2006-07 UW-Oshkosh Women's Basketball News

Tyriver Among Comeback Award Finalists

The V Foundation for Cancer Research has named UW-Oshkosh's Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) as one of its nine finalists for the seventh annual V Foundation Comeback Award. The award is presented in conjunction with ESPN and the recipient will be announced during ESPN’s basketball Final Four/NIT weekend coverage.

The other finalists are Warren Carter of the University of Illinois, Kaitlyn McCormick of Bethany College, Ashley McMillen of Syracuse University, Lauren Mueller of Converse College, Michael Neal of the University of Oklahoma, Ralphanee’ Peyton of Wayne State University, Ann-Marie Torp of Metro State College and the United States Military Academy Women’s Basketball Team.

The annual award is open to men and women collegiate basketball student-athletes in all NCAA divisions. It is awarded to an individual or a team who has accomplished a personal triumph in the face of true adversity, be it in health, life or moral dilemma.

The award is presented in memory of Jim Valvano, the late basketball coach and ESPN commentator, whose personal battle with cancer inspired the creation of The V Foundation. In his memorable speech at ESPN’s inaugural ESPY Awards announcing the creation of The V Foundation, Valvano’s “Don’t Give Up. . .Don’t Ever Give Up!”® motto created a legacy from which the Comeback Award has been created.

Tyriver was diagnosed with a rare cerebral condition called Pseudo Tumor Cerebri - a narrowing of the blood vessels at the base of the skull, causing excruciating headaches and seizures. She was not accurately diagnosed until the spring of her senior year in high school - and prior to that she went through many surgeries for different diagnosed ailments that doctors believed to be the cause of her discomfort.

Despite being bedridden for a month of basketball season and losing 20 pounds, she was able to comeback and lead her Oshkosh West High School team to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Division 1 state title. She now competes as an all-conference performer in both basketball and softball at UW-Oshkosh.

Tyriver has started 61 of the 79 games that she has played in for UW-Oshkosh the past three seasons. Her career statistical totals include 676 points, 422 rebounds and 161 assists. This past season, Tyriver received All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) first team honors after averaging 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest. She led the WIAC in free throw percentage (.867) while ranking third in scoring and fourth in assists.

In softball, Tyriver has started all 81 games for the Titans the past two-plus seasons. She has hit .393 during her career with six home runs and 31 runs batted in. Last spring, Tyriver shared WIAC Position Player of the Year honors after hitting .412 with four home runs and 21 runs batted in. Through four games this spring, Tyriver is hitting .333 with one home run and four runs batted in.

The 2007 Comeback Award recipient will be selected by an eight-member sub-committee of The V Foundation Board of Directors. Past recipients of the award are Katie Douglas of Purdue University (2001), Kristin Koetsier of Western Michigan University (2002), Justin Allen of Arizona State University (2003), Jamie Carey of the University of Texas (2004), Kayla Burt of the University of Washington (2005) and Grant Dykstra of Western Washington University (2006).

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State University men's basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993 The Foundation has raised more than $60 million used to fund cancer research grants nationwide.

Titans Fall To Top-Seeded Blue Devils In WIAC Tournament Opener

Eighth-seeded UW-Oshkosh gave top-seeded UW-Stout all it could handle for the first 33 minutes of play.

But, the remaining seven minutes of competition belonged to the Blue Devils as they pulled away from the Titans and recorded a 71-54 victory in a quarterfinal round contest of the WIAC Women's Basketball Tournament held Monday (Feb. 19) in Menomonie.

UW-Stout (21-5), ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, advances to host fifth-seeded UW-River Falls (16-10) on Wednesday (Feb. 21) in a semifinal round game of the eight-team WIAC Tournament. The Falcons qualified for their debate with UW-Stout by posting a 76-69 victory over fourth-seeded UW-Stevens Point (18-7) on Monday.

Other quarterfinal round winners in the WIAC Tournament on Monday were third-seeded UW-Eau Claire (18-8) and seventh-seeded UW-Platteville (11-15). UW-Eau Claire defeated sixth-seeded UW-La Crosse (13-13), 67-62, to earn the right to host UW-Platteville on Wednesday in the other semifinal round contest. UW-Platteville kept its season alive by upsetting second-seeded UW-Whitewater (19-7), 75-74.

UW-Stout controlled UW-Oshkosh (8-16) early as it jumped to a 15-11 lead at the 12:16 mark of the first half. The Titans then staged an 11-2 scoring run to take a 22-17 advantage with 8:02 left in the opening period. UW-Stout bounced back to tie the score at 29-29 before Beth Hebl (Fr. • Brookfield) converted a lay-up and a free throw in the final minute of the first half to give UW-Oshkosh a 32-29 lead at the break.

UW-Oshkosh built a 34-29 lead a minute into the second half and held a 41-40 advantage with 12:59 to play. The Blue Devils erased their deficit with six consecutive points to take a 46-41 lead with 10:27 remaining in the game. Following a pair of free throws by UW-Oshkosh's Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh), UW-Stout scored 10 straight points to take a 53-43 lead with 7:47 left. The Titans got as close as 53-48 with 6:43 to play, but the Blue Devils scored 18 of the game's final 24 points to secure the victory.

UW-Stout's Kelsey Duoss totaled 23 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots for her seventh double-double of the season. The Blue Devils also received a career-best 15 points and three steals from Char Edwards and nine points, eight rebounds and three assists from Dani Boese.

Tyriver led UW-Oshkosh in scoring with 21 points. She also dished off four assists and grabbed two rebounds. The Titans also picked up 11 points, five rebounds and three assists from Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis), five points, seven rebounds and three steals from Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) and three points, four rebounds and one assist from Hebl.

UW-Oshkosh shot 35.8 percent (19-53) from the field and 84.6 percent (11-13) from the free-throw line. The Titans, who ended the 2006-07 season with eight straight losses, made five of their 14 three-point shots (35.7 percent).

UW-Stout shot 45.2 percent (28-62) from the field after missing 10 of its first 13 attempts. The Blue Devils shot 62.1 percent (18-29) from the field in the second half. UW-Stout made 13 of their 19 free throws (68.4 percent) and two of their seven three-point shots (28.6 percent).

UW-Stout won the rebounding battle, 39-32. The game featured 45 turnovers, including 25 by UW-Oshkosh.

Pioneers Come Back To Bounce Titans

The UW-Platteville women's basketball team overcame a 16-point second-half deficit to defeat UW-Oshkosh, 60-56, on Saturday (Feb. 17) in Platteville.

The decision gives UW-Platteville (10-15/4-12 WIAC) the seventh seed and UW-Oshkosh (8-15/4-12 WIAC) the eighth for the upcoming WIAC Tournament. Action begins on Monday (Feb. 19) with four quarterfinal round contests, including UW-Oshkosh at top-seed UW-Stout and UW-Platteville at second-seed UW-Whitewater.

Liz Wisdom scored a career-high 23 points and matched her career-best with 13 rebounds, while Lisa Grantman scored 17 of her 19 points in the second half to pace the Pioneers.

With the Pioneers trailing 32-16, Grantman had 14 points in a 23-7 run that tied the score at 39-39. Grantman broke a 53-53 tie with a layup with 1:43 remaining, then added a three-point basket with 42.5 seconds left for a 58-53 advantage.

UW-Oshkosh's Jessica Abitz attempted--and made--her first three-point attempt of the year, bringing the Titans within 59-56 with 20 seconds left, but the Pioneers' Liz Tesch sealed the game with one of two free throws with 17 seconds to play.

Tesch finished the game with 10 points, while teammate Megan Guernsey added five assists.

Whitney Tyriver led the Titans with 17 points, while Jenna Southworth added 15. Both Abitz and Becky Knapp had seven points and eight rebounds.

Warhawks Fly Past Titans

The UW-Whitewater women's basketball team flew to a 46-23 halftime advantage and coasted to a 68-51 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday (Feb. 14) in Kolf Sports Center. It was the fifth straight victory for the Warhawks (18-6/11-4 WIAC), who sit one game back of first-place UW-Stout (19-5/12-3 WIAC) in the WIAC standings with one league contest to go.

UW-Whitewater scored seven of the game's first nine points and held the advantage over UW-Oshkosh (8-14/4-11 WIAC) the rest of the way. The Titans cut their early deficit to 13-8, but the Warhawks responded with a 14-4 scoring run to take a 27-12 advantage with 7:04 left in the first half. UW-Whitewater ended the opening period with seven straight points to post a 46-23 lead at the break.

UW-Whitewater maintained at least a 20-point lead for all but 78 seconds of the second half. The Warhawks' largest lead of the final period was 25 points, counts of 52-27 and 63-28. UW-Oshkosh scored the last six points of the game, all on free throws, to account for the final score.

Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) led the Titans with 14 points. She also grabbed five rebounds. Arin Lane (Fr. • Stevens Point) totaled 12 points and nine rebounds while Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) contributed 10 points and eight rebounds. Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) finished with eight points, four rebounds and four assists while Dawn LaBonte (Jr. • Mukwonago) collected six rebounds.

Trisha Thill led the Warhawks with 15 points and four steals. Tiffany Morton added 14 points and eight rebounds while Lindsey Buechner chipped in 11 points, six steals and five rebounds. Dana Thompson came off the bench to total seven points and seven rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh ended the contest shooting 35.3 percent (18-51) from the floor, 18.2 percent (2-11) from beyond the arc and 81.3 percent (13-16) from the charity stripe. UW-Whitewater shot 40.6 percent (28-69) from the field, 30.8 percent (4-13) behind the three-point circle and 61.5 percent (8-13) from the free throw line.

UW-Oshkosh, which lost its sixth consecutive game for the first time since the 1979-80 season, won the rebounding competition, 42-36. The Titans committed 23 of the game's 31 turnovers.

UW-Whitewater, which swept the regular season series with UW-Oshkosh for the first time since the 1986-87 season, finished the game with advantages of 14-10 in assists, 9-4 in blocked shots and 17-5 in steals.

Blugolds Snap Seven-Game Losing Skid To Titans

The UW-Eau Claire women’s basketball team won its 15th straight home game as it defeated UW-Oshkosh, 64-41, on Saturday (Feb. 10) in Eau Claire.

The win gives Eau Claire a 10-4 WIAC record and a 16-7 overall record. The Blugolds snap a seven-game losing streak to Oshkosh. The Titans fall to 4-10 in the conference and 8-13 overall. The Titans have lost five straight games and eight of their last nine.

The Blugolds never trailed in the contest. Heather Witt began the game with a three-pointer and Amanda Zenner followed that with a jumper as the Blugolds went up 5-0.

The Titans kept the game within five points for the first 12 minutes of the first half, but the Blugolds would go on a 9-0 run and take a 24-13 lead with 4:28 remaining in the half.

The Titans cut the lead back down to four points with 1:29 remaining, but three free throws by Heidi Arciszewski made the score 31-24 Eau Claire at halftime.

UW- Oshkosh shot 52 percent in the first half and the Blugolds shot just 44 percent. UW-Eau Claire crashed the offensive boards and had six offensive rebounds in the half that led to five, second-chance points.

After Titans scored the opening basket of the second half, the Blugolds went on a 7-0 run to extend their lead back to 12 points. Michelle Burns had five of the seven points during the run. Oshkosh would be unable to get the margin below 10 the rest of the game.

The Blugolds quietly grew its lead the rest of the half, climbing it as high as 24 with 1:42 remaining after a pair of Brittanni Hakanson free throws. The Blugolds ended up winning by a final score of 64-41.

The Titans were held to just 36 percent shooting in the second half to finish 44 percent for the game. UW-Eau Claire shot 42 percent for the game, but out-rebounded UW-Oshkosh 39-29, including 14-5 on the offensive glass. The Titans also committed 19 turnovers that led to 20 Blugold points.

Heidi Arciszewski scored 13 points to lead the Blugolds. Michelle Burns scored nine points in the second half for a total of 11 points. Ashley Anderson came off of the bench and totaled 10 points and six rebounds. Brittanni Hakanson led UW-Eau Claire with eight rebounds.

Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) led the Titans in scoring with 13 points, while Jessica Abitz (So. • Franksville), Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) and Arin Lane (Fr. • Stevens Point) added six each. Amanda Dempsey (So. • West Allis) collected six rebounds to pace UW-Oshkosh.

League-Leading Blue Devils Too Much For Titans

UW-Stout jumped out to a 14-2 lead and never looked back, beating UW-Oshkosh 70-45 in a women's basketball game held Saturday (Feb. 3) in Kolf Sports Center. Going for at least a share of its third consecutive WIAC championship, the Blue Devils lead the WIAC by two games in the loss column.

After UW-Oshkosh cut the lead to 16-9 with 13:07 left in the first half, UW-Stout extended its advantage to 29-9 with 8:02 left before the break after going on a 13-0 scoring run. The Titans were held scoreless for 6:15, missing 10 shots from the floor and committing four turnovers during the Blue Devils' scoring splurge.

UW-Stout (18-4/11-2 WIAC) was led by reigning WIAC Player of the Year Kelsey Duoss in the first half as she had seven points, six rebounds and six blocked shots. UW-Oshkosh, which trailed 34-15 at intermission, received nine points from Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh). No other Titan player tallied more than two points in the first 20 minutes of action, as the team hit only one-of-nine of its free throw attempts.

UW-Stout hit the first basket of the second half and maintained at least a 15-point lead for the remainder of the contest. The largest lead of the game hit 69-36 with 3:05 left to play, before UW-Oshkosh went on a 9-1 scoring run to end the game. Arin Lane (Fr. • Stevens Point) matched her career-high by scoring 14 of her team leading 16 points in the second half.

UW-Oshkosh also received 11 points and three steals from Tyriver and eight rebounds from both Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) and Lane. Knapp and Amanda Dempsey (So. • West Allis) added six points each. Duoss led UW-Stout with 15 points, nine blocked shots and seven rebounds. Joanna Bird added 10 points, Amanda Geissler seven assists and Jenny Mc Dermid nine points.

UW-Oshkosh, which suffered only its sixth four-game losing streak since the 1979-1980 campaign, shot only 29.5 percent (18-61) from the floor, including only 22.6 percent (7-31) in the first half. The Titans did not hit a three-point basket (0-8) and hit only 50 percent (9-18) of its free throw attempts.

UW-Stout, who entered the contest ranked 10th in the NCAA Division III by D3Hoops.com, hit 53.8 percent (28-52) from the field, including 54.5 percent (6-11) from beyond the three-point line. The contest marked only the seventh time in the last 106 games that the Titans have allowed an opponent to shoot better than 50 percent field goal shooting. The Blue Devils lowest shooting percentage on the night came from the charity stripe as they only connected on 53.3 percent (8-15) of their tosses.

UW-Stout, who has now won seven of the last eight meetings in the rivalry, tallied 36 rebounds, 18 assists, 15 blocks and 10 steals, whereas UW-Oshkosh gathered 40 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals. The game was marred by 41 turnovers, including 22 by the Titans.

Eagles Take Out Titans

The UW-La Crosse women's basketball team earned a 57-51 victory over UW-Oshkosh Wednesday night in Mitchell Hall to sweep the regular-season series from the Titans for the first time since 1987-88.

The Eagles improve to 13-8 overall and 7-5 in the WIAC while the Titans drop to 8-11 overall and 4-8 in the conference.

UW-Oshkosh led by as many as eight in the first half, including 24-16 with 7:03 left. UW-L then went on a 13-2 run to finish the first half to take a 29-26 halftime lead.

Whitney Tyriver scored on the first basket of the second half for UW-Oshkosh to cut the lead to 29-28, but UW-L never led by fewer than three points in the rest of the game.

The Eagles went on a 10-2 run to lead 39-30 with 10:09 remaining. The Titans cut the lead to 39-36 with 7:44 left, but the Eagles scored 11 of the next 15 points to lead 50-40 with 3:59 remaining and UW-Oshkosh could get no closer than three in the last four minutes of the contest.

Nicole Palmer led UW-L with 16 points, hitting eight-of-12 free throws. Katy Searing recorded her fourth double double of the year with 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Eagles shot 42.6% from the field, including 66.7% (two-of three) from three-point range. The team was 15-of-20 (75.0%) at the free throw line.

Tyriver led UW-Oshkosh with 21 points, hitting nine-of-22 field goals, including three-of-six from three-point range. Becky Knapp finished with 18 points. UW-Oshkosh shot 34.5% from the field, including 40.0% (four-of-10) from three-point range. The Titans were seven-of-nine (77.8%) at the line.

Titans Unable To Fend Off Falcons

The UW-River Falls women's basketball team put together a 20-6 scoring run midway through the second half to rally past UW-Oshkosh, 61-54, on Saturday (Jan. 27) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-River Falls (12-8/6-5 WIAC) trailed 37-31 with 13:47 left in the contest before scoring 20 of the next 26 points to take a 51-43 lead with 4:56 to play. The Falcons opened their scoring spree by making five straight shots from the field, including a pair of baskets from both Kelsie Flanscha and Kim Sorenson. UW-Oshkosh fueled UW-River Falls' scoring run by committing six turnovers and missing four of its six shots from the field.

UW-Oshkosh (8-10/4-7 WIAC) came within four points twice in the closing minutes of the game, including a 58-54 score with 43 seconds left. The Falcons secured the victory with two free throws by Traci Reimann and one by Melanie Preiner in the game's final 27 seconds.

UW-River Falls, which posted a 47-32 win over UW-Oshkosh just two weeks ago, opened the contest with a 13-5 scoring run. The Falcons built a 24-16 advantage before the Titans stormed back to take a 31-28 lead at intermission. UW-Oshkosh's half-ending scoring spurt included six points by Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) and five by Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis).

Preiner led UW-River Falls in scoring with 16 points, including five three-point baskets. The Falcons also received 13 points from Reimann and 10 from Flanscha. UW-River Falls totaled 33 rebounds, highlighted by the eight of Reimann and six of Megan Lindman.

UW-Oshkosh also had three double-figure scorers as Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) tallied 23 points, Knapp 16 and Sharpee 11. Knapp, who was playing in her 100th straight game, collected six of the Titans' 26 rebounds, while Sharpee, Tyriver and Jessica Abitz (So. • Franksville) grabbed five each.

UW-Oshkosh shot 37.8 percent (17-45) from the field. The Titans also shot 36.4 percent (4-11) behind the three-point arc and 94.1 percent (16-17) from the free-throw line. Tyriver led UW-Oshkosh's performance at the free-throw line by draining all 11 of her tosses.

UW-River Falls shot 44.2 percent (23-52) from the field, including 41.2 percent (7-17) behind the three-point line. The Falcons, who recorded assists on 20 of their 23 field goals, made eight of their 12 free throws (66.7 percent).

The contest featured 26 turnovers, 13 by each team.

Pointers Nip Titans

Despite going scoreless for the final 6:12 of the game, the UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team still managed to hold on and pull out a 46-45 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday (Jan. 14) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Stevens Point (14-4/6-4 WIAC) took a 46-39 lead on a three-point basket by Laura Neuenfeldt with 6:13 to play, but the Pointers went scoreless the rest of the contest as they missed five shots from the field and two free throws while committing three turnovers.

UW-Oshkosh (8-9/4-6 WIAC) counted six points during UW-Stevens Point's scoring drought and had an opportunity to win the game at the finish, but Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) misfired on a 10-foot jump shot from the baseline with one second to play.

UW-Oshkosh trailed 16-7 with 9:39 left in the first half before going on a 10-2 scoring run to close to within 18-17 with 4:44 left before intermission. The Pointers built the lead back up to 22-17 before the Titans tied the score at 22-22 with 2:32 left. UW-Stevens Point scored the last four points of the half, including a three-pointer by Haley Houghton with two seconds remaining to take a 26-22 advantage into the locker room.

Knapp led UW-Oshkosh with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) collected 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh), the Titans leading scorer with an average of 16.1 points per game, was held to four points in the contest.

Houghton led UW-Stevens Point with 11 points and added five rebounds. Nathalie Lechault and Neuenfeldt added eight points while Katie Webber hauled in eight rebounds, including four on the offensive end.

UW-Oshkosh shot 31.9 percent (15-47) from the field, including only 23.1 percent (6-26) in the second half. The Titans connected on 33.3 percent (3-9) from beyond the three-point arc and 63.2 percent (12-19) from the free-throw line.

UW-Stevens Point shot 33.6 percent (10-27) from the floor, 30.8 percent (4-13) from the three-point line and 50 percent (6-12) from the free-throw line.

UW-Stevens Point held a 40-35 advantage in rebounds, 14-13 cushion in assists and 10-9 lead in steals. The Pointers also had one less turnover than the Titans, 14-15, and had a 9-1 advantage in blocked shots.

Titans Double Up Yellowjackets

The UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team outscored UW-Superior by 27 points in the second half and rolled to a 76-38 victory over the Yellowjackets on Saturday (Jan. 20) in Superior.

UW-Oshkosh (8-8/4-5 WIAC) took a 34-23 lead to intermission before counting 42 of the game’s remaining 57 points. The Titans shot 53.3 percent (16-30) from the field and 83.3 percent (10-12) from the free-throw line in the second half to secure its 46th straight victory over the Yellowjackets. UW-Superior’s second-half performance featured 10 turnovers and just 22.2 percent (4-18) shooting from the field.

UW-Oshkosh never trailed and after a 6-6 tie jumped to a 34-18 lead with 1:05 left in the first half. UW-Superior scored the last five points of the period to slice its deficit o 34-23 at the break.

UW-Oshkosh opened the second half with a 20-7 scoring run to take a 54-30 lead with 8:09 left in the contest. Following a UW-Superior basket, UW-Oshkosh closed the final 7:31 of play with a 22-6 scoring run. The Titans’ largest lead of the contest was the game’s final score.

UW-Oshkosh’s Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) scored a career-high 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 8-of-10 shooting from the free throw line. She also grabbed a career-best 13 rebounds and dished off three assists. The Titans also received 13 points, five rebounds and four assists from Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh), nine points, six rebounds and five steals from Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) and six points and eight rebounds from Jenna Southworth (Fr. • Marshfield).

Carissa Nord led UW-Superior with 13 points. The Yellowjackets also received seven points and five rebounds from Kaleigh Day and eight points and four rebounds from Ashley Laidley.

UW-Oshkosh finished the game shooting 45.8 percent (27-59) from the field and 86.4 percent (19-22) from the free throw line. The Titans shot just 27.3 percent (3-11) behind the three-point line.

UW-Superior concluded the contest shooting just 30.2 percent (13-43) from the field, including only 18.2 percent (2-11) beyond the three-point arc. The Yellowjackets shot 83.3 percent (10-12) from the free-throw stripe.

UW-Oshkosh collected 47 of the game’s 65 rebounds, including 23 of 30 in the second half. The Titans committed 12 turnovers, compared to 17 for the Yellowjackets.

Warhawks Snap Losing Skid To Titans

UW-Whitewater scored the last 10 points of the game to defeat UW-Oshkosh 68-59 in a game held on Wednesday, (Jan. 17) in Whitewater. The Warhawks' victory snaps a 16-game losing streak to the Titans.

With UW-Oshkosh (7-8/3-5 WIAC) leading 59-58 with 3:08 to play, Tiffany Mortan scored the next four points to give the Warhawks a 62-59 advantage. After a missed three-pointer by UW-Oshkosh's Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh), UW-Whitewater's Lindsey Buechner scored on a two-point shot to push the lead out to 64-59 with 1:39 left on the clock.

After the Titans' Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) misfired on a shot, the Warhawks' Heidi Sonntage hit one free throw for a 65-59 lead at the 1:39 mark. After another UW-Oshkosh miss, UW-Whitewater sealed the game with a made three throw by Morton for a 66-59 lead with 39 ticks left on the clock. Buechner finished the scoring by connecting on a lay-up with 26 seconds to go in the game for the final margin.

UW-Whitewater (12-5/5-3) stormed out to leads of 20-6 and 28-14 before UW-Oshkosh ended the half on a 19-8 scoring spree in the last 6:56 of the period. The Titans tied the score at 36-36 on a made three-pointer by Tyriver to start the second half and took its largest lead of the game 47-41 with 13:53 left on the clock. UW-Whitewater responded by going on a 15-5 scoring skein to take a 56-52 lead at the 6:00 mark.

Tyriver led UW-Oshkosh with 20 points and added six rebounds. Knapp pitched in 16 points and nine rebounds and Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) had 15 points and nine rebounds.

Buechner led UW-Whitewater with 17 points and seven rebounds and Trisha Thill added 10 points and four assists. Dana Thompson hauled in seven rebounds and Morton scored five of her seven points in the last 2:54 of action.

UW-Oshkosh shot 37.3 percent (22-59) from the field, including only 34.5 percent (10-29) in the second half. The Titans made 2-of-6 shots (33.3 percent) behind the three-point line and 13-of-19 shots (68.4 percent) from the free-throw stripe.

UW-Whitewater shot 38.8 percent (19-49) from the field, including 45.5 percent (10-22) in the first half. The Warhawks canned 73 percent (27-37) of its shots from the charity stripe and 3-of-8 (37.5) beyond the three point arc. UW-Whitewater attempts 18 more free throws than UW-Oshkosh as the Titans were whistled for 25 fouls compared to 18 for the Warhawks.

UW-Whitewater won the rebounding challenge, 39-36. The game featured 41 turnovers, including 21 by UW-Oshkosh and only 16 assists, nine by UW-Whitewater.

The win marks only the third for UW-Whitewater over UW-Oshkosh since February 1, 1995.

Traci Reimann tallied her fifth double-double of the season as the UW-River Falls women's basketball team handed UW-Oshkosh a 47-32 defeat on Saturday (Jan. 13) in River Falls.

Reimann scored a game-high 20 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field. She also collected 12 rebounds, blocked three shots and recorded two steals.

UW-River Falls (9-7/3-4 WIAC), which defeated UW-Oshkosh (7-7/3-4 WIAC) for just the fourth time in 35 contests, also received eight points, seven rebounds, seven steals and three assists from Melanie Painter and six points, nine rebounds and four assists from Krista Cordes.

UW-Oshkosh's Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) totaled 12 and 11 rebounds to register her second double-double of the year. The Titans also received six points from Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh), five points and four rebounds from Jessica Abitz (So. • Franksville) and four points, eight rebounds and four assists from Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis).

UW-Oshkosh, which was held under 35 points for just the second time in 787 games, shot only 21.2 percent (11-52) from the field. The Titans made only one of their 18 three-point shots (5.6 percent). UW-Oshkosh converted on nine of its 10 free-throws (90 percent).

UW-River Falls shot 34 percent (18-53) from the field, 18.8 percent (3-16) behind the three-point arc and 53.3 percent (8-15) from the free-throw stripe. The Falcons became the 94th of UW-Oshkosh's last 100 opponents to shoot under 50 percent from the field.

UW-Oshkosh led only once in the game, a 3-2 advantage following a three-point basket by Jenna Southworth (Fr. • Marshfield) at the 17:12 mark of the first half. The Falcons then scored the next nine points and built a 22-9 lead at the 5:42 mark of the opening period. UW-River Falls went to intermission leading 29-14 for its biggest lead of the first half. Reimann led the Falcons in the first half with 12 points and five rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh pulled to within 11 points twice in the second half, with the latest being a 43-32 count with 3:29 to play. The Falcons then added four more points to its total while holding the Titans scoreless the rest of the way. UW-River Falls had four 15-point leads in the second half, including the game's final score.

The second half featured just 36 points as UW-River Falls shot just 26.1 percent (6-23) from the field and UW-Oshkosh only 16.7 percent (5-30). The two teams combined to miss all 15 of their three-point shots in the second half. 

Eagles Squeak Past Titans

Karrie Lamers' jump shot from just inside the three-point line as time expired lifted the UW-La Crosse women's basketball team to a 59-57 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday (Jan. 10) in Kolf Sports Center.

Lamers' game-winning basket came after she collected the rebound on a missed jump shot taken by UW-Oshkosh's Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) with 14 seconds left in the contest. Following a UW-La Crosse timeout with eight seconds to play, Lamers took a deflected inbound pass and dribbled to the right side of the court for her heroic shot that helped the Eagles end their 10-game losing streak to the Titans.

UW-La Crosse (10-5/4-2 WIAC) led 26-24 at intermission and built a 39-32 advantage with 12:55 remaining in the game. UW-Oshkosh (7-6/3-3 WIAC) then turned things around as it scored 15 of the next 20 points to take a 47-44 lead with 7:39 left.

Following the third tie in the last four minutes of play, UW-La Crosse took a 57-55 lead on Mackenzie Hunter's layup with 1:38 left in the game. The Titans tied the score at 57-57 on a jump shot by Knapp 35 seconds later.

UW-La Crosse started its 61st meeting against UW-Oshkosh strong as it jumped to a 19-6 lead at the 10:43 mark of the first half. From there UW-Oshkosh went on a 13-2 scoring run, including seven points by Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio), to cut its deficit to 21-19 with 5:44 left before intermission.

The teams traded baskets the rest of the period and the result was a halftime lead of 26-24 for UW-La Crosse. UW-Oshkosh had only three players score points in the first half as Sharpee totaled 12 and Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) 10.

Tyriver led UW-Oshkosh with 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor. She added four steals and three rebounds. Sharpee collected her first collegiate double-double by scoring 16 points and hauling in a career-high 12 rebounds. Knapp contributed 13 points, 11 of which came in the second half.

Palmer led UW-La Crosse in scoring with 13 points, while Katy Searing added 10, Lamers nine and Hunter and Ashley Wagner eight each. Wagner seized eight rebounds and dished off five assists, while Searing hauled in seven rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh shot 46.2 percent (24-52) from the field, including 50 percent (14-28) in the second half. The Titans missed all 11 of their shots behind the three-point line, while canning 9-of-12 free throws (75 percent).

UW-La Crosse shot 36.4 percent (20-55) from the field, including 30 percent (3-10) of its three-point shots. The Eagles shot a sizzling 84.2 percent (16-19) from the free-throw line, including conversions on their last five of the contest.

UW-La Crosse won the rebounding battle 37-26, including grabbing 15 on the offensive glass; but lost the turnover competition 13-15.

Free Throws Help Titans Sink Blugolds

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team made all eight of its free throws while holding UW-Eau Claire scoreless in the final 3:35 as it defeated the Blugolds, 48-42, on Saturday (Jan. 6) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh, which posted its seventh straight victory over UW-Eau Claire, trailed 42-40 before the Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) tied the score on a pair of free throws with 3:12 remaining in the contest. Following two missed layups by UW-Eau Claire, UW-Oshkosh took the lead for good on two more free throws by Tyriver with 2:29 left in the game.

UW-Oshkosh then survived two turnovers and three missed shots by UW-Eau Claire to take a 46-42 lead on a pair of free throws by Jenna Southworth (Fr. • Marshfield) with 1:26 to play. The Blugolds then misfired on two three-point shots and the Titans a jumper before Tyriver converted twice from the free-throw line to give UW-Oshkosh a 48-42 lead with six seconds left.

UW-Oshkosh (7-5/3-2 WIAC) emerged from a 24-24 tie at intermission to take a 31-26 advantage with 15:56 remaining in the game. UW-Eau Claire (9-5/3-2 WIAC) bounced back from its five-point deficit with a 13-4 scoring run to grab a 39-35 advantage with 10:44 to go. The Blugolds took a 32-31 lead during their scoring spree for their first advantage of the contest.

UW-Oshkosh led from the start of the contest and built a 16-6 advantage with 12:04 left in the first half. UW-Eau Claire then scored 10 of the next 11 points to slice its deficit to 17-16 with 8:47 remaining in the period. The teams exchanged baskets the rest of the first half to go the break tied 24-24.

Tyriver led UW-Oshkosh in scoring with 21 points. She made six of 11 shots from the field, including both three-point attempts, and seven of eight free throws. Tyriver also dished off six assists and grabbed five rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh also received 11 points, six rebounds and three steals from Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis), seven points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots from Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) and seven points and seven rebounds from Jessica Abitz (So. • Franksville).

Brittanni Hakanson paced the Blugolds with 12 points, while Amanda Zenner added 10 and Michelle Burns seven. The Blugolds also received eight rebounds and two steals from Hakanson, eight rebounds from Burns and five rebounds from Zenner.

UW-Oshkosh, which missed all five of its shots from the field in the last 8:31 of play, finished the contest shooting 34.8 percent (16-46). The Titans made three of their 10 three-point shots (30 percent) and 13 of their 16 free throws (81.3 percent).

UW-Eau Claire, which missed all 16 of its shots from the field in the last 12:20 of action, ended the game shooting 29.6 percent (16-54) from the field. The Blugolds made nine of their 12 free throws (75 percent), but just one of their 12 three-point shots (8.3 percent).

UW-Oshkosh won the rebounding battle, 39-32, but lost the turnover competition, 15-12.

Titans Overcome 17 Days Of Inactivity To Tip Pioneers

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team returned to the hardwood for the first time since Dec. 16 and posted a 61-49 victory over UW-Platteville on Wednesday (Jan. 3) in Kolf Sports Center.

The 58th meeting between the two WIAC combatants might as well as been a three-on-three contest as Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh), Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) and Arin Lane (Fr. • Stevens Point) combined for 49 of the Titans' 61 points while Lisa Grantman, Liz Tesch and Lisa Wubben combined for 39 of the Pioneers' 49.

Tyriver scored 17 points to lead UW-Oshkosh (6-5/2-2) to its 50th victory over UW-Platteville (7-6/1-3 WIAC). The Titans also received 16 points from both Knapp and Lane. Lane, who totaled only 35 points in her previous 10 games, made seven of her 11 shots from the field and two of her four free throws.

Grantman paced UW-Platteville in scoring with 15 points, while Tesch and Wubben tallied 12 each.

Down 35-34, UW-Oshkosh pulled away from UW-Platteville with a 24-10 scoring run to take a 58-45 lead with 2:58 to play. Lane counted all 12 of her second-half points during the Titans' scoring spree, while Knapp registered five. UW-Platteville aided UW-Oshkosh's scoring run by committing seven turnovers and making only three of its 13 shots from the field. The Titans' largest lead of the second half was 13 points, a 58-45 score with 2:58 left in the period.

UW-Platteville opened the contest by jumping out to a 16-9 lead at the 15:05 mark of the first half. UW-Oshkosh then scored nine straight points to take an 18-16 lead with 12:44 left in the period. The Titans went to intermission holding a 28-27 advantage.

UW-Oshkosh shot 41.5 percent (22-53) from the field and 72.2 percent (13-18) from the free-throw line. The Titans made four of their 11 three-point shots for 36.4 percent accuracy.

UW-Platteville shot 35.8 percent (19-53) from the field, including just 29.2 percent (7-24) in the second half. The Pioneers drained two of their six three-point shots (33.3 percent) and nine of their 12 free throws (75 percent).

UW-Oshkosh won the rebounding competition, 36-32, as Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) grabbed seven, Tyriver six and Lane five. UW-Platteville had Grantman collect nine rebounds, Wubben six and Tesch five.

The Titans turned the basketball over 14 times, compared to 16 times for the Pioneers.

Green Knights Pull Away From Titans

Morgan Strasser scored a career-high 25 points in a return to her hometown as St. Norbert College posted a 67-60 win over UW-Oshkosh in a non-conference women's basketball game held Saturday (Dec. 16) in Kolf Sports Center. The Green Knights, who won their fourth-straight game, improved to 5-3 on the season. The Titans fell to 5-5.

Strasser, a former Oshkosh West High School standout, canned 8 of 13 field goals - including both 3-point field goals - and was 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Strasser also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds in 35 minutes of action.

The two teams had nine ties in the second half and 11 in the game before St. Norbert went on a 14-6 run to take a 61-53 lead with 3:34 left to play. St. Norbert shot 56.5 percent from the floor in the second half, making 13 of 23 field goals in the final 20 minutes. The Green Knights were 24-for-54 (44.4 percent) from the floor in the game and committed just 14 turnovers.

UW-Oshkosh, on the other hand, was bogged down offensively by 30 turnovers. The Titans shot 22 of 42 from the field for a 52.4 percent clip and held a 36-22 rebounding advantage but couldn't overcome the plague of turnovers.

Besides Strasser's 25 points, Ellen Hake added 19 points and Bianca White 12 counters.

UW-Oshkosh was led by Becky Knapp's (Sr. • West Allis) 19 points, while Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) and Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) each had 13 points apiece. Tyriver had a game-high 10 rebounds.

Titans Fall To 10th-Ranked Blue Devils

The UW-Stout women's basketball team scored the last seven points of the game to secure a 61-49 victory over upset-minded UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (Dec. 9) in Menomonie.

UW-Stout, ranked 10th by D3hoops.com, led 36-20 at intermission and held a 46-29 advantage with 13:25 left in the game. But just when it looked like UW-Stout (8-1/3-1 WIAC) was going to register the easy victory, UW-Oshkosh (5-4/1-2 WIAC) made things interesting as it stormed back with a 20-8 scoring run to cut its disadvantage to 54-49 with 3:37 to play.

UW-Stout then blocked UW-Oshkosh's comeback bid by ending the game with seven unanswered points. Dani Boese hit back-to-back jump shots in the paint to push the Blue Devils out to a 58-49 lead with 1:49 left in the contest. UW-Stout finished its game-ending scoring run with three points by Savanah Oeltjen, including a layup that gave the Blue Devils a 60-49 lead with 1:19 remaining.

UW-Stout opened the game by sprinting to a 20-5 lead with 11:23 left in the first half. UW-Oshkosh then staged an 11-4 scoring run to cut its deficit to 24-16 with 6:28 remaining in the period. UW-Stout came back to score 12 of the next 16 points to take a 36-30 lead to the halftime break.

Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) led all scorers with 22 points. She made 10 of her 19 shots from the field, including two of her five attempts behind the three-point line. Knapp also contributed five rebounds and two steals.

Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) added 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists for the Titans, while Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) supplied eight points and three rebounds.

UW-Stout was led by the 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots of Kelsey Duoss, 13 points and three rebounds of Boese and the nine points and seven rebounds of Oeltjen.

UW-Oshkosh shot 34 percent (18-53) from the field, 33.3 percent (3-9) behind the three-point line and 83.3 percent (10-12) from the free-throw stripe. UW-Stout shot 39.7 percent (23-58) from the field, 14.3 percent (1-7) behind the three-point arc and 63.6 percent (14-22) from the free-throw line.

UW-Stout, which shared last year's WIAC title with UW-Oshkosh, won the rebounding battle, 39-36. The Blue Devils committed 11 turnovers, compared to 22 for the Titans.

Titans Stifle Lumberjills

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team scored on a three-point basket by Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) eight seconds into play and led the rest of the game as it routed Northland College, 76-50, on Sunday (Dec. 3) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (5-3) won its fourth straight home contest by jumping out to a 14-4 lead at the 14:09 mark of the first half. Knapp tallied seven points to key the Titans' early scoring spree, while Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) counted five.

Northland College (1-5) cut its deficit to 18-13, but UW-Oshkosh responded with seven straight points to increase its advantage to 25-13 with 5:42 left in the opening period. The Titans went to intermission leading 36-24 as Knapp totaled 14 points and Sharpee nine.

UW-Oshkosh opened the second half with a 10-3 scoring run to take a 46-27 lead with 15:28 to play. The Titans extended their advantage to 63-42 and led by 20-plus points the remaining 5:09 of the game. UW-Oshkosh's largest lead of the game was 29 points, a 74-45 score with 51 seconds left in the contest.

Knapp led all scorers with 19 points, including three three-point baskets. The Titans also received 16 points from Sharpee, 14 from Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) and 12 from Aubrey Wisen (Fr. • Wisconsin Rapids). Wisen scored all of her points in the second half.

UW-Oshkosh won the rebounding competition, 45-33. Sharpee grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, while Tyriver collected seven and Knapp and Arin Lane (Fr. • Stevens Point) five each. Tyriver's performance also included a career-high eight assists and two steals. Lundgren snatched six rebounds to lead the Lumberjills.

UW-Oshkosh shot 42.9 percent (27-63) from the field and 78.3 percent (18-23) from the free-throw line. The Titans made four of their 10 three-point shots (40 percent).

Northland College shot 30.9 percent (17-55) from the field, including just 26.9 percent (7-26) in the first half. The Lumberjills converted on six of their 18 three-point shots (33.3 percent) and four of their eight free-throws (50 percent).

Sunday's game was the fourth between the two schools, but the first since a 77-58 UW-Oshkosh victory on Nov. 24, 1989. The Titans lead the all-time series by a 3-1 count.

Titans Smother Yellowjackets

Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) scored a career-high 27 points and tied a career best by collecting 10 rebounds as the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team thrashed UW-Superior, 70-48, on Saturday (Dec. 2) in Kolf Sports Center.

Tyriver set a personal scoring best for the third time in five games by making 10 of her 14 shots from the field, including one three-point basket, and all six of her free throws. Tyriver's performance against the Yellowjackets also included two assists and one steal.

Tyriver received additional support from Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis), Arin Lane (Fr. • Stevens Point) and Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio). Knapp scored 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots, while Lane scored four points, snatched a career-best nine rebounds and blocked two shots. Sharpee contributed 11 points, two rebounds and two assists.

UW-Superior (2-3/0-2 WIAC) also owned a double-double performer as Amanda Rounsville totaled 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Yellowjackets also received 16 points and four rebounds from Katie Moench and seven rebounds and one assist from Kaleigh Day.

UW-Oshkosh (4-3/1-1 WIAC), which posted its 45th straight win over UW-Superior, shot 38.3 percent (23-60) from the field. The Titans made 3-of-16 shots (18.8 percent) behind the three-point line and 21-of-29 shots (72.4 percent) from the free-throw stripe.

UW-Superior shot 29.6 percent (16-54) from the field, including just 25.9 (7-27) in the first half. The Yellowjackets connected on 2-of-10 shots (20 percent) behind the three-point arc and 14-of-19 tosses (73.7 percent) from the free-throw line.

UW-Oshkosh and UW-Superior played to five ties in the first half, with the latest being a 17-17 deadlock with 9:01 remaining before intermission. The Titans led 29-23 at halftime after ending the opening period with a 12-6 scoring run. UW-Oshkosh's effort in the first half was sparked by the 11 points and five rebounds of Tyriver.

UW-Superior inched to within 33-28 on a three-pointer by Moench with 15:39 left in the game. UW-Oshkosh responded to the Yellowjackets' rally by finishing the contest with a 37-20 scoring run. The Titans' game-ending scoring spree featured 14 points by Tyriver.

UW-Oshkosh conquered the rebounding battle, 43-41, and the turnover count, 13-22.

J.J. Jumper To Visit Kolf Sports Center

J.J. Jumper, the official basketball mascot of the NCAA, will visit UW-Oshkosh's basketball doubleheader against UW-Superior on Saturday (Dec. 2) in Kolf Sports Center.

J.J. Jumper's purpose is to increase enthusiasm and awareness of NCAA Basketball, while engaging and educating youth on healthy physical, emotional and educational values. J.J.'s mission is to represent both genders and all races.

J.J. Jumper is an attention-getting six-foot-five green creature with orange hair, size 26 shoes and a big heart that motivates youth to do their best on and off the court. J.J. appears at men's and women's basketball games, giving away NCAA Basketball promotional items and performing skits during timeouts and/or halftime.

The 2006-07 basketball season is the seventh for J.J. Jumper. During the past six seasons, J.J. has made more than 350 visits at NCAA institutions, appearing at almost 650 basketball games. J.J. performs at regular season basketball games in all three NCAA divisions, conference tournaments and all NCAA basketball championships.

J.J. Jumper's appearance in Kolf Sports Center is also a part of the NCAA's Take A Kid To The Game Program. Kids, ages 12 and under, will receive FREE ADMISSION to the basketball doubleheader with the purchase of an adult ticket. Ticket prices for the doubleheader are $9 for adults, $6 for senior citizens and $4 for students (elementary through high school). UW-Oshkosh students will be admitted FREE with their university identification card.

UW-Oshkosh's basketball doubleheader against UW-Superior begins at 1 p.m. with the men's game and concludes at 3 p.m. with the women's contest.

16th-Ranked Pointers Handcuff Titans

A stifling first-half defensive performance keyed UW-Stevens Point to a 57-41 victory over UW-Oshkosh in the WIAC women's basketball opener for both teams on Wednesday (Nov. 29) in Stevens Point.

The Pointers jumped out to a 27-12 halftime lead, holding the Titans to just 3-for-20 field goal shooting (15 percent) in the first half. UW-Oshkosh (3-3/0-1 WIAC) finished the game shooting 28.9 percent (13-45) from the field and went without a three-point basket for the first time since a 65-49 NCAA Division III Tournament win over UW-Eau Claire on March 7, 1998, a span of 229 games.

UW-Stevens Point (6-0/1-0 WIAC), ranked 16th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, struggled offensively at the start and trailed 6-5 with 12 minutes left in the first half. The Pointers took over from that point with a 15-2 scoring run that lasted nearly eight minutes.

UW-Oshkosh then made two free throws, but the Pointers answered with a layup from Nathalie Lechault, a three-pointer from Laura Neuenfeldt and another layup from Lechault for a 27-10 advantage. UW-Stevens Point held the Titans without a field goal for the final 8:16 of the first half as the Titans missed all 10 of their attempts.

The Pointers were cruising along in the second half and led 43-23 with just under 10 minutes left before the Titans came to life. Jessica Abitz (So. • Franksville) and Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) combined to score nine straight points and UW-Stevens Point had turnovers on five of its next six possessions as the Titans closed to within 43-32 with 6:28 to play. The teams traded baskets on the next several possessions before the Pointers put the game away with a late six-point scoring spurt.

Abitz scored a career-high 14 points off the bench to lead UW-Oshkosh. She also contributed three rebounds and one assist. The Titans also received 12 points, five rebounds, three steals and one assist from Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) and seven points and six rebounds from Sharpee.

UW-Stevens Point got 13 points, two rebounds and two steals from Neuenfeldt and 10 points and four rebounds off the bench from Jesiree Heuer. The Pointers also benefited from the nine points and nine rebounds from Chelsea Kranz and the six points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots from Lechault.

UW-Oshkosh, which attempted just three three-point shots, made 15 of its 29 attempts (51.7 percent) from the free throw line.

UW-Stevens Point shot a season-low 43.6 percent (24-55) from the field. The Pointers also shot 33 percent (3-9) behind the three-point arc and 46.2 percent (6-13) from the free-throw line.

UW-Stevens Point has won 12 of its last 17 games with UW-Oshkosh and extended its home winning streak to 17 consecutive contests.

Titans Cage Cardinals

Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) scored a career-high 21 points as the hot-shooting UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team defeated North Central College (Ill.), 67-56, on Saturday (Nov. 25) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh's victory was its third of the 2006-07 season against a team from the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW). In addition to their win over North Central College, the Titans (3-2) also defeated Augustana College, 69-40, on Nov. 17 and nationally ranked Wheaton College, 68-50, last night (Nov. 24).

Tyriver established her new career scoring standard by making 9-of-13 shots from the field, including 3-of-4 attempts behind the three-point line. She also grabbed three rebounds and tallied two steals in the contest.

Tyriver received additional support from teammates Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio), Dawn LaBonte (Jr. • Mukwonago) and Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis). Sharpee totaled 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists, while LaBonte compiled a career-high seven points and two rebounds and Knapp five points, six rebounds and four assists. Sharpee scored a career-best 21 points in last night's win over Wheaton College.

North Central College (0-4) had three double-figure scorers as Brianna Parra and Danielle Tinkoff counted 18 points each and Gia Navarra 10. Tinkoff also grabbed a team-high five rebounds and dished off four assists.

North Central College jumped to a 22-12 lead before UW-Oshkosh staged a 24-9 scoring run over the final 7:16 of the first half to take a 36-31 advantage to intermission. The Titans had six different players tally points during their half-ending scoring spree.

North Central College got as close as 38-36 with 18:45 left in the game, but UW-Oshkosh scored 11 of the next 13 points to extend its advantage to 49-38 with 13:35 to play. The Cardinals rallied to within 61-56 with 2:44 remaining, but the Titans sealed their victory by scoring the last six points of the game.

UW-Oshkosh shot a season-best 57.8 percent (26-45) from the field, including 61.9 percent (13-21) in the second half. The Titans made four of their seven (57.1 percent) three-point shots and 11 of their 15 (73.3 percent) tosses from the free-throw line.

North Central College shot 40.7 percent (24-59) from the field. The Cardinals made five of their seven (71.4) free throws, but only three of their 14 (21.4 percent) shots behind the three-point arc.

UW-Oshkosh conquered the rebounding battle, 32-23, but fell short in the turnover competition, 11-17.

Titans Upset Fifth-Ranked Thunder

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team pulled off an impressive upset as it defeated nationally ranked Wheaton College (Ill.), 68-50, on Friday (Nov. 24) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (2-2) led the contest from start to finish as it jumped to a 22-3 advantage eight minutes into play. The Titans held a lead of at least eight points for the final 34:52 of the game.

UW-Oshkosh's fast start increased to 28-7 before Wheaton College (2-2) pulled to within 31-19 at the 3:03 mark of the first half. The Titans then scored seven of the next 10 points to take a 38-22 lead at intermission.

Wheaton College, which entered the game ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, opened the second half with a 12-4 scoring run to cut its deficit to 42-34 with 13:33 left in the contest. UW-Oshkosh owned a 49-41 lead before ending the game with a 19-9 scoring run.

UW-Oshkosh's Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) made eight of her 10 shots from the field and five of her nine tosses from the free-throw line to finish the contest with a career-high 21 points. She also collected nine rebounds, recorded four steals and blocked one shot. Sharpee's rebounding total tied a career best.

Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) scored 20 points to tie a career high for the Titans. She also grabbed three rebounds and dished off two assists. UW-Oshkosh also received 13 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals from Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh).

Wheaton College had three double-figure scorers as Kathleen Fidelia tallied 12 points and Brittany Cooper and Jill Trenz 10 each. The Thunder got seven points and a team-leading seven rebounds off the bench from Carissa Bacon.

UW-Oshkosh shot 47.9 percent (23-48) from the field, including 52.9 percent (9-17) in the second half. The Titans made 4-of-11 shots (36.4 percent) behind the three-point line and 18-of-27 shots (66.7 percent) from the free-throw stripe.

Wheaton College shot 44.9 percent (22-49) from the field, including 50 percent (12-24) in the second half. The Thunder made only one of its six (16.7 percent) three-point shots and five of its nine (55.6 percent) free-throw attempts.

UW-Oshkosh won the rebounding competition, 32-26. The game featured 51 turnovers, including 27 by Wheaton College, a third round participant in last year's NCAA Division III Championship.

Red Hawks Spoil Titans' Home Opener

Morgan Roberts sank three free throws with 1.3 seconds left in the game to give the Ripon College women's basketball team a 66-63 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Tuesday (Nov. 21) in Kolf Sports Center.

The two teams went back and forth all game, and the final minutes were no different, beginning with Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) who knocked down a jump shot to put UW-Oshkosh ahead 61-60 with 2:28 to go.

On the next possession, a couple of offensive rebounds gave Ripon College a few more chances to score, the last of which Roberts turned into a three-point basket with 1:06 left to give the Red Hawks a 63-61 edge.

UW-Oshkosh (1-2) then tied the game at 63-63 on a layup by Sharpee with 32 seconds to play. Sharpee's layup followed a pair of offensive rebounds by the Titans.

Ripon College had a chance to take the lead with three seconds left in the game, but Roberts missed a jump shot and the rebound was collected by Sharpee under the Red Hawks' basket.

Following a pair of UW-Oshkosh timeouts, the Titans' Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) inbounded the basketball to half court, but Roberts snatched the pass and wound up to hurl a desperation shot. But before she could, UW-Oshkosh's Beth Hebl (Fr. • Brookfield) got a piece of her arm and left the referee with little choice but to call a foul. Roberts made all three free-throw attempts to seal Ripon College's first victory over UW-Oshkosh in seven meetings.

Action in the first half featured seven ties, including a 31-31 score with 3:31 left in the period. The Red Hawks broke that deadlock with an 8-4 scoring run to take a 39-35 lead at intermission. The largest lead for either team in the first half was six points, a 37-31 Ripon College advantage with 2:01 remaining in the session.

UW-Oshkosh bounced back to take three six-point leads in the second half, with the last being a 56-50 advantage with 9:28 to play. Ripon College then answered back with a 9-3 scoring run to tie the contest at 59-59 with 4:14 left.

Tyriver scored a career-high 19 points to lead UW-Oshkosh in scoring, while Sharpee and Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) added nine each. Tyriver also grabbed six rebounds and dished off four assists, while Jessica Abitz (So. • Franksville) scored eight points and Arin Lane (Fr. • Stevens Point) totaled six points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Ripon College, which spoiled UW-Oshkosh's 2006-07 home opener, had four players reach double-figure scoring. Mona Delsman led the Red Hawks with 16 points, while Roberts contributed 14 and Amanda Lindauer and Jeni Yaeger 11 each. Yaeger also seized a team-high six rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh shot 43.9 percent (25-57) from the field, including 50 percent (5-10) behind the three-point line. The Titans made eight of their nine free-throw attempts for 88.9 percent accuracy.

Ripon College shot 47.3 percent (26-55) from the field, including 50 percent (16-32) in the first half. The Red Hawks also shot 44.4 percent (8-18) behind the three-point arc and 85.7 percent (6-7) from the free-throw line.

UW-Oshkosh had a 35-27 advantage in rebounds. The Titans had 15 turnovers and the Red Hawks 14.

Foresters’ Late Scoring Run Sinks Titans

Host Lake Forest College scored 26 of the game’s final 36 points to pull away and defeat UW-Oshkosh, 76-61, in the championship contest of the Forester Tip-Off Tournament held Saturday (Nov. 18) in Lake Forest, Ill.

UW-Oshkosh (1-1) led 51-50 with 6:56 left in the game before a three-point basket by Andrea Durante and a layup by Tracy Rainey ignited a 26-10 scoring run for Lake Forest College (2-0). The Foresters extended their lead to 65-55 with 2:54 to play and finished off the Titans by scoring the game’s last seven points.

UW-Oshkosh opened the second half with a 32-22 lead. The Titans increased their advantage to 36-26 before the Foresters stormed back to take a 46-43 lead with 10:26 left in the game. UW-Oshkosh then scored eight of the next 12 points to grab a 51-50 lead.

Lake Forest College scored all nine points in the first 5:15 of the contest as UW-Oshkosh missed its first seven shots from the field and committed six turnovers. The Titans bounced back from their poor start with an 18-6 scoring run to take an 18-15 lead with 6:05 left in the first half. Lake Forest College then tied the count at 18-18 before UW-Oshkosh ended the opening period with a 14-4 scoring run.

Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) scored 17 points for UW-Oshkosh, while Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio) added 13 and Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) 12. Sharpee collected nine rebounds and Tyriver six to lead the Titans. Knapp and Tyriver were named to the all-tournament team.

Lake Forest College had all five of its starters score in double figures. Ashley Cretacci led the Foresters with 14 points, while Lizzy Bauer tallied 13, Rainey 12, Nicole Baich 11 and Durante 10. Baich added 11 rebounds and four assists, while Bauer contributed eight rebounds and four assists.

UW-Oshkosh shot 35.4 (17-48) percent from the field, 50 percent (4-8) behind the three-point line and 79.3 percent (23-29) from the free-throw stripe.

Lake Forest College, which split its two previous meetings with UW-Oshkosh, shot 40 percent (28-70) from the field and 60.7 percent (17-28) from the free-throw line. The Foresters shot 60 percent (3-5) behind the three-point arc. Lake Forest College out-rebounded UW-Oshkosh, 52-32, and blocked six of the Titans’ shots. UW-Oshkosh committed 25 turnovers in the game and Lake Forest College 22.

Titans Win Another Season Opener

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team won its season-opening contest for the 27th time in 33 years as it defeated Augustana College (Ill.), 69-40, in a first round game of the Forester Tip-Off Tournament held Friday (Nov. 17) in Lake Forest, Ill.

UW-Oshkosh (1-0) advances to meet host Lake Forest College in the tournament's championship game at 3 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 18). The Foresters (1-0) qualified for their contest with the Titans by overcoming a nine-point halftime deficit (35-26) to oust Concordia University-Chicago (Ill.), 74-57, in the tournament's other first round game played Friday.

Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) led UW-Oshkosh to a successful 2006-07 debut by totaling 16 points, seven rebounds and six steals. The Titans also received 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals from Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshkosh) and 13 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists from Kayla Sharpee (Fr. • Rio).

Augustana College (0-1), a third-time opponent of UW-Oshkosh, was paced by the 10 points and 10 rebounds of Maegan Skahill. Kim Rymer added nine points, eight rebounds and three assists for the Vikings, while Kristen Fox contributed six points and three rebounds.

The contest began with both teams missing their first five shots from the field. Augustana College then took a 5-2 lead before UW-Oshkosh scored 28 of the next 36 points to take a 30-13 advantage with 3:35 left in the first half. The Titans went to intermission leading 39-19. Knapp scored 12 of her points in the first half, while Sharpee tallied eight.

UW-Oshkosh maintained an advantage of at least 22 points for the entire second half. The Titans' largest lead of the final period was 30 points, counts of 49-19 with 15:07 left and 59-29 with 7:50 remaining to play.

UW-Oshkosh shot 45.9 percent (28-61) from the field, including 50 percent (15-30) in the first half. The Titans shot 33.3 percent (3-9) behind the three-point line and 50 percent (10-20) from the free-throw stripe.

Augustana College shot 30 percent (15-50) from the field and 62.5 percent (10-16) from the free-throw line. The Vikings missed all 11 of their shots beyond the three-point arc.

Augustana College, which won the rebounding battle, 42-35, turned the basketball over 36 times. UW-Oshkosh committed 17 turnovers in the contest. 

Titans' 2006-07 Season Preview

After guiding the Titans to a piece of the WIAC championship a year ago, second-year head coach Terri Schumacher faces the daunting task this winter of rebuilding the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball program from nearly the ground level.

UW-Oshkosh, which has won a minimum of 19 games in each of the past 13 seasons (305-60 record), returns only five members from last year’s squad that compiled a 19-8 record and shared the WIAC title with UW-Stout. This year’s 11-player roster consists of one senior, two juniors, three sophomores and five freshmen.

Guards Becky Knapp (Sr. • West Allis) and Whitney Tyriver (Jr. • Oshksoh) lead UW-Oshkosh’s returning experience. Tyriver has started 37 games during the past two seasons, while Knapp has started 33 during the past three.

Knapp started all 27 for UW-Oshkosh last season and averaged 9.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals per contest. She scored in double figures 12 times last year, including a career-best 20 in UW-Oshkosh’s 82-65 win over Olivet College (Mich.). Her efforts last season also included a pair of double-doubles, a 13-point, 10-rebound performance in UW-Oshkosh’s 70-65 win over UW-Whitewater and a 10-point, 10-rebound outing in the Titans’ 66-63 loss to UW-Stevens Point. In 2005, Knapp started six games for the Titans and averaged 5.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per outing.

Other returning veterans back for UW-Oshkosh are Jessica Abitz (So. • Franksville), Amanda Dempsey (So. • West Allis) and Beth Garman (So. • Lake Mills).

Abitz, a forward, appeared in 10 games last season and averaged 1.6 points and 0.9 rebounds per game. She scored a career-best eight points and grabbed four rebounds in UW-Oshkosh’s 83-48 victory over UW-Superior.

Dempsey, a guard, participated in 13 games last winter and averaged 1.5 points and 1.0 rebounds per contest. She scored a career best six points and collected five rebounds in the Titans’ 83-48 win over UW-Superior.

Garman, a center, played in all 27 games last year and averaged 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 70.6 percent from the free throw line. She scored a career-best seven points and grabbed four rebounds in the Titans’ 76-54 win over UW-Superior.

Newcomers to the UW-Oshkosh program this season are freshman guard Beth Hebl of Brookfield, junior guard Dawn LaBonte of Mukwonago, freshman forward Arin Lane of Stevens Point, freshman forward Kayla Sharpee of Rio, freshman guard Jenna Southworth of Marshfield and freshman forward Aubrey Wisen of Wisconsin Rapids. LaBonte is a transfer from UW-Waukesha, where she was named Player of the Year in the Wisconsin Collegiate Conference last season after averaging 14.8 points, 2.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game.

UW-Oshkosh has finished third place or higher in the WIAC standings every year since 1990. The Titans claimed WIAC titles in 1985, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2006.

UW-Oshkosh has made 10 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances since 1990, with visits to the postseason event in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. The Titans captured the NCAA Division III title in 1996.