior from Franklin, was chosen for the award by a 32-member national committee consisting of college coaches, former student-athletes, college administrators, business leaders, and selected members of the media.  The committee voted on the nominees based on three criteria - basketball ability, academic prowess and community service.

Mikolajczak and Justin Call of Emory & Henry College (Va.), the men's honoree, will receive their awards on March 18 in Salem, Va., at a luncheon sponsored by the Rotary Club of Salem.

Women previously honored with the Jostens Trophy were Alicia Moore of Emory University (Ga.) in 1998, Kristen Venne of Susquehanna University (Pa.) in 1999, Alia Fischer of Washington University (Mo.) in 2000, Alison Grubbs of Lake Forest College (Ill.) in 2001, Heather Kile of Swarthmore College (Pa.) in 2002 and Whitney Bull of Wilkes University (Pa.) in 2003.

In addition to Mikolajczak, other women named as finalists for the 2004 Jostens Trophy were Melody Bongiorno of Chapman University (Calif.), Lauren Harris of Hardin-Simmons University (Texas), Liz Martin of The College of New Jersey, Tara Rausch of Wilmington College (Ohio), Kathleen Robinson of Swarthmore College (Pa.), Hayley Smith of Maryville College (Tenn.), Becca Spaeth of UW-Eau Claire, Rachael Turkington of Clark University (Mass.) and Tiffini Varrasse of King's College (Pa).

Previous UW-Oshkosh finalists for the Jostens Trophy were Joe Imhoff in 1998 and Rachel Lachecki in 1999.

After playing her freshman campaign (2001) at UW-Eau Claire, Mikolajczak transferred to UW-Oshkosh and eventually led the Titans to three 20-plus win seasons and a share of the WIAC championship in 2004. Her 80-game career at UW-Oshkosh included 67 starting assignments and participation in 62 victories. UW-Oshkosh's all-time statistical listings finds Mikolajczak ranked first with 127 career blocked shots, ninth with 643 career rebounds and 11th with 1,124 career points.

Mikolajczak began the 2004 campaign as a pre-season NCAA Division III All-America third team selection by the internet site D3hoops.com. She went on to lead UW-Oshkosh to a 21-6 record, a share of the WIAC title and a pair of top-20 national rankings by averaging 17.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocked shots per game. In WIAC statistical standings, Mikolajczak ranked first in the league in field goal percentage (55.8) and second in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.

Mikolajczak also led the WIAC in 2004 with 12 double-doubles, including 20 points and 15 rebounds in a 79-77 overtime loss to UW-Stevens Point. She also scored a career-best 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in an 85-79 victory over UW-Stout.

Mikolajczak's 2004 post-season honors included All-America first team by D3hoops.com and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. She also was named to the All-WIAC first team as well as being selected to the All-WIAC Defensive Team and a finalist for the WIAC's Player of the Year award.

In 2003, Mikolajczak helped UW-Oshkosh to a 22-6 record and a pair of top-20 national rankings by averaging 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds. 2.7 steals and 1.9 assists per game. She ranked first in the WIAC in steals, while listing third in blocked shots and fifth in rebounding, field goal percentage (51.6) and free throw percentage (82.8).

Mikolajczak registered four double-doubles in 2003, including an 18-point, career-best 20-rebound performance in an 87-80 victory over UW-Stout. She also had 23 points and eight rebounds in an 82-70 win over UW-Whitewater. Mikolajczak's efforts in 2004 gained her All-WIAC first team, mention as a finalist for the WIAC's Player of the Year award and listing as an NCAA Division III All-Central Region first team selection by D3hoops.com.

In 2002, Mikolajczak helped UW-Oshkosh to a 21-7 record and a pair of national top-20 rankings by averaging 11.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.6 steals per contest. She led the WIAC in field goal percentage (59.2), while listing fourth in rebounding and eighth in scoring.

Mikolajczak compiled four double-doubles in 2002, highlighted by a 19-point, 19-rebound effort in an 81-58 victory over UW-Superior. She also scored 18 points and collected 10 rebounds in a 71-50 win over UW-Whitewater. Mikolajczak was honored by the WIAC as a member of its all-defensive team.

In the classroom, Mikolajczak owns an astonishing 3.928 cumulative grade point average. She is scheduled to graduate in May with a degree in biology and minor in pre-physical therapy. Mikolajczak was recently selected to the 2004 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America College Division Women's Basketball second team, an honor that marked the first time a women's basketball player from the UW-Oshkosh was nationally-recognized by the organization. She also was one of three recipients for the WIAC's 2004 Judy Kruckman Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award.

Mikolajczak has been a member of the WIAC's Scholastic Honor Roll all four years of college, making UW-Oshkosh's Dean's List every semester. She is a past recipient of the UW-Oshkosh Governor's, the UW-Oshkosh Chancellor's and the Brady Corporation scholarships. Recently, Mikolajczak was announced as one of the 2004 recipients of UW-Oshkosh Chancellor's Award For Excellence.

Mikolajczak has volunteered numerous hours with the Special Olympics, Senior Day Care, youth camp and clinics and serves an active role with ADVOCAP. She currently is president of UW-Oshkosh's Student-Athlete Advisory Board and is active with the campus's Gender Equity Committee. In 2002 as a member of the UW-Oshkosh women's track and field team, Mikolajczak placed fifth in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship to receive All-America honors. She also was a member of the school's track and field team in 2003.

The Jostens Trophy is a joint creation of Jostens, Inc., of Minneapolis, Minn., and the Rotary Club of Salem.  The purpose of the award is to honor the true Division III student-athlete – the athlete that shows excellence in the classroom, on the playing floor and in the community.  In addition to the Trophy, the Wooldridge Scholarship, a $1,000 donation, will be presented in the name of the winner to his/her institution.  The scholarship was named after Dan Wooldridge, a Salem Rotarian and retired Commissioner of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, as a way of honoring him for his long-time dedication to Division III athletics.

Jostens is a leading provider of products and services that help recognize achievement and affiliation throughout people’s lives.  The company specializes in championships rings and awards in addition to yearbooks, class rings, graduation products, school photography and corporate programs.

Titans Unable To Land Berth In NCAA Division III Championship

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team, co-champion of the WIAC, will be a spectator for the 2004 NCAA Division III Championship after failing to receive one of the 50 invitations to the post-season tournament on Sunday (Feb. 29).

UW-Oshkosh was hoping to land one of the six at-large bids to the NCAA Division III Championship, but those selections went to Gwynedd-Mercy College (Pa.), Johns Hopkins University (Md.), Messiah College (Pa.), Millikin University (Ill.), University of Rochester (N.Y.) and Washington University (Mo.).

UW-Oshkosh concludes the 2004 season with a 21-6 record, including a 3-3 mark against teams in the NCAA Division III Championship. The Titans own wins of 87-60 over Ripon College, 75-48 over Lakeland College and 75-74 in overtime over UW-Stevens Point and losses of 62-56 to Millikin University and 79-77 in overtime and 91-77 to UW-Stevens Point. UW-Oshkosh shared the WIAC's regular season championship with UW-Stevens Point, but the Pointers defeated the Titans in the title game of the league's post-season tournament on Saturday (Feb. 28) to obtain the automatic NCAA bid. 

Three Titans Honored By WIAC

UW-Stevens Point junior forward Amanda Nechuta was named Player of the Year to headline the 10 individuals voted to the 2003-04 All-WIAC Women's Basketball Team.

Nechuta helped the Pointers to a share of the WIAC regular season title, the WIAC Tournament crown, a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament and their fourth straight 20-win season.

Nechuta claimed first team honors for the second straight season after leading the league in scoring (19.0) and ranking third in steals (2.64), fourth in field goal percentage (.541) and sixth in rebounding (7.4). She has led the team in scoring in 19 games this year, including a career-high 36 point performance against UW-Oshkosh on February 18. The 36 points marked the highest scoring output in the league since January 23, 2002.

Nechuta was also named to the league's all-defensive team for the second straight season. Her 531 points this year have established a school single-season record and her 1,262 career points rank her sixth on the Pointers' all-time list.

Nechuta was joined on the first team by teammate Amy Scott, who ranks second in the WIAC in field goal percentage (.554) and sixth in scoring (13.6) and free throw percentage (.793). Scott scored a career-high 27 points against UW-Stout on December 9.

UW-Oshkosh landed a pair of individuals on the first team after claiming a share of the WIAC regular season championship. Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) earned her second straight All-WIAC first team honor after leading the conference in field goal percentage (.558), while ranking second in scoring (17.1), rebounding (9.1) and blocked shots (1.26) and seventh in free throw percentage (.771).

Earlier this season, she was named one of 10 finalists for the Jostens Trophy, an award given to the NCAA Division III women's basketball player of the year. Mikolajczak led the Titans in scoring in 19 games this season and registered a league-leading 12 double-doubles (points-rebounds). She was also named to the conference's all-defensive team for the second time in her career and finished her four-year campaign with 1,124 points to rank 11th on UW-Oshkosh's all-time scoring list.

The Titans' Laurie Turtenwald (Jr. • West Allis) leads the league in free throw percentage (.881) and three-point field goal percentage (.471), while ranking sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.22) and seventh in assists (3.28) and three-pointers (1.28). She was also second on the team in scoring (8.8) this year.

Other players named to the first team were Becca Spaeth and Brooke Wozniak-Schmidt of UW-Eau Claire, Tiff Flesch of UW-Platteville, Erin Effle of UW-River Falls and Sara Kahl and Laura Verdegan of UW-Stout.

Named to the league's honorable mention team were UW-Eau Claire's Katie Murphy, UW-La Crosse's Jana Merchlewitz, UW-Oshkosh's Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.), UW-Platteville's Katie Freis and Angie Sisson, UW-Stevens Point's Cassandra Heuer, Andrea Kraemer and Tara Schmitt, UW-Stout's Erin Churchill, UW-Superior's Lindsey Anderson, Stephanie Janigo and Heidi McKay and UW-Whitewater's Nya Geschke.

This year's five-member all-defensive team consisted of UW-Eau Claire's Wozniak-Schmidt, UW-Oshkosh's Mikolajczak, UW-Stevens Point's Heuer and Nechuta and UW-Stout's Verdegan.

Shirley Egner of UW-Stevens Point was voted WIAC Coach of the Year, while Mikolajczak of UW-Oshkosh, Spaeth of UW-Eau Claire and Verdegan of UW-Stout were named the winners of the WIAC's Judy Kruckman Senior Scholar-Athlete Award.

Pointers Too Much For Titans In WIAC Tournament Title Game

Amanda Nechuta had 32 points and a tournament record 18 rebounds and Cassandra Schultz a career-best 28 points as the UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team defeated UW-Oshkosh, 91-77, in the championship game of the 6th Annual WIAC Tournament held Saturday (Feb. 28) in Stevens Point.

The victory gives UW-Stevens Point (25-3) its first WIAC Tournament title and its fourth appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship, while the loss leaves UW-Oshkosh (21-6) waiting until Sunday (Feb. 29) to see if its 2003-04 campaign continues as a NCAA Division III post-season participant.

UW-Oshkosh is resting its hope for obtaining one of the six at-large bids to the NCAA Division III Championship on a strong strength of schedule, one that includes three wins and four losses against teams that will likely appear in the tournament. The Titans own wins of 87-60 over Ripon College, 75-48 over Lakeland College and 75-74 in overtime over UW-Stevens Point and losses of 62-56 to Millikin University (Ill.), 68-61 to Trinity University (Texas) and 79-77 in overtime and 91-77 to UW-Stevens Point.

UW-Oshkosh (21-6), ranked 16th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, was appearing in the championship contest of the WIAC Tournament for a league-record fifth time. Sixth-ranked UW-Stevens Point was making its first visit in the title contest, with the game marking the ninth time in 11 meetings between the two teams that both squads were ranked.

The Pointers wasted little time getting ahead of the Titans, scoring on four of their first six possessions and causing turnovers on four of UW-Oshkosh's first five possessions to build an 8-0 lead. UW-Stevens Point extended its lead to 15-3 through the first eight minutes of the contest as the Titans missed eight of their first nine shots. UW-Oshkosh never came within eight points the rest of the way.

UW-Stevens Point maintained its lead throughout the first half and pushed its advantage to 18 points on a putback by Nechuta in the closing seconds before the Titans’ Alison Cesnovar (Sr. • Kenosha) drained a 35-footer at the buzzer to cut the Pointers’ lead to 46-31 at halftime.

UW-Stevens Point led by at least 11 points throughout the second half before the Titans made eight of nine shots during one stretch of the period to cut the lead to 74-65 with 5:17 left. UW-Oshkosh cut the lead to eight points at 76-68 and 78-70, but came no closer down the stretch. The tournament’s top seed has now won the event all six years it has been held.

Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) led the Titans with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Cesnovar had a career-high 16 points and four assists. The Titans also received 15 points and three rebounds from Brittany Herrick (So. • Appleton) and 10 points and four assists from Michele Rosicky (Jr. • Plover). If it is the last game for the Titans this season, Mikolajczak will conclude her career with 1,124 points and 643 rebounds, the 11th and ninth-best marks in UW-Oshkosh history, respectively.

Nechuta, who scored 36 points in an overtime win at UW-Oshkosh 11 days ago, counted 16 points in each half. She did not score in the final 4:11 of the contest and finished one point short of the single-game tournament scoring record. In addition to Schultz, the Pointers also received 13 points from Tara Schmitt and 11 from Andrea Kraemer.

UW-Stevens Point had just nine turnovers in the game, including three in the second half, while UW-Oshkosh had 15. Both teams shot well from the field as the Pointers registered 50.8 percent (31-61) and UW-Oshkosh 49.2 percent (30-61). The Pointers were 26-of-40 (65 percent) from the free throw line and the Titans 10-of-12 (83.3 percent).

Titans Overwhelm Blugolds In WIAC Tournament Semifinal

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team held UW-Eau Claire to its lowest score in 62 games played between the two league rivals and one of its worst field goal percentages in school history during the Titans' 62-34 victory over the Blugolds on Wednesday (Feb. 25) in Kolf Sports Center. The lopsided win came in a semifinal round contest of the 6th Annual WIAC Tournament.

UW-Oshkosh (21-5), ranked 16th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, now advances to the championship game of the WIAC Tournament, where the Titans will meet sixth-ranked UW-Stevens Point (24-3) on Saturday (Feb. 28) in Stevens Point. UW-Oshkosh opened the league's post-season event on Monday (Feb. 23) with an 84-66 quarterfinal round victory over UW-Superior (10-16). UW-Stevens Point built its meeting with UW-Oshkosh by defeating UW-River Falls, 90-57, in the quarterfinals and UW-Stout, 83-67, in the semifinals.

UW-Oshkosh is appearing in the title game of the WIAC Tournament for a league-record fifth time, with previous visits in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003. It is the first championship game appearance for UW-Stevens Point, which has lost to UW-Oshkosh in the semifinals the past two seasons. This year, the teams split their two regular season meetings, with the Titans winning 75-74 in overtime at Stevens Point and the Pointers winning 79-77 in overtime at Oshkosh.

UW-Oshkosh and 19th-ranked UW-Eau Claire (21-6) started the game exchanging baskets before the Blugolds took an 11-6 lead at the 12:30 mark of the first half. The Titans then scored 10 unanswered points over the next four minutes of play to take a 16-11 advantage. UW-Eau Claire closed its deficit to 18-16 with 8:02 left in the first half, but UW-Oshkosh countered with 10 more unanswered points to lead 28-16 at intermission. The Blugolds missed all nine of their field goal attempts and committed six turnovers during the final eight minutes of the first half.

The shooting woes for UW-Eau Claire continued in the second half as the Blugolds made only four of 26 shots (15.4 percent) from the field, including just two of 19 to start the period. UW-Eau Claire baskets came few and far between in the second half, with identification on the clock at 17:30, 7:25, 4:37 and 1:43. The Blugolds closed the tally to 34-23 with 16:17 to play, but eight consecutive points by the Titans ran the score to 42-23 with 14:34 remaining. UW-Oshkosh ended the final 7:26 of the game outscoring UW-Eau Claire, 16-5.

UW-Oshkosh shot 51.1 percent (24-47) from the field for the game, while UW-Eau Claire shot just 21.6 percent (11-51). The Titans made six of their nine (66.7 percent) three-point shots, while the Blugolds made just three of their 19 (15.8 percent). Both teams made nine of their 10 tries (90 percent) from the free throw line and collected 32 rebounds. UW-Eau Claire had 20 turnovers in the game and UW-Oshkosh 17.

Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) paced UW-Oshkosh with 19 points, four rebounds, four steals, three blocked shots, two assists and the first three-point basket of her career. Mikolajczak currently ranks 12th in UW-Oshkosh history with 1,105 career points and ninth in career rebounds with 636.

UW-Oshkosh also received 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals from Laurie Turtenwald (Jr. • West Allis), 11 points from Michele Rosicky (Jr. • Plover) and three points, five assists and four rebounds from Kelly O'Keef (So. • Shorewood).

Brooke Wozniak-Schmidt had seven points and nine rebounds to lead UW-Eau Claire in both categories, while Becca Spaeth added six points and six rebounds.

The 34 points allowed by UW-Oshkosh were the fewest since the Titans limited UW-Stevens Point to 28 (52 for UW-Oshkosh) on January 5, 2000. The margin of victory was the Titans' largest over the Blugolds since a 75-43 win on January 25, 1995.

Titans Rout Yellowjackets In WIAC Tournament Opener

Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) and Kelly O'Keef (So. • Shorewood) combined to score 25 of their 33 points in the first half as the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team defeated UW-Superior, 84-66, in a quarterfinal round game of the WIAC Tournament held Monday (Feb. 23) in Kolf Sports Center.

With the victory, UW-Oshkosh (20-5) advances to the semifinal round of the WIAC Tournament, where the Titans will host UW-Eau Claire (21-5) on Wednesday (Feb. 25). The Blugolds defeated UW-Whitewater (9-17), 76-59, in Eau Claire on Monday to move to the semifinals.

If UW-Oshkosh defeats UW-Eau Claire, the Titans would play at UW-Stevens Point or host UW-Stout in the championship game on Saturday (Feb. 28). The Titans have appeared in the title contest four times in the last five years.

Other quarterfinal round winners on Monday were UW-Stevens Point (23-3) and UW-Stout (18-8), with the Pointers ousting UW-River Falls (13-13), 90-57, and the Blue Devils topping UW-Platteville (14-12), 77-65. UW-Stevens Point will host UW-Stout in a semifinal round matchup on Wednesday.

UW-Oshkosh had its 40th straight victory over UW-Superior well in hand after jumping to a 27-10 lead just 11 minutes into play. The Yellowjackets cut their deficit to 33-23 with two minutes left in the first half, but a pair of three-point baskets by O'Keef and a layup by Alison Cesnovar (Sr. • Kenosha) gave the Titans a 41-23 advantage at intermission.

O'Keef had 13 points and three rebounds for UW-Oshkosh in the first half, while Mikolajczak added 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists and Kristin Mader (Fr. • South Milwaukee) two points, five rebounds and four assists. The UW-Oshkosh trio combined to make 11 of their 14 field goal attempts in the opening period, with O'Keef connecting on three of four tries behind the three-point line.

UW-Oshkosh opened the second half on a 23-10 scoring run to take a 64-33 lead with 11:44 left in the game. The Titans held a 74-44 advantage with 6:26 remaining before the Yellowjackets concluded action with a 22-12 scoring spree. The contest's final score was the closest margin since halftime.

UW-Oshkosh won for the 211th time in 250 games as Mikolajczak scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for her WIAC-leading 12th double-double of the year. The Titans also received 15 points and three rebounds from O'Keef, eight points, seven rebounds and four assists from Mader, who was making her first career start, and six points and eight assists from Cesnovar.

Heidi McKay led UW-Superior with 20 points and four rebounds, while Stephanie Janigo added 15 points and five rebounds and Shawna Johannes 12 points and five rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh, which has now compiled 10 20-plus win seasons in the last 11 years, shot 50 percent (33-66) from the field against UW-Superior, including 42.1 percent (8-19) behind the three-point line. The Titans were 10-of-15 (66.7 percent) shooting from the free throw line.

UW-Superior shot 44.4 percent (24-54) from the field after making just 10-of-27 (37 percent) attempts in the first half. The Yellowjackets were 13-of-19 (68.4 percent) shooting from the charity stripe.

Titans Grab Share Of WIAC Championship

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team wrapped up a share of the WIAC regular season championship with a 67-45 rout of UW-La Crosse on Saturday (Feb. 21) in La Crosse. The Titans and UW-Stevens Point tied for the league title, finishing with 13-3 WIAC marks.

UW-Oshkosh's win over UW-La Crosse gave the Titans their first WIAC title since 2001 and their 10th overall. Other league championships for the Titans came in 2001, 1999, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1992, 1991 and 1985.

UW-Oshkosh and UW-La Crosse (9-16) were tied 16-16 with 8:08 remaining in the first half before the Titans used a 12-4 run to end the half and take a 28-20 halftime advantage. UW-Oshkosh (19-5) hit 54.5 percent of their field goal attempts in the first half, while holding the Eagles without a field goal in the last 13:43.

UW-Oshkosh led 28-23 with 18:57 left in the game and used a 17-4 run to put the game out of the reach, with the lead peaking at 24 points in the second half.

Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) scored a game-high 16 points for UW-Oshkosh, while Becky Knapp (Fr. • West Allis) came off the bench to score 12 points. Laurie Turtenwald (Jr. • West Allis) and Pam Fehring (So. • Hartford) each chipped in nine points.

UW-La Crosse was led in scoring by Shawna Koss with 13 points.

UW-Stevens Point secured the top seed for the WIAC Tournament, which begins on Monday (Feb. 23) with the championship being held on (Saturday (February 28). The Pointers will host eighth-seeded UW-River Falls (13-12), while UW-Oshkosh will host seventh-seeded UW-Superior (10-15). The winner of the WIAC Tournament receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

Titans Drop Overtime Classic With Pointers

Amanda Nechuta poured in 36 points as UW-Stevens Point moved to within one victory of its first WIAC women’s basketball title since 1987 with a thrilling 79-77 overtime win at UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday (Feb. 18).

The sixth-ranked Pointers and 16th-ranked Titans are now tied atop the WIAC standings with 12-3 league records. Both teams will share the title if UW-Stevens Point beats UW-Superior on Saturday (Feb. 21) and UW-Oshkosh defeats UW-La Crosse. The Pointers would earn the top seed for the upcoming WIAC Tournament with a victory.

Nechuta’s fouled out with 2.5 seconds left in regulation when the Pointers had an apparent game-winning steal of an inbounds pass whistled for a foul. UW-Oshkosh’s Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin), who finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds, made both free throws to send the game to overtime.

In overtime, Mikolajczak tied the game a 77-77 with a pair of free throws with 27 seconds left, however, UW-Stevens Point’s Andrea Kraemer hit a layup with nine seconds left to put the Pointers back ahead. UW-Oshkosh’s Michele Rosicky (Jr. • Plover) missed a bank shot at the buzzer as UW-Stevens Point beat the Titans in Oshkosh for the fourth straight year, including the third overtime win. UW-Oshkosh was one-for-six from the floor in overtime and UW-Stevens Point had three starters fouled out.

UW-Stevens Point held the biggest lead of the game at eight points with 3:39 left in the first half, but the Titans cut the lead to 35-32 at halftime. The Pointers pushed the lead back to six early in the second half and UW-Oshkosh again rallied with the game being tied six times in the half.

Brittany Herrick (So. • Appleton) hit four straight free throws to put the Titans ahead 68-64 with 2:38 left before an 8-0 UW-Stevens Point run, highlighted by a three-pointer by Cassandra Schultz that gave the Pointers a 70-68 lead with 42 seconds left. The basket was Schultz’s only of the game, finishing the night one-for-nine from the field.

Like the earlier overtime meeting this season, the Titans used late heroics to send the game to the extra period. Laurie Turtenwald (Jr. • West Allis), who hit a three-pointer at the end of regulation in the first matchup, drained a shot from behind the arc with 10 seconds left to pull the Titans within 72-71. UW-Stevens Point’s Tara Schmitt, the conference’s leading free throw shooter, made one of two shots with seven seconds left before the Titans tied the game on Mikolajczak’s free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining.

It marked the eighth time in the past 10 matchups that the two heavyweights entered the game nationally ranked. The Titans entered the game leading the NCAA Division III in field goal percentage, but were held under 40 percent for the just third time this season at 39.4 percent. UW-Stevens Point shot 49.2 percent and had only 12 turnovers with three coming in overtime.

In addition to Mikolajczak's performance, the Titans also received 16 points from Herrick and 15 points, five rebounds and three steals from Turtenwald.

Despite Loss, Titans Keep WIAC Lead

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team entered Saturday's (Feb. 14) contest against UW-Stout leading second-place UW-Stevens Point by one victory in the WIAC standings with three games to go.

Now, with just two league debates remaining, UW-Oshkosh still owns a one-victory advantage over UW-Stevens Point as both WIAC frontrunners lost Saturday on foreign hardwood. The margin between the two teams, who meet Wednesday (Feb. 18) in Oshkosh, remained the same after the Titans (18-4/12-2 WIAC) suffered a 79-72 setback to UW-Stout (16-7/9-5 WIAC) and the Pointers (20-3/11-3 WIAC) a 64-60 loss to UW-Eau Claire (19-5/11-4 WIAC).

In Menomonie, Molly Hendricks scored a career-high 23 points and Sara Kahl 16 to lead UW-Stout past UW-Oshkosh for only the seventh time in 46 meetings between the two schools.

UW-Oshkosh, which defeated UW-Stout by an 85-79 tally earlier this season, jumped to a pair of early five-point leads before the Blue Devils tied the contest at 14 with 13:06 left in the first half. UW-Stout then built a 22-17 advantage before UW-Oshkosh rallied to take a 35-33 lead with 1:38 remaining in the opening period. The Blue Devils scored the last four points of the first half, all by Kahl, to take a 37-35 lead to intermission.

UW-Stout led UW-Oshkosh the entire second half, with the largest advantage being a 60-52 count with 9:25 to play. The Titans closed their deficit to 68-66 on a basket by Kristin Mader (Fr. • South Milwaukee) with 1:45 left, but the Blue Devils scored 11 of the next 17 points to secure the win. UW-Stout made eight free throws in 10 attempts during the final 38 seconds of the game, including seven in eight tries by Erin Churchill.

Hendricks compiled her career scoring best by hitting eight of 14 shots from the field and all four attempts from the free throw line. She also had five rebounds and four steals. In addition to Kahl's 16 points, the Blue Devils also received 10 points from both Churchill and Lindsey Erichsen, with the latter also grabbing nine rebounds.

Brittany Herrick (So. • Appleton) came off the bench to score a season-best 15 points for UW-Oshkosh. The Titans also received 14 points and nine rebounds from Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) and 13 points and five rebounds from Laurie Turtenwald (Jr. • West Allis).

The game featured 49 fouls and 57 free throw attempts, with UW-Stout making 23 of 29 shots (79.3 percent) from the charity stripe and UW-Oshkosh 22 of 28 (78.6 percent). From the field, the Titans made 23 of their 52 shots (44.2 percent) and the Blue Devils 26 of their 66 (39.4 percent). UW-Stout had advantages of 42-36 in rebounds and 17-11 in turnovers.

Down Double Digits, Titans Rally To Top Blugolds

The UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team shot just 30.3 percent from the floor in the second half and 13th-ranked UW-Oshkosh closed the game on a 17-4 run as the Blugolds fell to the Titans 63-60 on Wednesday (Feb. 11) in Eau Claire. It was the first UW-Oshkosh victory in Eau Claire since the 1998-99 season.

UW-Eau Claire loses almost any chance of repeating as WIAC regular season champion as it falls to 10-4 in conference play with two games remaining. WIAC leader UW-Oshkosh improves to 12-1 on the season with three games remaining.

The first half was extremely tight with neither team opening more than a six point lead the entire half. With the Blugolds trailing 5-4, Toya Banks and Rachel Becker scored six unanswered to give UW-Eau Claire a 10-5 advantage.

The Titans responded with an 8-1 run of their own to take a 13-11 lead. Becca Spaeth tied the game at 13 with 10:36 remaining in the half with a basket on the Blugold end but UW-Oshkosh quickly regained the lead and held onto the advantage for nearly the rest of the half.

The Titans held a 30-26 advantage with 55 seconds remaining in the half but Spaeth connected on a tough jumper to pull within two. Emilee Planert stole the Titans' inbound, was fouled, and hit both free-throws with 17 seconds remaining to send the game into the half tied at 30.

Spaeth had a strong first half leading all scorers with 12. The Titans grabbed 21 rebounds to Eau Claire's 11 in the first half while shooting 53.8 percent to the Blugolds' 40 percent.

The second half was a roller coaster of runs with Katie Murphy nailing a three-point shot to start the second half and give the Blugolds their first lead since early in the first half. The shot was part of a 13-4 run which gave UW-Eau Claire a nine point lead with 14:19 left to play in the contest. Murphy scored six points on the run via two shots from behind the arc while Brooke Wozniak-Schmidt added four points.

The Titans scored six unanswered in just over a minute to pull within three but UW-Eau Claire used another run, this time scoring nine unanswered to take the biggest lead of the game at 52-40. Murphy hit her third three-pointer in nine minutes to spark a large Zorn Arena crowd during the run but again the Titans battled back, cutting the lead to 52-46 with 7:43 remaining.

After UW-Eau Claire had again extended the lead to double-digits with 6:39 left to play, the Titans quickly cut into the lead and tied the game a 56 with 2:59 remaining. The teams exchanged a pair of free-throws to make the score 58-58 before Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) and Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.) each hit a pair of shots from the charity stripe to give UW-Oshkosh a four point advantage. Becker drove to the hoop and was fouled with the shot going in but the referee ruled the foul was before the shot, sending Becker to the line with a one-and-one opportunity with 18 seconds remaining. The sophomore Blugold missed the front end of the one-and-one but Spaeth grabbed the rebound and threw it in to pull UW-Eau Claire within two at 62-60.

The Blugolds fouled on the inbound and the Titans hit one-of-two from the stripe, setting up a chance for UW-Eau Claire to tie the game with a three-pointer with 12 seconds remaining. The Blugolds got the ball to Murphy, who had the hot hand in the second half, but her last second shot was tipped and the Titans earned a 63-60 victory over UW-Eau Claire.

The Titans hit 7-of-8 from the free-throw line in the final 2:27 to earn the win. Spaeth led all scorers with 19 points while grabbing eight rebounds and Wozniak-Schmidt grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds in the loss. Holler led the Titans with 15 points while Mikolajczak posted another double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Michelle Rosicky (Jr. • Plover) added 12 in the win.

Another Fast Start, Another Win For The Titans

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team was impressive in its first half performance for the third consecutive game as it defeated UW-Platteville, 62-48, on Wednesday (Feb. 4) in Platteville. It was the seventh victory in eight games for the Titans, who remain in sole possession of first place in the WIAC standings with their 10-1 league record.

UW-Oshkosh (16-3), which utilized first half scoring runs of 23-8 to defeat UW-River Falls and 28-9 to top UW-Superior in its last two games, counted 23 straight points against UW-Platteville to take a 25-4 lead with 7:24 left in the opening period. The Titans went up to a 37-9 advantage over the Pioneers (12-8/7-5 WIAC) in the first half before settling for a 37-12 lead at intermission.

The Titans accounted for 35 of the 37 points in the first half by shooting 48.6 percent (17-35) from the field. UW-Oshkosh's first half scoring included 10 points by Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) and nine from Brittany Herrick (So. • Appleton). UW-Platteville shot just 20 percent (4-20) from the field in the opening period, including misfires on all five of its shots from behind the three-point line.

Behind nine points from Katie Freis, UW-Platteville opened the second half with a 26-9 scoring run to slice its deficit to 46-38 with 7:13 left in the game. UW-Oshkosh responded to the Pioneers' charge by scoring seven unanswered points, including four by Mikolajczak, to take a 53-38 lead with 3:51 remaining to play.

Mikolajczak recorded her ninth double-double in 12 games by scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. The Titans also received 10 points and six rebounds from Herrick and three points, three rebounds and seven assists from Alison Cesnovar (Sr. • Kenosha). Mikolajczak had 26 points and seven rebounds in UW-Oshkosh's 62-60 win over UW-Platteville earlier this season.

UW-Platteville, which has lost 14 straight games on its home court to UW-Oshkosh, was led by Freis' 15 points, Holly Kaiser's 11 points and five rebounds and Tiff Flesch's seven points and 10 rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the game shooting 50 percent (24-48) from the field and 70.6 percent (12-17) from the free throw line. The Titans were 2-of-9 shooting (22.2 percent) behind the three-point line. UW-Platteville shot 34 percent (18-53) from the field and 69.2 percent (9-13) from the free throw stripe. The Pioneers, who were outrebounded by a 36-26 tally, were 3-of-18 shooting (16.7 percent) behind the three-point line.

Fast Start Keys Titans' Win Over Yellowjackets

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team scored 28 of the game's first 37 points and remained in charge the rest of the way as it defeated UW-Superior, 72-61, on Saturday (Jan. 31) in Superior.

UW-Oshkosh (15-3/9-1 WIAC), which stays alone atop the WIAC standings following the win, jumped to leads of 6-0, 15-5, 22-7 and 28-9 before settling for a 39-23 advantage at intermission. The Titans built their 28-9 lead at the 9:56 mark of the first half by making 11 of their first 15 shots from the field, including at least one basket from seven different players.

UW-Oshkosh made 57.1 percent (16-28) of its field goal attempts in the first half, compared to just 29.6 percent (8-27) accuracy for UW-Superior (7-12/2-9 WIAC). The Yellowjackets opened the contest by making just four of their first 13 shots from the field.

UW-Oshkosh constructed a pair of 20-point leads (45-25 & 47-27) in the second half before UW-Superior made things interesting down the stretch. Trailing 58-43 with 10:10 left in the game, UW-Superior embarked on an 18-7 scoring run to cut its deficit to 65-61 with 2:26 remaining. The Titans then regained the tempo the rest of the way by scoring the last seven points of the contest.

Michele Rosicky (Jr. • Plover) paced UW-Oshkosh in scoring with 18 points, while Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) added 16 and Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.) nine. Rosicky matched her season scoring best by making seven of 12 shots from the field, including four of nine behind the three-point line. Mikolajczak also grabbed nine rebounds, blocked five shots and dished off three assists in the game, while Holler collected six rebounds. The Titans also received eight points, seven assists and three rebounds from Alison Cesnovar (Sr. • Kenosha).

UW-Superior, which has lost its last 39 games to the Titans, was led by Heidi McKay's 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. The Yellowjackets also got 15 points from Katie Galovich and 11 points from Shawna Johannes.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the game shooting 50 percent (29-58) from the field. UW-Superior shot 40 percent (20-50) from the field to become the Titans' ninth straight opponent to shoot under 43 percent. UW-Oshkosh, which won the rebounding count, 36-29, made nine of its 10 attempts (90 percent) from the free throw line, while UW-Superior made 14 of its 23 (60.9 percent) tries.

Titans Regain Sole Possession Of WIAC Lead

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team took sole possession of the WIAC lead for the second time this season following its 69-59 victory over UW-River Falls on Saturday (Jan. 24) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh entered Saturday's game tied with UW-Eau Claire for first place in the WIAC standings, but the Blugolds fell from the league's top listing when they dropped a 62-51 decision to UW-Stout later in the day. UW-Oshkosh now leads the nine-team WIAC race with an 8-1 league record, while UW-Eau Claire follows at 7-2.

UW-Oshkosh (14-3) led UW-River Falls (11-7/2-7 WIAC) for all but the first-two minutes of the game. The Titans took a 37-21 advantage to intermission after ending the first half with a 23-8 scoring run. UW-Oshkosh's double-digit lead at the break was created by field goal shooting of 57.7 percent (15-26) for the Titans and just 37 percent (10-27) for the Falcons.

The Titans continued their scoring spree in the second half as they built a 50-25 lead at the 15:20 mark of the period. UW-River Falls, which dropped a 73-57 decision to UW-Oshkosh earlier this season, dominated the game's final 15 minutes by outscoring the Titans by a 34-19 count. The smallest margin between the two teams in the second half was nine points, a 68-59 score with 23 seconds left to play.

Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead UW-Oshkosh's effort. The double-double was Mikolajczak's eighth of the season, including her seventh in the last eight games. The Titans also received eight points, five rebounds and three assists from Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.), eight points and two assists from Michele Rosicky (Jr. • Plover) and six points and seven assists from Alison Cesnovar (Sr. • Kenosha).

UW-River Falls, which has lost 29 of its last 30 games with UW-Oshkosh, was led by Traci Reimann's 14 points and six rebounds and Darcy Olsen's 12 points and three steals.

UW-Oshkosh shot 48.1 percent (25-52) from the field and 78.9 percent (15-19) from the free throw line, while UW-River Falls shot 41.7 percent (25-60) from the field and 66.7 percent (4-6) from the free throw stripe. The Titans won the rebounding battle by a 38-25 tally.

Titans Nip Pointers In Overtime

UW-Oshkosh’s Laurie Turtenwald (Jr. • West Allis) sent the game to overtime with a three-point basket and the Titans fought off UW-Stevens Point in the extra period for a 75-74 victory on Tuesday (Jan. 20) in Stevens Point.

The Titans are now tied with UW-Eau Claire atop the WIAC standings with 7-1 league records, while UW-Stevens Point follows at 6-1. UW-Stevens Point (15-2) entered Tuesday's contest ranked sixth in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com and UW-Oshkosh (13-3) 23rd.

With the Titans trailing 70-67 with 13 seconds left, UW-Oshkosh's Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) was trapped near the top of the key with the clock winding down. She fired the basketball to the right corner where Turtenwald launched the game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer.

In overtime, the game was tied for the 12th time at 72 when UW-Oshkosh’s Alison Cesnovar (Sr. • Kenosha) scored on a driving layup and was fouled with 2:18 left. She made the free throw to give the Titans a three-point lead. UW-Stevens Point missed three shots and had a turnover on its next four possessions before fouling Cesnovar with 33 seconds left.

Cesnovar missed the front end of the bonus free throw situation and the Pointers’ Amanda Nechuta was fouled on the rebound. Nechuta hit both free throws to cut the Titans' lead to 75-74 before UW-Stevens Point fouled UW-Oshkosh's Michele Rosicky (Jr. • Plover) with eight seconds left. Rosicky also missed the front end of the bonus free throw situation and the basketball went out of bounds to UW-Stevens Point. The Pointers threw a long pass to midcourt and it was picked up by Nechuta, who drove to the low block and attempted a six-foot jumper over a defender that bounced off the rim at the buzzer.

The game was tightly contested throughout. with UW-Stevens Point holding a 41-36 halftime lead. UW-Oshkosh led 61-56 with 6:35 left in the game before the Pointers went on a 10-2 scoring run to take a 66-63 advantage with 1:39 remaining. The Titans hit two field goals and UW-Stevens Point made all four of its free throws down the stretch before Turtenwald’s game-tying shot.

UW-Stevens Point had one of its lowest turnover totals in several years with only eight for the game. The Pointers, however, made just one of seven (14.3 percent) field goal attempts in overtime. UW-Stevens Point concluded the contest shooting 38.6 percent (27-70) from the field. UW-Oshkosh shot 50 percent (31-62) for the game, but just three-for-16 (18.8 percent) from three-point range.

Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.) scored a career high 20 points for the Titans and was nine-for-nine shooting from the floor. Mikolajczak added 20 points and 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double in nine games. Nechuta had 18 points for the Pointers, including 14 in the second half.

Titans Net Eagles To Grab Share Of WIAC Lead

Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) scored 18 points and collected 15 rebounds for her sixth double-double in eight games as the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team defeated UW-La Crosse, 72-57, on Saturday (Jan. 17) in Kolf Sports Center. The win lifted UW-Oshkosh into a tie for first place in the WIAC standings with UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stevens Point, all with 6-1 league records.

Mikolajczak, who also had three assists and two steals, recorded nine of her points and 11 of her rebounds in the first half as the Titans took a 37-21 lead to intermission. Laurie Turtenwald (Jr. • West Allis) paced UW-Oshkosh in the opening period with 11 points, including three three-point baskets.

Trailing 2-0 and playing to a pair of ties early, UW-Oshkosh took a 33-14 lead at the 4:47 mark of the first half after a 25-8 scoring run. Turtenwald scored all 11 of her first-half points during the scoring spree, while Mikolajczak added five.

Behind six points from Pam Fehring (So. • Hartford), UW-Oshkosh (12-3) opened the second half with a 13-7 scoring run to take its largest lead of the game at 50-28. UW-La Crosse (6-10/0-7 WIAC) pulled to within 10 points (64-54) with 3:13 left in the game, but the Titans ended the contest by scoring eight of the game's final 11 points.

UW-La Crosse, which has lost 30 of its last 31 games to UW-Oshkosh, was by the 11 points and two rebounds of Jana Merchlewitz and the eight points and four rebounds of Yasmin Johnson.

UW-Oshkosh, which plays at co-WIAC leader UW-Stevens Point (15-1) on Tuesday (Jan. 20), shot 42.6 percent (29-68) from the field and 72.7 percent (8-11) from the free throw line. The Titans posted a 48-31 rebounding advantage, but lost the turnover count, 18-15. UW-La Crosse shot 37 percent (20-54) from the field and 63.6 percent (14-22) from the free throw stripe.

Blugolds Deal Titans First League Loss

Joanna Leafblad's three-point basket with 26 seconds left in the game broke a 53-53 tie as the UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team handed UW-Oshkosh a 57-53 loss on Tuesday (Jan. 13) in Kolf Sports Center.

Leafblad's field goal, her second of the contest, was part of UW-Eau Claire's (13-2/6-1 WIAC) 9-3 scoring run over the game's final six-plus minutes. The Blugolds counted their last point, and that of the game, on Becca Spaeth's free throw with one second remaining to play. Spaeth's charity toss came after UW-Oshkosh (11-3/5-1 WIAC) turned the ball over with two seconds left.

UW-Oshkosh and UW-Eau Claire played to 10 ties in the second half, with the Titans' Kelly O'Keef (So. • Shorewood) matching the score for the final time at 53 on a layup with 1:05 remaining in the game. Earlier in the period, UW-Oshkosh scored seven unanswered points to take a 50-48 lead with 6:25 left to play, but a Leafblad three-point basket just 11 seconds later quickly erased the Titan's final advantage of the contest.

UW-Oshkosh enjoyed bragging rights for most of the first half, including a 20-13 advantage with 6:30 left in the period. But, a 15-6 scoring run by UW-Eau Claire, capped by a three-point basket by Katie Murphy and a layup by Spaeth, gave the Blugolds a 28-25 lead at intermission.

UW-Oshkosh's Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to post her fifth double-double in seven games. She also recorded five steals and dished off two assists. The Titans also received 10 points and two rebounds from Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.) and nine points, three assists and two rebounds from O'Keef.

Brooke Schmidt paced UW-Eau Claire in scoring with 15 points, while Spaeth added 11 points and Rachel Becker 10. Schmidt, who also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, scored 10 of her points in the second half to help the Blugolds defeat the Titans for the 10th time in 11 meetings.

UW-Oshkosh shot 42.6 percent (20-47) from the field, but was just 9-of-14 (64.3 percent) shooting from the the free throw line. UW-Eau Claire, which outrebounded the Titans by a 38-25 tally, shot 41.8 percent (23-55) from the field. The Blugolds, were 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) shooting from the free throw line.

Titans Exterminate Yellowjackets

Kelly O'Keef (So. • Shorewood) tallied 12 points to lead four double-figure scorers as the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team defeated UW-Superior, 69-54, on Saturday (Jan. 10) in Kolf Sports Center.

O'Keef made four of six three-point shots against UW-Superior (6-7/1-5 WIAC) to register her fourth double-digit scoring game of the year and help keep UW-Oshkosh (11-2/5-0 WIAC) unbeaten in WIAC play. O'Keef also had three rebounds and two steals as UW-Oshkosh recorded its 38th straight victory over UW-Superior. The outcome also marked the 41st straight WIAC road loss for the Yellowjackets, who ended an overall league losing streak of 63 games on Tuesday (Jan. 6) against UW-La Crosse.

UW-Oshkosh's winning performance also included 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals from Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.), a career-best 11 points from Becky Knapp (Fr. • West Allis), 10 points and nine rebounds from Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) and nine points from Michele Rosicky (Jr. • Plover).

UW-Oshkosh never trailed UW-Superior as Rosicky made a three-point basket 47 seconds into the contest to give the Titans the lead for good. UW-Oshkosh's advantage ballooned to 24-10 at the 9:06 mark of the opening period and 39-23 at intermission. The Titans had six players score five of more points in the first half, including Rosicky who registered nine.

UW-Oshkosh increased its lead to 58-34 with 11:01 left in the second half before UW-Superior scored 20 of the game's final 31 points. Katie Galovich sparked the Yellowjackets' game-ending scoring run by counting seven points, while Lindsey Anderson had six. Anderson led UW-Superior in scoring on the day with 17 points, while Galovich had 11.

UW-Oshkosh, which outrebounded UW-Superior by a 36-28 tally, shot 44.4 percent (24-54) from the field and 60 percent (12-20) from the free throw line. UW-Superior shot 42.2 percent (19-45) from the field and 72.2 percent (13-18) from the free throw stripe. The Titans shot 50 percent (9-18) behind the three-point line, compared to just 21.4 percent (3-14) for the Yellowjackets.

Titans Trip Warhawks To Take WIAC Lead

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team shot just 39 percent (22-57) from the field, but the accuracy was enough to help the Titans top UW-Whitewater, 64-53, on Tuesday (Jan. 6) in Whitewater.

The victory, coupled with UW-Stevens Point's 78-61 loss to UW-Platteville on Tuesday, moved UW-Oshkosh into sole possession of first place in the WIAC standings with its 4-0 league record. The Titans are followed in the WIAC race by the second-place 4-1 marks of UW-Eau Claire and UW-Platteville.

Michele Rosicky (Jr. • Plover) led UW-Oshkosh (10-2) in scoring with a season-high 18 points, while Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.) and Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) added 12 points each. Holler and Mikolajczak both grabbed 11 rebounds as the Titans won the battle of the boards by a 42-32 count.

Megan Baker led UW-Whitewater (6-7/2-2 WIAC) in scoring with 16 points, while Nya Geschke added 13 points and Jamie Carollo 10. Amy Morris came off the bench to score six points and grab a team-high seven rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh fell behind 15-9 early in the contest before ending the first half with a 19-11 scoring run. The Titans took a 28-26 lead to intermission as Holler totaled nine points and eight rebounds and Rosicky eight points and two assists in the opening period.

UW-Oshkosh put a stamp on its 10th straight win over UW-Whitewater by outscoring the Warhawks, 36-27, in the second half. UW-Whitewater did cut its deficit to 44-43 at the 8:23 mark of the final frame, but UW-Oshkosh concluded the contest with a 20-10 scoring run.

UW-Oshkosh's 38.6 percent field goal shooting included 38.9 percent (7-18) marksmanship behind the three-point line. UW-Whitewater shot 35.1 percent (20-57) from the field, but was just 20 percent (3-15) behind the three-point line. Both teams excelled at the free throw stripe as UW-Oshkosh converted 86.7 percent (13-15) of its tries and UW-Whitewater 76.9 percent (10-13).

Free Throw Shooting Lifts Titans Past Blue Devils

Exceptional marksmanship from the free throw line, especially in the second half, helped UW-Oshkosh hold off UW-Stout, 85-79, in a women's basketball contest held Saturday (Jan. 3) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (9-2/3-0 WIAC), which entered the game shooting 63.4 percent (111-175) from the free throw line, made 30 of its 35 charity attempts (85.7 percent) against UW-Stout (7-5/1-3 WIAC). The Titans sealed their 39th victory over the Blue Devils in 45 meetings by making their last 27 free throws, including 20 in the second half.

The Titans led by five points (79-74) with 38 seconds remaining in the game before the Blue Devils' Erin Churchill drained a three-point shot with 12 seconds left. Laurie Turtenwald (Jr. • West Allis) then made two free throws with 10 seconds to play and Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) another pair with one second left to close the game's scoring.

With the help of a 7-1 scoring run, UW-Oshkosh took a 42-36 lead to intermission. The opening period featured 12 lead changes, with the Titans' biggest advantage being a 42-35 count. UW-Stout dominated the game early as it jumped to a 9-3 lead after four minutes of action.

UW-Oshkosh held its lead in the second half until UW-Stout grabbed the advantage on a Churchill three-point play at the 10:54 mark of the period. The Titans responded to the Blue Devils' charge with a 14-2 scoring run, capped by consecutive three-point baskets by Michele Rosicky (Jr. • Plover), to take a 64-55 lead with 6:47 left in the contest. UW-Oshkosh finished the game by scoring 16 of its last 21 points from the free throw line.

UW-Oshkosh's Mikolajczak scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to record her third double-double in four games. The Titans also received 14 points, five rebounds and two assists from Kelly O'Keef (So. • Shorewood), 10 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals from Turtenwald, 10 points, three rebounds and three assists from Rosicky and 10 points and two rebounds from Brittany Herrick (So. • Appleton).

Churchill led UW-Stout in scoring with a career-best 25 points, while Sara Kahl added 23 and Molly Hendricks 11.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the game shooting 47.2 percent (25-53) from the field, while UW-Stout finished at 38.5 percent (25-65). The Blue Devils were 25 of 33 shooting (75.8 percent) from the free throw line.

Defending National Champion Ousts Titans

Cold shooting in the second half proved to be the difference as the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team dropped a 68-61 decision to defending NCAA Division III champion Trinity University (Texas) on Sunday (Dec. 28) in San Antonio, Texas.

The Titans (8-2) led 29-26 at intermission, but couldn’t find the shooting range in the final 20 minutes as Trinity University (8-0) rallied for its 31st win in 32 decisions.

UW-Oshkosh had led by as much as eight points early on and was up 25-19 with 5:06 remaining in the first half. A Kristin Mader (Fr. • South Milwaukee) free throw gave the Titans a 29-24 advantage with 37 seconds to go in the opening period, but the Tigers' Amy Howe answered with a basket to close out the first half.

From there, UW-Oshkosh went cold shooting the basketball as Trinity University used a 12-3 scoring run to start the second half to take control at 38-32. UW-Oshkosh could get no closer than four points the rest of the way, with the latest being a 58-54 count with 2:33 left in the contest.

UW-Oshkosh shot 38.5 percent (20-52) from the field in the game, but just 32.1 (9-28) in the second half. The Titans were 3-of-12 (25 percent) shooting behind the three-point line and 18-of-26 shooting (69.2 percent) from the free throw stripe. UW-Oshkosh committed 19 turnovers, compared to 12 for Trinity University, and outrebounded the Tigers by a 39-33 tally.

Trinity University shot 40.4 percent (23-57) from the field in the contest, using a 51.7 percent (15-29) clip in the second half to overcome a poor 28.6 percent (8-28) mark in the first half. The Tigers were just 1-of-10 shooting (10 percent) behind the three-point line, but made 21 of their 24 free throw attempts (87.5 percent).

Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead UW-Oshkosh in both categories. The Titans also received 14 points and nine rebounds from Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.) and 10 points and five rebounds from Michele Rosicky (Jr. • Plover).

Howe led Trinity University in scoring with 17 points, while Jenna Smith added 16 points and Allison Wooley 14. Tara Rohde also contributed seven points and a team-best nine rebounds for the Tigers.

It was the second meeting between the two schools, with UW-Oshkosh defeating Trinity University, 69-58, during the 1995-96 season.

Titans Fall From Unbeaten Ranks

Millikin University (Ill.) overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat previously unbeaten UW-Oshkosh, 62-56, in the championship game of the Crannell Holiday Classic held Sunday (Dec. 21) in Decatur, Ill.

The Big Blue (7-1) captured their own tournament by outscoring the Titans (8-1), 37-22, in the second half. Millikin University's performance in the final 20 minutes was keyed by field goal shooting of 59.1 percent (13-22).

UW-Oshkosh trailed by five points early in the contest before playing Millikin University to ties at 12 and 17. The Titans broke away from their deadlock at 17 by going on a 17-8 scoring run to end the first half. UW-Oshkosh's 34-25 halftime lead was its largest of the opening period.

UW-Oshkosh had a pair of 11-point advantages in the second half before Millikin University went on an 15-2 scoring run to take a 58-54 lead with 2:55 left to play. The Big Blue concluded the game scoring 16 of the last 18 points, with the Titans going scoreless for nearly five minutes during that span.

Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) led UW-Oshkosh with 14 points, nine rebounds and three assists, while Brittany Herrick (So. • Appleton) and Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.) added 11 points and four rebounds each.

Karin Olson paced Millikin University with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Laura Zimmerman counted 17 points and four rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh shot 43.4 percent (23-53) from the field in the game, including 50 percent (5-10) behind the three-point line. The Titans, however, were just 5-of-14 shooting (35.7 percent) from the free throw line.

Millikin University shot 54.8 percent (23-42) from the field, including 6-of-10 shooting (60 percent) behind the three-point line. The Big Blue, now 1-1 against UW-Oshkosh, made 10 of their 21 attempts (47.6 percent) from the free throw line.

Titans Net Hornets

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team overcame the sudden loss of its second-leading scorer by routing Kalamazoo College (Mich.), 73-47, on Saturday (Dec. 20) in Decatur, Ill.

The victory advances the Titans (8-0) to Sunday's (Dec. 21) title game of the Crannell Holiday Classic, where they'll meet host Millikin University (6-1). The Big Blue moved to the championship contest of their own tournament after defeating Kendall College (Ill.), 65-59.

Laurie Turtenwald (Jr. • West Allis), who averages 10.1 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game, missed UW-Oshkosh's tilt with Kalamazoo College after taking an elbow to the face during the Titans' walk-through on Saturday morning. The injury, however, isn't expected to keep Turtenwald out of Sunday's championship contest.

UW-Oshkosh overcame its sudden misfortune by taking a 2-0 lead 48 seconds into the contest and holding the advantage the remainder of the way. The Titans, behind 10 first-half points by Michele Rosicky (Jr. • Plover), jumped to a pair of 11-points in the opening period, including a 33-22 count at intermission.

The second half was all UW-Oshkosh as the Titans held a lead of 20 or more points for the final 9:59 of the game. The Titans' biggest profit of the second half was a 73-45 tally with 23 seconds left. Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin), who scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds in the first half, paced UW-Oshkosh in the second period by totaling 11 points and one rebound.

Leading the Titans to the victory was Mikolajczak, who scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for her ninth career double-double. UW-Oshkosh also received 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals from Rosicky, nine points and one rebound from Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.) and eight points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals from Alison Cesnovar (Sr. • Kenosha).

Kalamazoo College (5-2), which defeated UW-Oshkosh, 50-49, during the 2001-02 season, obtained 10 points and five rebounds from Sarah Sleder and 10 points and four rebounds from both Ashley Riley and Stefanie Salasky.

UW-Oshkosh, off to its first 8-0 start since the 1998-99 season, shot 51.8 percent (29-56) from the field and 68.8 percent (11-16) from the free throw line. The Titans also won the rebounding battle by a 38-29 count. Kalamazoo College shot 34.6 percent (18-52) from the field and 66.7 percent (10-15) from the free throw line.

Titans Overpower Green Knights

Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.) scored a career-best 16 points and grabbed six rebounds as the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team remained unbeaten following its 70-55 victory over St. Norbert College on Thursday (Dec. 18) in Kolf Sports Center. It was the 10th victory for the Titans in their last 11 games against the Green Knights.

Holler made all seven of her field goal attempts and two of her three free throw tries to reach double-figure scoring for the third time in four games. Holler scored nine of her points in the first half as UW-Oshkosh (7-0) took a 36-25 lead to intermission.

In addition to Holler's performance, UW-Oshkosh also received 14 points and seven rebounds from Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin), 10 points, six rebounds and three assists from Laurie Turtenwald (Jr. • West Allis), nine points and two assists from Allison Cesnovar (Sr. • Kenosha) and seven points and five rebounds from Kelly O'Keef (So. • Shorewood).

St. Norbert College (2-4) was led by Kelly Krombach with 11 points and four assists, Ellen Hake with 10 points and four rebounds and Telia Midlikowski with 10 points, two assists and two steals.

UW-Oshkosh never trailed in the contest as it took a 2-0 advantage 43 seconds into the game. The Titans led the Green Knights by double-digits over the final 15:50 of the game, including a 55-35 count with 10:56 left in the contest. UW-Oshkosh's biggest lead in the first half was a 36-23 score with 51 seconds left before the break.

UW-Oshkosh won for the 198th time in its last 232 games by shooting 50.9 percent (28-55) from the field and 80 percent (12-15) from the free throw line. The Titans also controlled the rebounds by a 38-21 tally. St. Norbert College shot 42.9 percent (21-49) from the field and 62.5 percent (10-16) from the free throw stripe.

Titans Cruise Past Falcons

Laurie Turtenwald (Jr. • West Allis) tallied a career-scoring best for the second consecutive game as the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team rolled past UW-River Falls, 73-57, on Saturday (Dec. 6) in River Falls. The victory was the Titans' 28th in their last 29 meetings with the Falcons.

Turtenwald counted 17 points on four-of-five shooting from the field, including three-of-three behind the three-point line, and six-of-six shooting from the free throw stripe. She also collected five rebounds, dished off three assists and recorded two steals. Turtenwald had 13 points for a previous career scoring high in the Titans' 62-60 win over UW-Platteville on Wednesday (Dec. 2).

UW-Oshkosh (6-0/2-0 WIAC) also received 14 points, five rebounds and four assists from Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin), eight points, six rebounds and two assists from Kelly O'Keef (So. • Shorewood) and seven points, seven rebounds and three assists from Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.).

UW-River Falls (3-2/0-2 WIAC) had four double-figure scorers in the contest as Erin Effle registered 15 points, Chantele Melgaard 13 and both Megan Lindman and Traci Reimann 10 each. Lindman, Melgaard and Reimann also grabbed five rebounds each.

UW-Oshkosh led UW-River Falls for all but 47 seconds of the game as a Turtenwald three-point basket put the Titans ahead 3-0 at the 19:13 mark of the first half and in control for the duration of the contest. UW-Oshkosh took a 42-20 advantage to intermission as a jump shot by Becky Knapp (Fr. • West Allis) with one second left in the first half gave the Titans their biggest lead of the opening period.

UW-Oshkosh extended its lead to 69-37 with 3:58 remaining in the contest before UW-River Falls cut its deficit to the game's final listing with a 20-4 scoring run. Melgaard and Effle keyed the Falcons' strong finish by scoring nine and eight points, respectively.

UW-Oshkosh shot 48.2 percent (27-56) from the field and 64.7 percent (11-17) from the free throw line for the game, while UW-River Falls shot 35.6 percent (21-59) from the field and 57.9 percent (11-19) from the charity stripe. The Titans were also eight-of-13 shooting (61.5 percent) behind the three-point line, while the Falcons were just four-of-19 (21.1 percent). UW-Oshkosh outrebounded UW-River Falls by a 44-34 count.

Titans Win WIAC Opener On Last-Second Shot

Laurie Turtenwald's (Jr. • West Allis) lay-up from the right baseline as time expired gave the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team a 62-60 victory over UW-Platteville on Tuesday (Dec. 2) in Kolf Sports Center. It was the 2003-04 WIAC opener for both teams, with UW-Oshkosh winning its league debut for the 12th consecutive season.

UW-Oshkosh (5-0/1-0 WIAC) owned a 57-55 lead in the final minute of play until UW-Platteville's Katie Freis made a jump shot with 56 seconds left to tie the contest. The ensuing possession resulted in a 60-57 advantage for the Titans as Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) hit a free throw after being fouled while making a jump shot with 39 seconds remaining.

Freis was again the weapon of choice for the Pioneers (3-3/0-1 WIAC) on their next possession and she responded by hitting a three-point basket to tie the game at 60 with 22 seconds left. After calling a timeout, UW-Oshkosh ran the the remaining seconds on clock down before Turtenwald broke free from the right wing and dribbled baseline for her game-winning basket as time expired. The score gave Turtenwald a career-best 13 points and capped a comeback for a UW-Oshkosh team that trailed 50-42 with 9:38 left in the contest.

UW-Oshkosh opened the game with an 8-2 advantage and led 19-13 before UW-Platteville scored 17 of the next 25 points to lead 30-27 at intermission. The Pioneers committed 14 turnovers and had three less field goals than the Titans in the opening period, but took the lead to the break after posting advantages of 14-9 in rebounds and 9-0 in free throws.

Mikolajczak made 11 of 13 field goal and four of five free throw attempts to lead UW-Oshkosh in scoring with a career-high 26 points. She also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds and recorded five steals. The Titans also received six steals from Turtenwald, 10 points, three rebounds and three assists from Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.) and five points and six assists from Alison Cesnovar (Sr. • Kenosha).

UW-Platteville had four double-figure scorers, including Freis who scored 13 points to go along with seven assists, three rebounds and two steals.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the game shooting 56.5 percent (26-46) from the field, while UW-Platteville shot 51.2 percent (21-41). The game featured 48 turnovers, including 28 by UW-Platteville.

The Titans' victory also moved UW-Oshkosh head coach Pam Ruder into sixth place on the list of all-time winningest coaches in WIAC history. Ruder now has an eight-year coaching record of 166-34, all at UW-Oshkosh.

Titans Upend Warriors

It's hard to find fault in a 10-point win, but as UW-Oshkosh head women's basketball coach Pam Ruder watched the Titans' 67-57 victory over Wisconsin Lutheran College on Saturday (Nov. 29) in Kolf Sports Center, she knew that her team still has a lot of work to do.

Despite having a strong height and depth advantage, the Titans struggled against an inspired Wisconsin Lutheran College (1-4) team and did not look like the WIAC title contenders Ruder believes they are

UW-Oshkosh (4-0) had won its previous three games by 27 or more points, but in Saturday's game against Wisconsin Lutheran College, the Titans' passes were not crisp and their transition defense was not sharp.

UW-Oshkosh, which trailed early, ended the first half with a 19-9 scoring run to lead 44-28 at intermission. Laurie Turtenwald (Jr. • West Allis) scored 11 of her 12 points and dished off four of her eight assists in the opening period to help the Titans erase an early 7-4 deficit.

In the second half, UW-Oshkosh's advantage ballooned to 18 points (64-46) before Wisconsin Lutheran College decreased its deficit to 64-55 with 2:35 left in the game. The Titans scored only 23 points in the second half, with five each going to Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.), Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) and Michele Rosicky (Jr. • Plover). Mikolajczak led UW-Oshkosh in the game with 13 points, while Holler added 12.

Wisconsin Lutheran College, which had only six players see action, was led in scoring by Sarah Metzger's 16 points.

UW-Oshkosh converted 50 percent (24-48) of its field goal attempts, but just 54.2 percent (13-24) of its free throw tries. Wisconsin Lutheran College shot 44 percent (22-50) from the field and 66.7 percent (10-15) from the free throw line. The Warriors outrebounded the Titans by a 21-18 count, with Kami Ten Pas of Wisconsin Lutheran College grabbing a game-best eight.

UW-Oshkosh is now unbeaten in seven all-time meetings with Wisconsin Lutheran College.

Eagles No Match For Titans

From the moment Michele Rosicky's (Jr. • Plover) three-point shot swished through the net to give the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team a 31-5 lead, the Titans knew there wasn't much Edgewood College could do to stop them.

The shot, which came with 8:47 remaining in the first half, was one of four three-pointers the Titans hit in the opening period and gave the team all the momentum they would need to rout the Eagles 81-45 on Friday (Nov. 28) in Kolf Sports Center.

The Titans attacked from the opening tip-off and shot an impressive 60.7 percent (17-28) from the field in the first half, including 66.7 (4-6) behind the three-point line. UW-Oshkosh (3-0), which posted its third straight win of 27 or more points, concluded the game shooting 50 percent (28-56) from the field. The Titans' excellent marksmanship also continued at the free throw line, where they made 20 of 25 attempts (80 percent).

Kay Mikolajczak (Sr. • Franklin) led a balanced UW-Oshkosh (3-0) attack with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Pam Fehring (So. • Hartford) came off the bench to score a career-best 12 points and collect five rebounds, while Abby Holler (Jr. • La Crescent, Minn.) added five points and seven rebounds and Alison Cesnovar (Sr. • Kenosha) seven points, seven assists and four rebounds.

While the Titans were shooting well from the floor in the first half, the Eagles (0-2) shot a miserable 16 percent (4-25) from the floor and missed all seven of their three-point attempts. In the second half, the Titans stepped up their defensive effort and increased their lead to as many as 43 points, counts of 77-34, 79-36 and 81-38.

Edgewood College, which has dropped all four of its previous meetings with UW-Oshkosh, was led in scoring by Lisa Gross's 13 points. The Eagles had 27 turnovers in the game and were outrebounded by a 43-31 tally. Edgewood College concluded the game shooting 24 percent (12-50) from the field, including just 18.8 (3-16) behind the three-point line.

Mikolajczak Named Preseason All-American

UW-Oshkosh senior Kay Mikolajczak was named Monday (Nov. 17) as a member of the NCAA Division III Preseason All-America Women’s Basketball Team by D3hoops.com.

The site selected Mikolajczak to the third team along with Amy Meggers of Buena Vista University (Iowa), Angie Peterson of Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.), Tiffany Speer of Whitworth College (Wash.) and Leigh Sulkowski of Washington & Jefferson College (Pa.).

Mikolajczak, a Franklin native, led UW-Oshkosh to a 22-6 record last season by averaging 13.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 82.8 percent from the free throw line. Her average of 2.74 steals per game a year ago led the WIAC.

Last season, Mikolajczak was selected to the All-WIAC and D3hoops.com’s NCAA Division III All-Central Region first teams.

Two years ago, Mikolajczak averaged 11.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per contest to help the Titans to a 21-7 overall record.

2003-04 Season Preview

Every year there is a hole to fill here, a question mark there, but one thing that remains constant for those associated with the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball program is their expectation of another high-powered season.

UW-Oshkosh has been a pillar of success, both at the conference and national levels, since its inaugural 1971-72 season. The Titans have captured one NCAA Division III championship, claimed nine WIAC titles, made 10 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, posted 10 20-win seasons and been victorious in 603 of their 796 games played.

Under the guidance of eighth-year head coach Pam Ruder (160-34 record), UW-Oshkosh looks to build upon its history of success this season after posting a 22-6 overall record and finishing third in the WIAC with an 11-5 ledger a year ago. UW-Oshkosh’s WIAC ranking last season marked the 14th straight year that the Titans had placed in the top three of the nine-team league derby.

Topping the list of eight returning veterans for the Titans is senior forward Kay Mikolajczak, who gained All-WIAC first team accolades last season after averaging 13.4 points and a team-leading 7.6 rebounds per contest. She ranked fifth in the WIAC in rebounding and sixth in scoring.

Mikolajczak, who has started 40 games for UW-Oshkosh after playing her freshman season at UW-Eau Claire, paced the WIAC in steals last year by averaging 2.74 per game. She also ranked third in the league in blocked shots at 1.41 per game, fifth in free throw percentage at 82.8 (72-87) and sixth in field goal percentage at 51.6 (145-281). Among Mikolajczak's top performances last season was an 18-point, 20-rebound outing in the Titans' 87-80 win over UW-Stout. Two years ago, Mikolajczak averaged 11.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per contest to help the Titans to a 21-7 overall record and a third-place finish in the WIAC.

The Titans also return four other players who averaged 14-plus minutes on the hardwood last season, including junior guard Michele Rosicky who started 15 games and junior forward Abby Holler who started 14.

Rosicky averaged 5.9 points and 1.2 assists per contest while making 41.6 percent (37-89) of her field goal attempts behind the three-point line. She scored 18 points and dished off five assists in UW-Oshkosh's 83-76 semifinal round win over UW-Stevens Point in last year's WIAC Tournament. Holler, who returned to the Titans last year after missing the previous season with an injury, averaged 4.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest a year ago. Holler scored a career-best 13 points and grabbed two rebounds in the Titans' 75-54 win over Carroll College last season.

Also back after seeing extensive time last season are senior guard Alison Cesnovar and junior guard Laurie Turtenwald. Cesnovar averaged 3.7 points and 1.9 assists per game last year, while Turtenwald averaged 4.0 points and 2.1 rebounds. Cesnovar, who played her two collegiate seasons at Bemidji State University (Minn.), scored a career-high 12 points in UW-Oshkosh's 84-70 win over UW-Stout last year, while Turtenwald tied a career best with 10 points in the Titans' 70-60 quarterfinal round win over UW-Whitewater in the WIAC Tournament.

Other letter winners back for the Titans are senior guard Kaaren Albrecht, sophomore forward Pam Fehring and sophomore forward Brittany Herrick. Herrick averaged 3.4 points per game a year ago, while Fehring averaged 1.9 and Albrecht 1.1.

UW-Oshkosh's top newcomers this include freshman guard Becky Knapp of West Allis Hale High School and sophomore guard Kelly O'Keef, a transfer from Loyola University (Ill.) and a graduate of Whitefish Bay Dominican High School.

Titans Cited For Academic Excellence

The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced Wednesday (Oct. 8) its 2002-2003 Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and Junior College/Community College. The awards recognize the nation's highest team grade point averages (GPA) for the 2002-03 season based upon nominations submitted by WBCA-member coaches.

Among the schools cited for its academic excellence was UW-Oshkosh, which ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III with its cumulative grade point average of 3.485. UW-Oshkosh, the lone Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) school mentioned in the honor listing, ranked third in the WBCA's Top 25 Team Honor Roll in 2001-02 and seventh in 2000-01. UW-Oshkosh won 22 of its 28 games and finished third in the WIAC this past season.

"It incredible to see the grade point averages each Top 25 team produces year in and year out," said Beth Bass, the Chief Executive Officer of the WBCA. "These teams set a precedent among student-athletes and deserve to be recognized for their accomplishment. Congratulations to the 110 teams we honor this year!"

Grade point averages are calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned by each student-athlete on an institution's squad list in the given academic terms by the total number of hours earned by the team. The grade point averages are rounded to the nearest thousandth of a point.

In NCAA Division III classrooms, Whitworth College (Wash.) compiled a 3.75 cumulative grade point average to earn first place for the second time in four years. The Pirates posted a 19-7 record on the court and won the Northwest Conference championship this past season. Rounding out places two through four in the NCAA Division III rankings were Coe College (Iowa) at 3.560, Adrian College (Mich.) at 3.538 and Villa Julie College (Md.) at 3.488.

Other first-place rankings went to Indiana State University at 3.639 in NCAA Division I, University of Nebraska-Kearney at 3.723 in NCAA Division II, Concordia University (Neb.) at 3.660 in the NAIA and Salt Lake Community College (Utah) at 3.467 in the Junior/Community College.

Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as an amateur sport for women and girls.