2008-09 UW-Oshkosh Women's Basketball News

Wenig Makes Hole-In-One At Women's Basketball Golf Outing

In golf, a hole-in-one is when a player hits the ball directly from the tee into the cup with one shot.

Holes in one are extremely rare, and occasionally special events host a hole-in-one contest, where prizes as expensive as a new car, or cash awards sometimes reaching $4 million are offered if a contestant records a hole-in-one.

And, that was the case for Oshkosh's Vicki Wenig as she made a hole-in-one to win $10,000 at the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball golf outing held June 26 at the Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne.

Wenig used a 5-iron to finish the 149-yard, eighth hole in one shot. Witnesses to her shot were Dan Baeten, Bernie Barribeau and Kathy Boeder.

Churchill Receives All-WIAC Honorable Mention Award

UW-Oshkosh forward Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) was one of five players earning honorable mention recognition on the 2009 All-WIAC Women's Basketball Team.

Churchill averaged 9.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocked shots per game to lead the Titans in all three categories. She also topped UW-Oshkosh with shooting percentages of 48.4 (91-188) from the field and 78.7 (37-47) from the free-throw line. Churchill's rebounding average ranks fourth in the league.

Churchill, who started all 25 games for the Titans (7-18/2-14 WIAC), finished the season with 34 steals and 30 assists. She made 35 percent (10-29) of her three-point attempts.

Churchill recorded four double-doubles, including three in consecutive contests. She totaled a season-high 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds during UW-Oshkosh's 43-41 victory over Lake Forest College (Ill.) on Nov. 29. She then racked up 12 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Titans to a 67-45 win over Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.) on Dec. 1. Churchill continued the streak by compiling 13 points and 10 rebounds during UW-Oshkosh's 53-43 loss to UW-River Falls on Dec. 6.

Churchill also tallied 12 points and a season-high 16 rebounds during the Titans' 82-64 loss to Carroll University on Jan. 20.

Churchill was UW-Oshkosh’s primary post presence, but she showed her versatility when she made 4-of-5 shots behind the three-point arc in UW-Oshkosh's 61-55 loss to fifth-ranked UW-Eau Claire on Feb. 4.

Churchill transferred to UW-Oshkosh from UW-Stout. She played in 24 games for the Blue Devils during the 2007-08 season and averaged 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per contest.

Named to the 11-member All-WIAC First Team were Britta Petersen, Janell Van Gomple and Katie Webber of UW-Stevens Point, Heidi Arciszewski and Heather Witt of UW-Eau Claire, Mackenzie Hunter and Lindsay Wahl of UW-La Crosse, Charlee Edwards and Julia Hirssig of UW-Stout and Kelsey Hendrickson and Tiffany Morton of UW-Whitewater. Hunter was named the league's Player of the Year.

Joining Churchill as a honorable mention selection were Lisa Grantman of UW-Platteville, Tiffany Gregorich of UW-River Falls, Jessi Sporle of UW-Stevens Point and Hailey Hart of UW-Superior.

Voted to the WIAC's All-Defensive Team were UW-Eau Claire's Witt, UW-La Crosse's Hunter, UW-Stevens Point's Webber, UW-Stout's Hirssig and UW-Whitewater's Morton.

Chosen to the WIAC's All-Sportsmanship Team were Pam Kaye of UW-Eau Claire, Anna Halat of UW-La Crosse, Megan Lund (Fr. • Reedsville) of UW-Oshkosh, Stacia Nemitz of UW-Platteville, Kelli Hilt of UW-River Falls, Sporle of UW-Stevens Point, Lindsey Gerber of UW-Stout, Anna Petersen of UW-Superior and Meghan Schmidt of UW-Whitewater.

Titans Close Season With Win Over Yellowjackets

Tiffany Pugh (So. • Sturtevant) buried a three-pointer at the beginning and at the end of a 22-5 scoring run that propelled the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team to a 62-59 win over UW-Superior on Saturday (Feb. 21) in Superior.

The victory snapped the Titans’ (7-18/2-14 WIAC) 10-game losing streak in what was the season finale for both squads. Pugh and Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) each tallied 17 points in the contest, while Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) contributed 12 points and seven rebounds.

UW-Superior (5-20/0-16 WIAC) held a 26-19 lead with 1:49 left in the opening period when Pugh connected on her first of five long-range buckets. She then hit a pair early in the second half, with one putting the Titans up 31-30, and the other making it 37-31. With 11:07 to play in the contest, Pugh drained a triple to put UW-Oshkosh ahead, 41-31.

Bri Davis found the bottom of the net on two jumpers to pull the Yellowjackets within seven points (49-42) at the 5:58 mark. UW-Oshkosh came right back with two jump shots from Ebbens and an Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) basket to extend the advantage to 55-43 with 3:39 remaining.

Two free throws by Davis added to four points from Hailey Hart as UW-Superior tried to mount a comeback. The Titans did their part at the free throw line in closing the game out, with four players marking in the final two minutes. Hart pulled the Yellowjackets as close as they would get with a last minute three-point shot.

Ebbens accounted for four of UW-Oshkosh’s first eight points as the Titans went up, 8-4. Anna Petersen then hit a lay-up and closed out a three-point play to put UW-Superior in front, 9-8. That advantage remained until Churchill finished off a lay-up to tie the game at 17 with 6:55 to play in the opening period.

The Yellowjackets took as much as a six-point cushion (23-17) after two baskets from Kelsey Thingvold and one more from Petersen. Lisa Thielen then gave UW-Superior its largest margin of the day when she splashed a triple to go up, 26-19, just before the Titans’ rally.

Petersen finished with 15 points and seven rebounds to top UW-Superior, which also received 13 points from Hart. Thingvold chipped in nine points while Katie Zavodny dished out five assists for the Yellowjackets, who turned the ball over 12 times.

UW-Oshkosh got a team-best four assists from Beth Hebl (Jr. • Brookfield), in addition to seven rebounds by Pugh. The Titans nailed 33.3 percent of their shots (17-51), including 6-of-17 tries from long range (35.3 percent). They also made 78.6 percent of their free throws (22-28) while pulling in 26 rebounds.

UW-Superior, which fell to the Titans for the 47th straight game, corralled 41 rebounds in the game. The Yellowjackets grabbed 15 of those on the offensive end after knocking down 19-of-62 shots (30.6 percent). They converted 3-of-15 three-point attempts (20 percent) as well as 72 percent of their tosses at the charity stripe (18-25).

Seventh-Ranked Warhawks Defeat Titans

UW-Whitewater went on a streak of 11 unanswered points just before halftime to take control during its 83-59 victory over the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team on Wednesday (Feb. 18) in Whitewater.

The Warhawks (21-3/12-3 WIAC), who entered the contest ranked seventh in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, began by increasing their 29-24 cushion with two baskets from Dana Thompson. The scoring spurt, which covered the final 4:19 of the opening period, featured three-point shots from Mary Donohoo and Nicole Bundy for a 40-24 advantage at intermission.

UW-Whitewater hurt the Titans (6-18/1-14 WIAC) with its long-range shooting, as the Warhawks buried 11-of-21 triples (52.4 percent). Heidi Sonntag led the charge with 13 points, to go along with 11 points and nine rebounds from Thompson, 11 points from Donohoo and 10 points from Kelsey Hendrickson.

UW-Oshkosh never led in the contest, eventually falling behind 16-8 with 10:41 left in the first half. Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) sparked a Titans’ rally with a pair of free throws and a three-point field goal. Megan McGowan (Fr. • Verona) also tacked on a triple as the scoreboard showed a 16-16 deadlock 9:32 before halftime.

Hendrickson answered with two long-range daggers of her own as the Warhawks went ahead, 24-18. UW-Oshkosh pulled to within four points (26-22) after a Kelsey Myklebust (Fr. • Wisconsin Dells) lay-up and two Baganz free throws with six minutes remaining in the period.

Tiffany Morton earned six consecutive points at the charity stripe to make sure the Warhawks held a double-digit margin throughout the final period. Her two free throws made it a 49-35 tally with 13:45 left.

A string of eight straight points by Sonntag then increased the lead midway through the half. She swished two jumpers from behind the arc before making a lay-up for a 59-42 advantage. UW-Whitewater led by less than 20 points until connecting on three long-distance jumpers in the final 1:31.

The Titans’ leading scorer in the contest was Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh), who finished with 16 points and five rebounds. Baganz added 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, in addition to nine points from Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) and eight points and seven rebounds by Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan).

UW-Oshkosh hit 40.8 percent of its attempts from the field (20-49), including 3-of-10 marksmanship (30 percent) behind the three-point line. The Titans drained 16-of-20 free throws (80 percent) while turning the ball over 10 times.

UW-Whitewater hit its mark on 46.7 percent of its shots from the field (28-60) while achieving success on 16-of-25 free throws (64 percent). The Warhawks committed nine turnovers in the game as they posted a 39-29 edge on the boards. 

Falcons Spoil Titans' Home Finale

UW-River Falls ran off eight straight points in the final three minutes to overtake the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team, 74-65, on Saturday (Feb. 14) in Kolf Sports Center. The contest was the final home game of 2008-09 season for the Titans.

Trailing 59-56, the Falcons (14-9/7-7 WIAC) got a game-tying three pointer from Tiffany Gregorich with 3:18 remaining. Taylor House then turned a steal into a lay-up and added two free throws to go ahead, 63-59. UW-River Falls then hit its final nine free throws in the last 1:57 to put the game away.

The Titans (6-17/1-13) held a 48-38 advantage with 12:52 to play, but Gregorich and Tess Lardie cut into that margin with back-to-back three-pointers. The Falcons then pulled even at 48 on an Alise Holst lay-up. Holst put together an impressive stat line with 15 points, six rebounds, eight assists, six steals and three blocked shots.

UW-Oshkosh was able to regain its lead with a three-point basket from Tiffany Pugh (So. • Sturtevant). Her triple made it 57-55 before she stretched the Titans’ advantage to three (59-56) on a jumper with 4:24 left. Pugh topped UW-Oshkosh in the contest with 17 points, including five conversions from long distance.

UW-River Falls showed its ability to knock down the triple as three different players connected for a 9-8 lead with 12:53 to play in the opening half. A Holst jumper equaled the score at 13, but the Titans used a Pugh bomb in tallying the game’s next seven points.

Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) nailed a lay-up and finished off a three-point play to put UW-Oshkosh ahead, 23-17. Back-to-back Pugh triples followed to make it 29-22 with 3:51 on the clock. Holst then dropped in two buckets before the break to cut the Falcons’ deficit to 32-28 at halftime.

A Jenna Hanson three-point jumper got UW-River Falls a 36-34 lead early in the second period, but the Falcons would go scoreless for more than five minutes. Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) took control during that span, tallying eight points to put the Titans up, 45-36 with 13:46 to go.

Churchill closed the contest with 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals while Boeder tacked on 16 points. UW-Oshkosh pulled down 30 rebounds to the Falcons’ 35, while the Titans also lost the turnover department, 16-11.

UW-River Falls was led by Hanson’s 17 points, in addition to 16 points and four steals from Gregorich and 10 points from House. The Falcons made 42.1 percent of their shots (24-57), including 8-of-22 from downtown (36.4 percent) and 18-of-23 at the free throw line (78.3 percent).

The Titans, who lost a school-record ninth straight game, made 46.3 percent of their shots (25-54). UW-Oshkosh made 8-of-21 attempts from behind the three-point arc (38.1 percent), as well as 77.8 percent of its free throw tries (7-9).

Eagles Fly Away From Titans

UW-La Crosse jumped out to a 20-2 lead and never looked back as it defeated the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team, 68-38, on Saturday (Feb. 7) in La Crosse.

UW-La Crosse (17-5/9-4 WIAC) built its game-opening scoring run on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. UW-Oshkosh (6-16/1-12 WIAC) contributed heavily to the Eagles' scoring spurt by committing eight turnovers and missing two of its three shots from the field.

Amanda Waldvogel tallied seven of UW-La Crosse's first 20 points, while Taylor Larson capped the scoring frenzy with a three-point basket at the 14:25 mark of the first half.

Kelsey Myklebust (Fr. • Wisconsin Dells) ended a six-minute scoring drought for UW-Oshkosh by hitting a jump shot with 13:30 left in the opening period. Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) followed with a three-point basket to cut the Titans' deficit to 24-7 with 11:17 remaining.

UW-La Crosse answered back by scoring seven of the next eight points to take a 32-8 lead with 6:55 to play in the first half. The Eagles leaped to a 38-13 lead before settling for a 40-17 advantage at the break. The opening period saw UW-La Crosse shoot 62.1 percent (18-29) from the field and UW-Oshkosh commit 21 turnovers.

UW-La Crosse's Lindsay Wahl asserted herself early in the second half by scoring seven points in three minutes. She made a lay-up before knocking down five free throws in upping the Eagles' advantage to 48-24 with 15:50 to play in the contest.

UW-La Crosse went in front 59-28 on a lay-up by Hanna Lang with 8:04 left and 65-34 on a lay-up by Betsy McGinnity with 3:27 remaining. The Eagles led by 20-plus points the final 28:48 of the game.

Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) recorded six late points on her way to a team-high eight for the Titans. UW-Oshkosh also got six points and five rebounds from Myklebust and five points and five rebounds from Churchill.

UW-La Crosse had three players score in double figures as Wahl counted 13 points, Waldvogel 12 and Mackenzie Hunter 10. Hunter and Wahl both grabbed a team-best five rebounds while Anna Halat dished off a team-high seven assists.

UW-Oshkosh shot just 30 percent (15-50) from the field, including only 23.1 percent (3-13) behind the three-point line. The Titans, who committed 29 turnovers, shot 62.5 percent (5-8) from the free-throw line.

UW-La Crosse, which won for the 12th time in 14 games, shot 56 percent (28-50) from the field and 62.5 percent (10-16) from the free-throw line. The Eagles, who committed 21 turnovers, shot 28.6 percent (2-7) behind the three-point arc.

Fifth-Ranked Blugolds Fend Off Titans

Nationally ranked UW-Eau Claire withstood a barrage of second-half three-pointers as it held off the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team, 61-55, on Wednesday (Feb. 4) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (6-15/1-11 WIAC) knocked down 8-of-10 shots from long range in turning a 42-28 deficit into a 50-50 tie with 3:56 to play.

UW-Eau Claire (18-2/10-2 WIAC), which entered the contest ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, notched seven of the game’s final nine points (all on free throws) to take the victory.

Tiffany Pugh (So. • Sturtevant) began the downtown showcase with a pair of three-point buckets midway through the final period. Her second triple pulled UW-Oshkosh to 44-34 with 11:18 remaining. Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) then joined in, connecting from behind the arc to make it 44-38 with nine minutes on the clock.

A three-point jumper and lay-up by Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) allowed the Titans to creep closer as the game wound down. After back-to-back Blugolds turnovers, Churchill buried a bomb to equal the score at 50. Jodi Linder then hit a pair of free throws while Missy Fremstad added a lay-up to put UW-Eau Claire back in front, 54-50, with 2:36 to play.

Churchill’s final long-range jumper made it a one-point game (54-53), but the Blugolds made their final five free throws in the last 27 seconds to stay on top. Heidi Arciszewski accounted for the final two points on her way to a game-high 18 while also grabbing six rebounds.

Arciszewski tallied her team’s first six points of the contest for a 6-2 lead. The Titans then battled back with jump shots from Kelsey Myklebust (Fr. • Wisconsin Dells) and Churchill to tie the game at 10. UW-Oshkosh remained stuck on that number as it missed its next nine shots from the field.

A three-pointer from Megan McGowan (Fr. • Verona) answered an 8-0 Blugolds’ scoring run, which included a three-point play from Pam Kaye. McGowan’s triple made it an 18-16 UW-Eau Claire lead. The Blugolds closed out the first half with 13 of the last 15 points, including five from Heather Witt, to take a 31-18 advantage to intermission.

Baganz and Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) each drained a three-pointer early in the second half, while UW-Eau Claire got four points apiece from Arciszewski and Hannah Mesick. Mesick finished with 16 points, six rebounds and three steals in the contest.

The Blugolds also got seven points, seven rebounds and four assists from Fremstad and seven points with six rebounds from Lindner. They were successful on 39.6 percent of their shots (21-53), including 2-of-8 from downtown (25 percent) and 17-of-21 at the free throw line (81 percent).

UW-Oshkosh was led by Churchill’s 14 points and Baganz’s total of five rebounds and nine points. Boeder had 12 points and Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) six assists for the Titans, who lost the turnover stat, 19-15, and the rebounding battle, 29-38.

The Titans ended up 10-of-21 from three-point land (47.6 percent) en route to 40 percent overall shooting (20-50). UW-Oshkosh’s season-high three-point total helped make up for a 5-of-11 performance (45.5 percent) at the charity stripe.

Blue Devils Pierce Titans In Final Seconds

Julia Hirssig's three-point play with 1.6 seconds remaining vaulted the UW-Stout women’s basketball team to a 66-63 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (Jan. 31) in Kolf Sports Center.

Hirssig, who scored a game-high 26 points, sank a lay-up and a free throw to break a 63-63 deadlock. UW-Oshkosh's Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) converted a three-point play of her own on the previous possession to tie the score at 63 with 41 seconds left.

UW-Stout (11-8/6-4 WIAC) prevailed in a game that featured 16 lead changes and 14 ties. The largest lead of the first half was four points, including a 10-6 cushion that UW-Stout built three minutes into the contest.

UW-Oshkosh (6-14/1-10 WIAC) bounced back from its early deficit by scoring seven straight points while forcing the Blue Devils to miss nine consecutive shots from the field. Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) accounted for two lay-ups during the scoring streak, including one with 11:15 on the clock that gave the Titans a 13-10 lead.

UW-Oshkosh held a 15-11 lead before UW-Stout strung together seven unanswered points. The Blue Devils took an 18-15 advantage on Danielle DeWitt's three-point basket with 8:52 left in the first half. The Titans then got seven of their next 13 points from Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) to go in front 28-26 with 3:55 remaining in the period.

Kelsey Myklebust (Fr. • Wisconsin Dells) scored six points late in the first half to put UW-Oshkosh up 35-34 at intermission. Myklebust tallied a career-best 12 points and two rebounds in the contest.

The score was tied at 38, 40 and 42 early in the second half before the Titans counted five consecutive points to take a 54-48 lead with 6:37 to play. Boeder's lay-up at the end of the scoring run created the largest margin of the game at six points.

UW-Stout rallied back as Hirssig started an 8-2 scoring run for the Blue Devils with a lay-up. A Lindsey Gerber three-point basket gave UW-Stout a 56-54 lead with 3:33 left. The teams then traded baskets before Charlee Edwards buried a three-point shot to give the Blue Devils a 63-60 lead with 59 seconds to go.

UW-Oshkosh was led in scoring by Boeder's 14 points. The Titans also received 13 points from Churchill and 12 from Baganz. Baganz and Amber Goljenboom (So. • Pickett) both grabbed seven rebounds, while Churchill compiled five rebounds and a career-best seven steals.

Joining Hirssig as a double-figure scorer for UW-Stout were DeWitt and Megan Maslowski. Both players tallied 10 points, with DeWitt also grabbing four rebounds and Maslowski three. The Blue Devils also obtained nine points and a game-high eight assists from Gerber and four points and a game-best 10 rebounds from Kim Stokke.

UW-Oshkosh shot 37.9 percent (22-58) from the field and 66.7 percent (16-24) from the free-throw line. The Titans, who grabbed 38 rebounds and committed 12 turnovers, shot 23.1 percent (3-13) behind the three-point arc.

UW-Stout, which handed UW-Oshkosh its sixth straight loss, shot 36.1 percent (22-61) from the field. The Blue Devils shot 76.2 percent (16-21) from the free-throw stripe and 40 percent (6-15) behind the three-point line. UW-Stout collected 42 rebounds and committed 12 turnovers.

Pioneers Ride To Victory Over Titans

UW-Platteville responded to its lone deficit of the game with eight unanswered points and hung on for a 57-52 victory over the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team on Wednesday (Jan. 28) in Platteville.

A Kelsey Myklebust (Fr. • Wisconsin Dells) jump shot put UW-Oshkosh ahead 39-38 with 8:19 to play, but Mallory Mau knocked down a three-point shot on the next possession to give UW-Platteville the lead for good. Ashley Wolf added three more points and Lisa Grantman two as the Pioneers reeled off an 8-0 scoring run to take a 46-39 lead with 5:09 left.

UW-Platteville (6-12/3-7 WIAC), which missed five straight free throws in the final 1:17 to give UW-Oshkosh a chance, saw its lead cut to 54-52 on two free throws by the Titans' Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) with 43 seconds remaining. Stacia Nemitz then made one of two free throws with 17.4 seconds left to provide the Pioneers with a 55-52 advantage.

Following a UW-Platteville timeout, UW-Oshkosh worked the clock down until Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) missed a potential tying three-point shot with four seconds left. Nemitz rebounded the basketball, was fouled and made both free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining to create the game's final score.

UW-Platteville took a 12-7 lead on a three-point shot by Wolf with 11:48 left in the first half. Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) answered with a three-point shot of her own and Ebbens a lay-up as UW-Oshkosh (6-13/1-9 WIAC) tied the contest at 12 with 7:33 remaining.

Grantman drained a long-range shot to give UW-Platteville a 15-12 lead. She then dialed in from downtown at the 5:39 mark to give the Pioneers a 19-12 advantage. Churchill put in four points for the Titans just before the break to cut their deficit to 26-20 at intermission.

Lay-ups from Brianna Klaas and Charity Stotmeister put UW-Platteville up 31-22, but UW-Oshkosh fought back thanks to Boeder. She marked five points midway through the closing period to pull the Titans to 38-37 with 9:04 left.

UW-Platteville opened up a 54-45 lead before Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) connected on a three-point shot and two free throws to slice UW-Oshkosh's deficit to 54-50 with 1:36 remaining.

Boeder led UW-Oshkosh in scoring with 17 points. The Titans also received 10 points from Ebbens, nine from Baganz and eight from Churchill. UW-Oshkosh posted a 41-34 rebounding advantage as Churchill collected 11, Ebbens seven and Baganz six.

UW-Platteville, which won for just the 12th time in 63 games against UW-Oshkosh, was led by the 21 points and seven rebounds of Grantman. The Pioneers also obtained 11 points and nine rebounds from Nemitz and nine points and two rebounds from Wolf.

UW-Oshkosh shot 35.6 percent (21-59) from the field and 61.5 percent (8-13) from the free-throw line. The Titans shot 13.3 percent (2-15) behind the three-point arc.

UW-Platteville shot 35.7 percent (20-56) from the field, 31.8 percent (7-22) behind the three-point line and 58.8 percent (10-17) from the charity stripe.

Both teams recorded a season-low turnover total, with UW-Platteville committing 10 and UW-Oshkosh 11.

Seventh-Ranked Pointers Notch Win Over Titans

UW-Stevens Point tallied 21 offensive rebounds to overcome its worst shooting performance of the season and defeat the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team, 59-45, on Saturday (Jan. 24) in Stevens Point.

UW-Stevens Point (17-1/9-0 WIAC), which entered the game ranked seventh in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, connected on just 20 of its 68 shots (29.4 percent) from the field. The Pointers were accurate on 34.3 percent (12-35) of their shots in the first half and 24.2 (8-33) in the second.

UW-Stevens Point used its 21 offensive rebounds to win the overall rebounding battle, 47-36. Jessi Sporle grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Pointers, while Ashley Baker and Britta Petersen collected seven each. Baker had six rebounds on the offensive end, while Sporle had four and Petersen three.

UW-Oshkosh was led by the eight rebounds of Amber Goljenboom (So. • Pickett). The Titans also received six rebounds from Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) and five from Beth Hebl (Jr. • Brookfield). UW-Oshkosh's six offensive rebounds included two by Goljenboom.

UW-Stevens Point never trailed as six early points by Baker put the Pointers ahead 10-2 just 4:07 into the contest. Sporle went on to put UW-Stevens Point up 22-11 with four consecutive points midway through the opening period.

Following an exchange of baskets, UW-Stevens Point staged a 12-4 scoring run to take a 36-17 lead with 40 seconds to play in the opening half. UW-Stevens Point yielded three of the next four points, but still took a 37-20 advantage to intermission.

UW-Oshkosh, which trailed by double digits the final 27:55 of play, cut its deficit to 37-23 on a three-point shot by Churchill with 19:14 left in the second half. The Pointers then scored 12 of the next 17 points to take a 49-28 lead with 13:17 remaining.

UW-Stevens Point's largest lead the rest of the way was 22 points, a 59-37 score with 6:35 left. The Pointers then went scoreless the remainder of the game as the Titans counted the final eight points.

UW-Oshkosh's scoring was led by the 13 points of Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton). The Titans also received nine points from Churchill and six from Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh).

UW-Stevens Point had two double-figure scorers as Baker totaled 14 points and Petersen 10. The Pointers also obtained nine points from Christin Coles.

UW-Oshkosh made just one of its 10 (10 percent) three-point shots. The Titans were much better at the free-throw line, where they made 14 of their 17 (82.4 percent) tosses.

UW-Stevens Point made 28 percent (7-25) of its three-point shots and 70.6 percent (12-16) of its free throws.

The Pointers, who won their 13th straight game, committed nine turnovers and the Titans 18. 

Pioneers Drive Past Titans

The trio of Leah Lemke, Janelle Groer and Karen Hoewisch combined for 66 points, 23 rebounds and 10 steals as the Carroll University women’s basketball team outran UW-Oshkosh, 82-64, on Tuesday (Jan. 20) in Kolf Sports Center.

Lemke made 10 of her 13 shots from the field as she scored a game-high 27 points with seven rebounds and 7-for-7 shooting at the free-throw line. Groer amassed 23 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and six steals for the Pioneers, who also received 16 points and four assists from Hoewisch.

UW-Oshkosh (6-11) also received a double-double as Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) recorded 12 points, a career-best 16 rebounds and four assists. Beth Hebl (Jr. • Brookfield) dished out a career-high eight assists to contribute to the Titans’ top shooting performance of the season at 55.6 percent (30-54).

Both teams started on fire, with UW-Oshkosh making 10 of its first 12 shots from the field and Carroll University converting eight of its first 11. The Titans bolted in front 10-4, but the Pioneers fought back to take a 19-18 lead on a pair of free throws by Hoewisch with 13:14 left in the opening period.

UW-Oshkosh responded to that one-point deficit by staging a 14-2 scoring streak in which six different players tallied points. Carroll University missed 13 consecutive shots during the streak as Megan McGowan (Fr. • Verona) closed the scoring run with a three-pointer to give the Titans a 32-21 advantage with 5:25 remaining in the half.

Carroll University (10-4) battled back to force a 38-38 tie at intermission. The Pioneers ended the opening period with a 17-5 scoring run that was highlighted by the nine points of Lemke.

Lemke then scored six quick points coming out of the break, but the Titans hung tough to take a 48-44 lead. Carroll University continued to rely on their three main weapons as they combined to notch 16 of their team's next 20 points. The Pioneers went on to post a 34-12 scoring run and pull away to a 78-60 advantage with 2:49 to play.

Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) and Andrea Baeten (Fr. • Green Bay) both chipped in 10 points as the other UW-Oshkosh players in double-figure scoring. The Titans made 1-of-3 shots (33.3 percent) behind the three-point arc and 3-of-8 free throws (37.5 percent).

Carroll University benefited from 18 more field goal attempts than the Titans and shot 47.2 percent (34-72). The Pioneers, who currently stand third in the Midwest Conference standings, made 3-of-14 shots (21.4 percent) behind the three-point line and 11-of-14 tosses (78.6 percent) from the free-throw stripe.

Carroll University committed nine turnovers and UW-Oshkosh 21. The Pioneers won the rebounding battle, 35-32.

It was the 20th meeting between the two teams, with UW-Oshkosh's advantage in the all-time series cut to 16-4.

Eagles Claw Victory Away From Titans

UW-La Crosse scored nine of the game's last 11 points to sneak past the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team, 52-48, on Saturday (Jan. 17) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (6-10/1-7 WIAC) held a 46-43 lead with 4:39 remaining, but Anna Halat scored on a jump shot and Dana Churchill a lay-up to give UW-La Crosse a 47-46 advantage with 2:41 left. The Eagles (12-4/4-3 WIAC) made four free throws in the last 26 seconds to take a 51-46 lead and control of the contest.

Mackenzie Hunter got UW-La Crosse off to a strong start by scoring 10 points in a span of just 4:42. She put the Eagles ahead 9-3 on a three-pointer with 16:04 left in the opening period and 19-5 on a lay-up with 12:01 remaining.

UW-Oshkosh owned the momentum the rest of the first half as it recorded a 15-8 scoring run, including six points by Amber Goljenboom (So. • Pickett), to cut its deficit to 27-20 at intermission. Neither team counted a point in the last 3:51 of the first half as the two squads combined to miss their last 11 shots.

UW-Oshkosh bolted out of the second half with a 14-4 scoring run. The Titans' Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) did most of the damage, knocking down two lay-ups and a three-point shot for seven consecutive points.

A jump shot by Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) tied the contest at 31 before UW-Oshkosh registered its first lead at 34-31 on a three-pointer from Tiffany Pugh (So. • Sturtevant). The Eagles’ Melissa Lang answered right back with a three-point shot to make it 34-34 with 15:49 to play.

The following minutes contained eight turnovers as the two teams battled to get in front. Following four ties and three lead changes, UW-Oshkosh took its final advantage at 44-43 on a lay-up by Andrea Baeten (Fr. • Green Bay) with 6:27 remaining.

UW-Oshkosh was led by the 11 points, three rebounds and three assists of Boeder. The Titans also received nine points, five rebounds and three assists from Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton), eight points, five rebounds and three assists from Shelby Churchill and seven points, five rebounds and three steals from Goljenboom.

UW-La Crosse had three double-figure scorers as Hunter tallied 17 points, Dana Churchill 11 and Lindsay Wahl 10. Hunter grabbed a team-high seven rebounds while Dana Churchill collected six and Wahl five. Dana Churchill is the twin sister of UW-Oshkosh's Shelby Churchill.

UW-Oshkosh, which grabbed 38 rebounds and committed 21 turnovers, shot 39.6 percent (21-53) from the field. The Titans also shot 25 percent (3-12) behind the three-point arc and 50 percent (3-6) from the free-throw line.

UW-La Crosse, which posted its fifth straight win over UW-Oshkosh, shot a season-low 29.3 percent (17-58) from the field. The Eagles, who collected 39 rebounds and committed 17 turnovers, also shot 30 percent (3-10) behind the three-point line and 65.2 percent (15-23) from the free-throw stripe.

Sixth-Ranked Blugolds Rise Above Titans

Heather Witt’s three three-point shots late in the first half highlighted a steady performance as UW-Eau Claire topped the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team, 59-44, on Wednesday (Jan. 14) in Eau Claire.

The Blugolds (13-1/5-1 WIAC), who entered the game ranked sixth in the NCAA Division III by both D3hoops.com and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, rode a 30-12 lead into halftime after Witt’s long-range showcase. She drained three three-point shots in a span of 3:28, with the last one putting UW-Eau Claire up 28-9 with 2:18 to go in the opening period.

Missy Fremstad got the Blugolds going right away, notching seven of her team’s first 11 points en route to an 11-4 lead with 14:08 left in the first half. Witt and Fremstad each totaled nine points in the opening period as the Blugolds outshot UW-Oshkosh, 50 percent (12-24) to 20.8 percent (5-24).

Four different players (6-9/1-6 WIAC) contributed early in the second half as the Titans cut their deficit to 15 points. Andrea Baeten (Fr. • Green Bay) hit a three-pointer before Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) added three points to make it 35-20 with 16:21 remaining.

Witt got UW-Eau Claire’s advantage back up to 22 points (46-24) with a three-point play, but UW-Oshkosh didn’t go away thanks to a pair of jumpers by Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton).

The Blugolds’ lead stood at 50-30 with 8:52 left before the Titans battled back. UW-Oshkosh strung together 12 of the contest’s next 14 points, including a jump shot and lay-in from Ebbens. Beth Hebl’s (Jr. • Brookfield) lay-up with 4:07 to play sliced UW-Oshkosh's deficit to 52-42.

Hannah Mesick, who paced all scorers with 18 points, posted five in the closing minutes to put the game away. Witt totaled 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals for UW-Eau Claire while Fremstad contributed 13 points. Mesick and Fremstad both grabbed five rebounds.

The Titans got 12 points and three assists from Boeder and 10 points and six rebounds from both Ebbens and Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan).

UW-Oshkosh shot 35.4 percent (17-48) from the field, 28.6 percent (2-7) from three-point range and 61.5 percent (8-13) at the free-throw line.

UW-Eau Claire made 21-of-49 (42.9 percent) shots from the field and 13-of-20 free-throw attempts (65 percent). The Blugolds owned the turnover category, 11-14, and rebounding battle, 35-30, while knocking down 4-of-13 three-point shots (30.8 percent).

Titans Brush Away Yellowjackets

The UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team held UW-Superior to one field goal and three points during an eight-minute span in the first half as it posted a 75-67 victory over the Yellowjackets on Saturday (Jan. 10) in Kolf Sports Center.

Tiffany Pugh (So. • Sturtevant) buried a three-point shot in the game’s opening minute as UW-Oshkosh (6-8/1-5 WIAC) built a 9-2 lead just 4:24 into play. The Titans then got a pair of three-point baskets from Megan Lund (Fr. • Reedsville), a lay-up from Amber Goljenboom (So. • Pickett) and a jump shot from Megan McGowan (Fr. • Verona) to increase their advantage to 19-11 with 11:12 left in the first half.

Anna Petersen’s jump shot with 9:37 on the clock cut UW-Superior's deficit to 22-18 before Katie Zavodny added a free throw to make it a three-point margin. The Yellowjackets (4-9/0-5 WIAC) found the bottom of the net on just one of their next seven shots and turned the ball over seven times as the Titans took control.

UW-Oshkosh got a lay-up by Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) to start an 8-0 scoring spurt. After two free throws by both Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) and Andrea Baeten (Fr. • Green Bay), Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) hit a jump shot for an 11-point UW-Oshkosh advantage. Pugh later tacked on three free throws with 24 seconds left in the first period to give the Titans a 37-25 halftime lead.

The Yellowjackets buzzed out of halftime by scoring the first eight points. Hailey Hart accounted for four points during the spurt, hitting two lay-ups to pull UW-Superior within 37-33 with 17:46 to play.

Goljenboom made sure that the Titans didn’t lose grasp of the lead. She followed her jump shot with a lay-up as the game began to slow down with multiple fouls and turnovers. Goljenboom scored another basket with 12:44 remaining to put UW-Oshkosh ahead 46-38.

The Titans registered nine consecutive points at the free-throw line to stretch their advantage to 59-48. Ebbens then broke the UW-Superior press for a lay-up to make it a 64-56 contest with 4:11 to play.

Lisa Thielen hit a three-point shot bring the Yellowjackets to 67-63 with 2:32 left, but UW-Oshkosh nailed their final six free throws to seal the outcome.

Goljenboom came off the bench to lead UW-Oshkosh with 13 points. She also grabbed five rebounds and blocked one shot. The Titans also received 11 points, three rebounds and three assists from Ebbens, 10 points, three rebounds and three assists from Beth Hebl (Jr. • Brookfield), nine points from McGowan and five points and 10 rebounds from Churchill.

Hart topped UW-Superior with 17 points and 13 rebounds while Thielen added 11 points and Kaitlyn Houser eight.

UW-Oshkosh shot 48.8 percent (20-41) from the field, 33.3 percent (4-12) behind the three-point arc and 81.6 percent (31-38) from the free-throw line. The Titans, who recorded their 46th straight victory over UW-Superior, grabbed 33 rebounds and committed 22 turnovers.

UW-Superior knocked down 43.6 percent (24-55) of its field goal attempts and 44.8 percent (13-29) of its free throws. The Yellowjackets, who grabbed 33 rebounds and committed 24 turnovers, shot 35.3 percent (6-17) behind the three-point arc.

J.J. Jumper To Visit Kolf Sports Center

J.J. Jumper, the official basketball mascot of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), will visit UW-Oshkosh's basketball doubleheader against UW-Superior on Saturday (Jan. 10) 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-inch 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 2008-09 basketball season is the ninth for J.J. Jumper. During the past three seasons, J.J. has made more than 275 visits at NCAA institutions, appearing at almost 600 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 $10 for adults, $7 for senior citizens and $5 for students (elementary through high school). UW-Oshkosh students will be admitted FREE with their university identification card.

UW-Oshkosh's "Take A Kid to the Game" program is sponsored by SportsClips of Appleton and Oshkosh. UW-Oshkosh is hosting two of more than 700 basketball games that will be played across the nation as part of the "Take A Kid to the Game" program. The project, now in its 12th season, is a grass roots initiative that attracts the nation’s youth and encourages adults to take kids to area college basketball games.

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.

Pioneers Push Past Titans In Overtime

Charity Stotmeister and Lisa Grantman both scored four points in overtime as the UW-Platteville women’s basketball team topped UW-Oshkosh, 76-70, on Wednesday (Jan. 7) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Platteville (5-8/2-3 WIAC) hit 7-of-8 free throws in the extra session as it outscored UW-Oshkosh (5-8/0-5 WIAC), 11-5. The Titans took a pair of one-point leads in overtime, including a 68-67 advantage on Laura Ebbens' (So. • Appleton) lay-up with 4:33 left.

UW-Platteville then tallied the next six points, getting two free throws from both Stotmeister and Grantman and a lay-up from Ashley Callahan. Callahan's basket gave the Pioneers a 73-68 lead with 2:41 remaining.

UW-Oshkosh pulled to within 73-70 on a pair of points at the free-throw line from Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan), but couldn't get any closer. The Pioneers iced their victory, just their 11th in 62 games with the Titans, on two free throws by Stotmeister with 1:20 left and one by Stacia Nemitz with 16 seconds remaining.

UW-Oshkosh, which trailed 62-53 with 3:34 left in regulation, forced overtime on Andrea Baeten's (Fr. • Green Bay) 10-foot bank shot at the horn. Baeten, who totaled 10 points, three rebounds and four assists, sent the game to overtime tied at 65.

Tiffany Pugh (So. • Sturtevant) spearheaded UW-Oshkosh’s dramatic comeback with a pair of three-point baskets. Her first long-range shot cut UW-Oshkosh's deficit to 62-60 with 1:54 remaining while her second tied the score at 63 with 33 seconds left. The Pioneers moved in front 64-63 on a free throw by Nemitz with 11 seconds remaining and 65-63 on a free throw by Brianna Klaas with nine seconds to go.

UW-Oshkosh had five different players score as it raced out to a 9-0 lead. UW-Platteville, which missed its first 11 shots from the field, fired back with a 13-4 scoring run to tie the game. Klaas sunk a lay-up to make it 13-13 with 8:18 to go in the opening period.

Pugh found her groove late in the first half, registering eight straight points to put the Titans up 26-20. The Pioneers ended the period with a 10-2 scoring run, including a pair of three-point baskets by Klaas in the final minute, to take a 30-28 halftime lead.

UW-Platteville opened up a 43-36 lead on a three-point basket by Ashley Wolf with 15 minutes left in the second half. Consecutive lay-ups by Ebbens and Amber Goljenboom (So. • Pickett) cut UW-Oshkosh's deficit to 47-46, but three-point baskets by both Grantman and Nemitz and a lay-up by Stotmeister put UW-Platteville ahead 55-46 with 8:17 remaining.

The Titans climbed to within 57-53, but two free throws by Grantman and a conventional three-point play by Dru Schneider pushed the Pioneers' ahead 62-53.

Pugh scored 16 points, including four three-point baskets, and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Titans. Ebbens added 15 points, two rebounds and two assists, while Churchill contributed seven points and a career-high 13 rebounds.

Grantman amassed 13 points and 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. The Pioneers also received 16 points and five rebounds from Klaas, 12 points and six rebounds from Stotmeister and 10 points and seven rebounds from Nemitz.

UW-Oshkosh shot 42.9 percent (27-63) from the field and 20 percent (4-20) behind the three-point stripe. The Titans, who committed 19 turnovers and snatched 40 rebounds, were successful on 12-of-16 free throws (75 percent).

The Pioneers heated up to 38.8 percent (26-67) shooting thanks to 9-of-19 marksmanship (47.4 percent) from three-point range. UW-Platteville connected on 15-of-23 free throws (65.2 percent) while committing 13 turnovers and totaling 43 rebounds.

12th-Ranked Pointers Oust Titans

The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team set the tempo with a dominating first half and cruised to a 71-31 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (Jan. 3) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Stevens Point (10-1/3-0 WIAC), which entered the contest ranked 12th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, posted advantages in shots (33-16), rebounds (22-12), assists (7-2) and turnovers (9-15) to take a 34-16 lead to intermission.

After UW-Oshkosh (5-7/0-4 WIAC) tied the score at 2, UW-Stevens Point tallied the next five points to take the advantage for good. The Titans cut their deficit to 11-8 before the Pointers staged a 9-1 scoring run, featuring five points from Janell Van Gomple and four from Britta Petersen, to go up 20-9 with 9:52 left on the clock.

Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) knocked down two free throws to pull the Titans to a 25-16 deficit, but the Pointers answered with nine straight points to end the first half. The Pointers had seven different players score in the opening period, including Andrea Flease and Cassie Bandow who combined to tally 12 of their team's last 14 points.

UW-Stevens Point, which lost a 59-42 decision in its last visit to Kolf Sports Center, led by 21-plus points the final 17:12 of the game. The Pointers closed out a 13-2 scoring run with two Bandow jump shots and a three-pointer by Van Gomple to go up 55-23 with 9:19 to play.

UW-Oshkosh got as close as 59-28 with 5:39 remaining, but UW-Stevens Point finished the game with a 12-3 scoring run. The result of the Pointers' game-ending scoring streak left the Titans with their lowest point total in school history.

Amber Goljenboom (So. • Pickett) scored a career-high 10 points to pace UW-Oshkosh. The Titans also received six points from Ebbens and four from Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon). Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) grabbed seven rebounds and Tiffany Pugh (So. • Sturtevant) five to lead UW-Oshkosh in rebounding.

UW-Stevens Point was led in scoring by the 19 points of Van Gomple, 10 of Katie Webber and the nine of both Bandow and Flease. The Pointers had 12 players grab at least one rebound, including Bandow who collected six and Petersen who snatched four. UW-Stevens Point also benefited from Flease's five steals and Van Gomple's five three-point baskets and four assists.

UW-Oshkosh shot 30.8 percent (12-39) from the field, including just 26.1 percent (6-23) in the second half. The Titans made only 18.2 percent (2-11) of their three-point shots and 50 percent (5-10) of their free throws. UW-Oshkosh totaled 28 rebounds, 29 turnovers and seven assists.

The Pointers shot 47.5 percent (29-61) from the field, including 57.1 percent (16-28) in the second half. UW-Stevens Point made 7 of its 19 (36.8 percent) three-point shots and 60 percent (6-10) of its tosses from the free-throw line. The Pointers compiled 35 rebounds, 17 assists and 14 turnovers.

Titans Tame Tigers

Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) drained a tie-breaking three-pointer with under four minutes to play as UW-Oshkosh battled its way to a 63-60 women's basketball win over Wittenberg University (Ohio) on Tuesday (Dec. 30) in Springfield, Ohio.

The Titans (5-6) let an 11-point lead slip away in the second half before regaining their composure in the game's final minutes. The victory gave UW-Oshkosh the championship over the host Tigers in the Charles B. Zimmerman Memorial Classic.

Wittenberg University's (5-4) Sarah Watson knocked down a jump shot and two free throws to tie the score at 55. Baganz then answered 10 seconds later with a long-range jumper to give the Titans a 58-55 lead with 3:59 left on the clock.

Andrea Baeten (Fr. • Green Bay) added a lay-up and a free throw while Baganz and Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) each contributed a free throw in the last 2:07 to make sure that UW-Oshkosh stayed on top. Baganz, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, topped all players in scoring with 18 points. The Titans also received 14 points from Boeder and 13 from Baeten.

Wittenberg University sprung out of halftime by marking a 14-2 scoring run to gain the lead. Rachel Dixon started it with a three-point basket, while Stephanie Boardman tallied the next six points. A three-point basket by Allie Leopard put the Tigers ahead 40-39 with 14:52 remaining.

Baganz got the advantage right back on the next possession with a three-point basket of her own. A conventional three-point play from the Tigers’ Dixon turned the tide, putting Wittenberg University up 48-47. UW-Oshkosh came back to stretch its lead to 55-51 on a Baganz three-point jumper with 4:54 left on the clock.

Dixon totaled 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Tigers, who were led in scoring by Boardman’s 15 points. Wittenberg University finished the contest with 43 rebounds and 18 turnovers.

After a Boeder three-point shot tied the contest at 5, the Tigers ran off 10 of the game’s next 12 points. Dixon nailed two long-range jumpers while Katie Gardner sank a trio of free throws. Boardman’s shot at the charity stripe put Wittenberg University up 15-7 with 13:42 left in the opening half.

Victoria Leali hit a three-point shot to put the Tigers ahead 18-13 before UW-Oshkosh took over the lead with a 20-3 scoring run. UW-Oshkosh’s defense stiffened during the streak, holding the Tigers scoreless for a span of 5:50. Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) added a pair of free throws to her jump shot that gave the Titans a 35-23 advantage with 1:03 to play in the first half. UW-Oshkosh held a 37-26 lead at the break.

Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) grabbed a team-best eight rebounds while also pacing UW-Oshkosh with three assists. The Titans snared 32 rebounds while turning the ball over a season-low 12 times.

UW-Oshkosh shot 38.2 percent (21-55) from the field while hitting 60 percent (12-20) of its free throws. The Titans finished 31.3 percent (5-16) behind the three-point arc.

The Tigers found the bottom of the net on 42.6 percent (23-54) of their shots, including 36.8 percent (7-19) from three-point range. They were successful on 11-of-15 free throws (73.3 percent).

Joining Baganz on the all-tournament team were UW-Oshkosh's Boeder and Churchill. Named to the squad from Wittenberg University were Dixon and Boardman.

Titans Clamp Down Scots

Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) scored a game-high 12 points, including a pair of three-point baskets in the first 82 seconds of play, as the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team posted a 47-38 victory over Alma College (Mich.) on Monday (Dec. 29) in Springfield, Ohio.

The victory allows UW-Oshkosh (4-6) to meet Wittenberg University (Ohio) in the championship game of the Charles B. Zimmerman Memorial Classic on Tuesday (Dec. 30). The tournament host (5-3) qualified for its game with UW-Oshkosh by defeating The College of Mount St. Joseph (Ohio), 67-55.

Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) contributed 11 points and six rebounds to UW-Oshkosh's winning effort. The Titans also received five points, four rebounds and two steals from Tiffany Pugh (So. • Sturtevant) and two points and seven rebounds from Amber Goljenboom (So. • Pickett).

Baganz, who also tallied six rebounds, six steals and three assists, put UW-Oshkosh ahead 6-3 on her second three-point basket. The Titans went on to hold the advantage the rest of the way.

Sydney Beckwith cut Alma College's deficit to 8-7 with a jump shot, but the Titans responded with seven unanswered points. Pugh hit a three-point shot and a lay-up before Kelsey Myklebust (Fr. • Wisconsin Dells) capped the scoring run with a lay-up to give UW-Oshkosh a 15-7 advantage with 11:03 left in the opening half.

Beckwith connected on a pair of jump shots to keep the Scots in the game. Her second basket cut the Titans’ lead to 19-15. UW-Oshkosh then rattled off seven straight points, including a three-point basket by Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh), to take a 25-15 advantage to intermission.

Andrea Baeten (Fr. • Green Bay) made a pair of close-range baskets to up the Titans’ lead to 30-20 early in the second period. Alma College refused to quit and cut its deficit to 30-27 on a jump shot by Kathryn Bigelow with 10:58 left on the clock.

Baganz made sure that UW-Oshkosh remained in control by marking four straight points. Her two free throws and jump shot gave the Titans a 36-27 lead. Megan Hoblet then sank back-to-back shots to bring Alma College within seven points (38-31) with 6:13 remaining, but the Scots couldn't get any closer.

Alma College (1-7) was led in scoring by Beckwith’s nine points. The Scots also received eight points from Hoblet and seven points, six rebounds and four assists from Bigelow.

UW-Oshkosh out-shot Alma College from all areas of the court, including a 35.4 percent (17-48) to 30.9 percent (17-55) advantage from the field. The Titans hit 4-of-14 three-point shots (28.6 percent) and 9-of-13 free throws (69.2 percent). The Scots were successful on 20 percent (3-15) of their three-point shots and 50 percent (1-2) of their free throws.

UW-Oshkosh grabbed 40 rebounds and Alma College 33. The Titans committed 18 turnovers and the Scots 19.

It was the second meeting between the teams. The first clash was a 63-59 victory for UW-Oshkosh in the 1994 NCAA Division III postseason tournament.

Fifth-Ranked Warhawks Peck Away At Titans

The UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team couldn’t overcome a prolonged second-half shooting slump as it dropped a 65-49 decision to nationally-ranked UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Nov. 17) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Whitewater (8-1/2-1 WIAC), which entered the contest ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III by both D3hoops.com, forced UW-Oshkosh (3-6/0-3 WIAC) to miss 12 consecutive field goal attempts in the middle of the final period. UW-Oshkosh started the half with 1-of-16 shooting and scored one point in a span of 12 minutes and 31 seconds.

Kelsey Hendrickson tallied 21 points and three steals, while making 5-of-8 three-point attempts, to lead all players. The Warhawks also received 11 points from Chantel Burg, 10 points from Nicole Bundy and a team-best nine rebounds from Tiffany Morton.

UW-Oshkosh hung tough in the first half, but was never able to take the lead. The Warhawks jumped out of the gate with a pair of three-point baskets by Hendrickson. Morton then tacked on a free throw for an 11-2 advantage just 3:10 into the contest.

Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) made a lay-up and a jumper as the Titans battled back. UW-Oshkosh closed out its 7-1 scoring spurt with a Tiffany Pugh (So. • Sturtevant) three-point basket that brought the Titans within one point (17-16) at the 10:28 mark of the first half.

Three-pointers by Bundy and Hendrickson gave the Warhawks an eight-point cushion (27-19) before UW-Oshkosh mounted its late-period rally. The Titans had five different players make a shot, including a three-point basket by Pugh, as they cut their deficit to 33-30 at halftime.

Hendrickson connected on another long-range jump shot, which was followed by a pair of baskets from Burg for a 44-32 advantage. A Pugh three-pointer with 15:52 to play made it 44-35, but UW-Oshkosh would not record a field goal for the next 14:04.

The Warhawks went off on a 19-3 scoring run, getting seven straight points from Bundy on two lay-ups and a three-pointer. Heidi Sonntag put UW-Whitewater up by its largest margin at 63-38 with a free throw as three minutes remained in the game.

Ebbens and Pugh each totaled nine points to lead UW-Oshkosh. Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) added seven points while Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) chipped in six points and paced the team with 10 rebounds and three assists.

UW-Whitewater, which finished third in the NCAA Division III Championship a year ago, held a 41-40 advantage in rebounds while turning the ball over 19 times. The Warhawks connected on 42.4 percent (25-59) of their shots from the field, 31.8 percent (7-22) behind the three-point arc and 44.4 percent (8-18) at the free-throw line.

The Titans ended up hitting 17-of-53 field goal attempts (32.1 percent), 6-of-12 three-point tries (50 percent) and 9-of-14 free-throw tosses (64.3 percent). UW-Oshkosh committed 25 turnovers against the defending WIAC co-champions.

Blue Devils Take Out Titans

Julia Hirssig headed a strong Blue Devils attack with 22 points and 14 rebounds as the UW-Stout women’s basketball team defeated UW-Oshkosh, 80-57, on Saturday (Dec. 13) in Menomonie.

UW-Stout (6-2/2-1 WIAC) reeled in 19 offensive rebounds as it took 19 more shots from the field than the Titans (3-5/0-2 WIAC). The Blue Devils also received 13 points from Charlee Edwards and 12 from Megan Maslowski in the victory.

Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) tallied the Titans’ first basket of the contest on a three-point play to begin the comeback from a 4-0 deficit. Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) drained a three-pointer during the 14-1 scoring run, which concluded with a Beth Hebl (Jr. • Brookfield) jumper for a 14-5 lead at the 13:34 mark of the opening half.

UW-Stout then mounted a streak of its own, rattling off 11 of the game’s next 14 points. Hirssig contributed a pair of lay-ups, while Danielle DeWitt drained a jumper and a three-point basket. A jump shot from Kim Stokke pulled the Blue Devils to 19-18 with 6:56 remaining in the first period.

Maslowski went on a run of her own to close the half, notching 8-of-10 UW-Stout points. Her lay-up 3:38 before intermission regained the lead for the Blue Devils at 26-25. She then made another basket in the final minute as UW-Stout scored 14 of the half’s final 16 points for a 38-27 cushion at the break.

A lay-up by Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) brought UW-Oshkosh within single digits (38-29), but the Blue Devils responded with a 9-2 scoring run. After a three-point jumper from Tanya Dickey, Stokke converted a lay-up to give UW-Stout a 47-31 advantage with 16:40 to play.

Hirssig dropped in four straight points in the middle of the closing period for a 53-39 lead. The Titans then showed some life with a three-pointer by Andrea Baeten (Fr. • Green Bay) and a Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) lay-up. The basket by Ebbens pulled UW-Oshkosh within nine points (53-44) with 10:38 remaining, but the Titans would get no closer.

Boeder hit a free throw and a three-point jumper with 8:25 on the clock, only to see Edwards answer with a long-range bucket of her own to make it 61-48. Hirssig followed with a successful jump shot, and UW-Stout finished off the contest at the free throw line.

Churchill and Boeder each posted 10 points to pace UW-Oshkosh, while Ebbens topped the squad with three assists. The Titans, who shot 34.7 percent (17-49) from the field, also received eight points apiece from Hebl and Baganz. UW-Oshkosh notched figures of 5-for-17 from three-point range (29.4 percent) and 18-of-25 at the free throw line (72 percent).

The Blue Devils took advantage of 27 Titans turnovers, compared to UW-Stout’s figure of 20. They out-rebounded UW-Oshkosh, 39-30, while making 48.5 percent (33-68) of their field goals, 18.8 percent (3-16) of their three-pointers and 73.3 percent (11-15) of their free throws.

Falcons Fly Past Titans In Conference Opener

UW-River Falls used a strong defensive effort and a large rebounding advantage to top the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team, 53-43, on Saturday (Nov. 6) in River Falls.

UW-River Falls (6-1/1-0 WIAC) held UW-Oshkosh (3-4/0-1 WIAC) to just 28.8 percent shooting (15-52) while holding a 51-34 margin in rebounds. UW-River Falls, which pulled down 23 offensive boards in the contest, had three players with at least 10 rebounds.

Alise Holst recorded 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Maranda Dohrn had 11 rebounds for the Falcons. Taylor House notched eight points and 10 rebounds, to go along with nine points from Tess Lardie.

A jumper by Holst put UW-River Falls ahead 8-4 early on before Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) and Amber Goljenboom (So. • Pickett) turned the tables. Churchill dropped in four lay-ups as she posted the Titans’ first eight points to tie the game with 14:28 to play in the first half.

Neither team was able to record a point in the next four and a half minutes. Goljenboom ended the scoring drought with consecutive baskets for a 12-8 UW-Oshkosh lead. The Falcons then regained their advantage (13-12) with 7:37 to play in the opening period after five straight points by Lardie.

Andrea Baeten’s (Fr. • Green Bay) three-pointer put the Titans back in front, but Lardie answered with a long-range splash of her own for a 20-19 Falcons’ lead. UW-River Falls totaled the last seven points of the period to take a 24-19 cushion to the intermission.

Coming out of the halftime break, Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) cut the UW-Oshkosh deficit to four (26-22) with a three-pointer. The Falcons then turned up the intensity at both ends of the floor, rattling off eight unanswered points. A lay-up by Holst made it a 34-22 advantage with 14:26 remaining.

The Titans shot right back, tallying 13 of the next 16 points to pull within two. A pair of long-range jumpers by Megan Lund (Fr. • Reedsville) highlighted the run, which cut UW-Oshkosh’s deficit to 37-35 with 8:53 to play.

Tiffany Gregorich maintained the Falcons’ lead with a lay-up before delivering the dagger with 1:20 on the clock. Four free throws by Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) slowly tightened the contest, but Gregorich buried a triple on the next possession to make it a 49-41 score.

UW-Oshkosh had just one player with double-figure scoring, as Churchill achieved her third consecutive double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Ebbens added eight points for the Titans, who made 4-of-18 three-pointers (22.2 percent) and 9-of-11 free throws (81.8 percent).

Both teams turned the ball over 19 times, but UW-River Falls held an edge with 35 percent (21-60) shooting from the field. The Falcons found the bottom of the net on 20 percent (3-15) of their three-point attempts and 42.1 percent (8-19) of their free throw tosses.

Titans Keep Vikings At Bay

The UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team had three players with at least 12 points as it pulled away from Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.), 67-45, on Monday (Dec. 1) in Kolf Sports Center.

Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) paced the Titans (3-3) with 15 points and four assists, while Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) recorded her second straight double-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and four steals. Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) added 12 points and six rebounds in the victory.

Bethany Lutheran College (2-4) hit its first shot of the game to take a 2-0 lead, but the Vikings misfired on their next six field goal attempts to fall behind, 10-2.

Baganz made a pair of lay-ups, along with a jumper from Amber Goljenboom (So. • Pickett), to put the Titans up by eight with 14:20 to play in the first half. A three-point jumper by Baganz started another UW-Oshkosh run as Churchill drained two buckets in an 11-2 scoring spurt. Churchill’s second consecutive lay-up was followed by a Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) lay-in as the Titans went up, 27-11, with 7:33 on the clock.

The Vikings came back with six unanswered points to pull within 10 (27-17) on Eva Voss’ lay-up. Voss recorded 11 of her team’s 22 points in the opening period. Tiffany Pugh (So. • Sturtevant) drained a three-pointer just before the break for a 34-22 UW-Oshkosh lead at halftime.

The Titans led by double digits for the final 29:43 of the contest, with Boeder finding her groove in the middle of the second period. She converted a lay-up and a three-point play before burying a long-range jumper that made it a 59-38 advantage with 3:04 left.

Voss topped all players with 17 points while pulling in six rebounds for Bethany Lutheran College, which also received 13 points from Molly Erdman. Lindsay Kahle recorded three assists and three steals, to go along with eight rebounds by Anna Cepek.

UW-Oshkosh did not shoot a free throw until the final five minutes of the game, finishing 2-of-3 at the charity stripe (66.7 percent). The Titans shot 42 percent (29-69) from the field, including 35 percent (7-20) behind the three-point arc.

Bethany Lutheran College, a first-time opponent of UW-Oshkosh, did not make a three-pointer (0-12) while finishing with 32.1 percent (18-56) accuracy from the field and 52.9 percent success (9-17) at the free throw line.

The Titans, who totaled eight assists and just one turnover in the game’s opening 13 minutes, ended up with 16 giveaways and 41 rebounds. The Vikings pulled down 40 rebounds and turned the ball over 21 times.

Titans Cut Down Foresters In Dramatic Fashion

Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) capped the best day of her career with a pair of last-second free throws to give the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team a 43-41 victory over Lake Forest College (Ill.) on Saturday (Nov. 29) in Kolf Sports Center.

After the Foresters’ (3-1) Ashley Cretacci tied the contest at 41 with a lay-up, neither team scored for 1:24. Churchill, who posted personal bests of 14 points and 11 rebounds, then got fouled under the basket with 1.1 seconds remaining. She ignored the four timeouts without any time going off the clock before calmly draining both free throws to win the game.

UW-Oshkosh (2-3) did not trail after grabbing a 7-6 lead on an Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) three-pointer with 14:19 left in the opening period. Churchill finished off the 12-2 scoring run with a jump shot for a 16-8 advantage with 11:34 on the clock.

Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) led the offensive attack, either scoring or assisting on 5-of-7 baskets in the middle of the first half. Her lay-up 4:34 before the intermission put UW-Oshkosh ahead, 22-14.

A lay-up from Kelsey Myklebust (Fr. • Wisconsin Dells) put the Titans up by 10 (26-16) with 1:21 to play in the first period. The Foresters tacked on four points at the charity stripe to cut their deficit to 26-20 at halftime.

After shooting just 29.2 percent from the field in the first half, Lake Forest College mounted a rally early in the second period. Cretacci headed a 10-2 Foresters’ scoring run, finishing a pair of three-point plays to make it a 32-30 game with 14:47 remaining.

The Titans’ advantage was cut to one point (34-33), but Baganz nailed a three-pointer to stretch the lead with 9:37 on the clock. A Churchill jumper then put UW-Oshkosh in front, 41-35, with 4:53 left to play.

Cretacci, who tallied 12 of her game-high 16 points in the second half with eight rebounds, made a pair of free throws before her tying lay-up as the Foresters ran off six straight points. Lisa Nassin added 10 points in the contest while Kelsey James dished out five assists.

UW-Oshkosh received 10 points from Baganz, along with eight points and two assists from Ebbens. The Titans held an edge in rebounds, 37-30, while losing the turnover category, 25-22.

Lake Forest College went 0-for-5 on three-pointers as they hit 31.9 percent (15-47) from the field. The Foresters made 11-of-17 free throws (64.7 percent), while the Titans connected on 4-of-5 (80 percent). UW-Oshkosh made 36 percent (18-50) of its field goals and 21.4 percent (3-14) from three-point range.

Titans Furious Rally Comes Up Short In Loss To Knights

Host Wartburg College withstood a furious second-half rally as it captured the 2008 Heartland Inn Tipoff Tournament title with a 70-65 win over the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team on Sunday (Nov. 23) in Waverly, Iowa.

The Titans (1-3) nearly came back from an 18-point deficit as they pulled within one point with 11 seconds remaining. Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) drilled six three-point baskets on her way to a game-high 20 points as she brought UW-Oshkosh back. Wartburg College’s Samantha Harrington recorded 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the victory.

UW-Oshkosh trailed 41-24 at halftime before finding its groove early in the second period. Boeder and Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) hit back-to-back triples in the first 1:31 of the half to make it an 11-point (41-30) difference. Another three-point jumper by Boeder and an Andrea Baeten (Fr. • Green Bay) lay-up pulled the Titans to 44-37 with 15:44 to play.

Harrington converted a three-point play and a lay-up to keep the Knights at a distance. A jump shot from Katie Zittergruen stretched Wartburg College’s lead back out to 57-45 with 9:26 left on the clock.

The Titans refused to go away, getting a free throw and a lay-up from Amber Goljenboom (So. • Pickett) that made it 58-50. She added another lay-up with 4:47 to play to pull UW-Oshkosh within 60-54.

After Boeder’s final long-range jumper of the game at the 1:12 mark, Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton) shrunk the Titans’ deficit at the free throw line. Ebbens made all four of her charity stripe attempts to claw her team to a 66-65 score with 11 seconds remaining. Harrington then sealed the contest by making all four of her free throw tries the rest of the way.

Sharese Van Sloten made a lay-up and jumper early as the Knights bolted to a 10-3 lead just 5:28 into the contest. UW-Oshkosh responded right back with consecutive three-pointers from Boeder to make it a 12-9 margin with 13:17 left in the opening period.

Wartburg College fought to maintain its cushion, getting a three-pointer from Harrington to go up, 17-9. The Knights then turned two steals into a pair of lay-ups as they increased their advantage to 24-14 with 8:17 to play in the first half.

Baganz paced the Titans’ attack as she assisted on a Boeder lay-up before tallying four straight points to close out the half. Her free throw and three-point basket accounted for UW-Oshkosh’s only points in the period’s last eight minutes. Leah Riley and Harrington each drained a long-range jumper before the break to go in front, 41-23, with 1:03 on the clock.

The Knights received 13 points and eight rebounds from Van Sloten, who connected on 7-of-11 free throw tries. Wartburg College hit 38.9 percent (21-54) of its shots from the field, 33.3 percent (4-12) from the three-point arc and 70.6 percent (24-34) from the charity stripe.

UW-Oshkosh’s second-leading scorer was Baganz, who chipped in 12 points and five assists. Beth Hebl (Jr. • Brookfield) led the Titans with six assists, while Baeten topped the squad with six rebounds. UW-Oshkosh grabbed 28 boards and turned the ball over 18 times in the contest.

The Titans, who had Boeder and Baganz named to the All-Tournament Team, hit 50 percent (8-16) from three-point land on their way to 48.9 percent (22-45) shooting overall. They connected on 13-of-23 free throws for a mark of 56.5 percent.

Wartburg College’s Harrington and Riley shared the tournament Most Valuable Player honor after leading their team to the title. The Knights committed 15 turnovers while pulling in 41 rebounds in the final.

Titans Top Griffins For First Win Of Season

The UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team never trailed as it registered its first win of the season with a 62-55 victory over Fontbonne University (Mo.) on Saturday (Nov. 22) in Waverly, Iowa. The contest was the opening game of the 2008 Heartland Inn Tipoff Tournament.

The Titans (1-2) saw their lead cut to just two points (56-54) with 1:50 remaining, but UW-Oshkosh went 6-of-6 at the free throw line from there to seal the victory. Beth Hebl (Jr. • Brookfield) topped the squad with 12 points, while Andrea Baeten (Fr. • Green Bay) added 11 and Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) contributed 10.

Churchill, Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) and Hebl each drained a jumper in the first two minutes of play as the Titans grabbed a 6-0 advantage. Back-to-back hoops from Arin Lane (So. • Stevens Point) stretched UW-Oshkosh’s lead to 12-7 with 13:58 left in the first half.

Fontbonne University’s (0-1) Katherine Thompson came back with the next four points of the contest to make it a 12-11 ball game. The Titans then responded by marking 11 of the following 15 points as Churchill hit a pair of free throws with 6:47 on the clock for a 23-15 cushion.

Kathryn Kirby hit two consecutive three-point shots late in the half to draw the Lady Griffins closer. A lay-up by Mallory Ludwig with 3:39 remaining in the period tied the score at 25. UW-Oshkosh swished four jumpers in the closing minutes, including a three-pointer by Baeten, to take a 34-29 lead at halftime.

Coming out of the intermission, Hebl notched a steal and lay-up before Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) gave the Titans their largest lead at 40-31 with two free throws. Fontbonne University’s Kirby drained one of her four three-pointers, but UW-Oshkosh’s Baeten answered it with a triple of her own that made the score 45-37 with 10:59 to play.

The Lady Griffins crawled their way back into the game, earning nine of their next 11 points at the free throw line. After two charity stripe throws by both Calli Collier and Ludwig, Kirby connected on four straight to cut Fontbonne University’s deficit to 56-54.

Baganz, Hebl and Churchill each made a pair of free throws in the last two minutes. UW-Oshkosh received team-high totals of six rebounds and three assists from Churchill, while Hebl and Baeten each pulled down four rebounds.

Fontbonne University received 20 points and six rebounds from Kirby as Ludwig chipped in 12 points. Collier and Kaitlin Bramel each dished out four assists for the Lady Griffins, who snared 23 rebounds while turning the ball over 18 times.

UW-Oshkosh hit 46.8 percent (22-47) of its attempts from the field, 33.3 percent (3-9) of its three-point tries and 68.2 percent (15-22) of its free throw tosses. The Titans committed 15 turnovers in the contest and recorded 33 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive end.

The Lady Griffins converted 37.5 percent of their shots from both three-point range (6-16) and from the field (18-48). They made 13-of-15 free throw attempts for a mark of 86.7 percent.

Red Hawks Fly Away From Titans

Ripon College used a 26-4 scoring run during the middle of the game to pull away as it topped the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team, 70-53, on Tuesday (Nov. 18) at Kolf Sports Center.

Emily Meyer, who led all players with 25 points, drained back-to-back three-pointers during the clinching streak. She tallied 14 of her points in the second half while the Red Hawks (1-1) led by as many as 21 points.

The Titans (0-2) shot the ball well early, leading for the majority of the game’s opening 12 minutes. Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) connected on a three-pointer at the 13:03 mark that gave UW-Oshkosh a 9-5 lead.

Heidi Baerenwald tallied five consecutive points as the Red Hawks cut their deficit to 11-10 with 11:10 remaining in the first half. A jump shot by Megan McGowan (Fr. • Verona) stretched UW-Oshkosh’s advantage to 17-14 with 8:14 on the clock.

Ripon College followed Meyer’s two triples with a three-point play from Jessica DeHamer for a 27-19 cushion. Erin Lind then tacked on another three-point jumper just before the intermission for a 33-19 Ripon College lead.

UW-Oshkosh battled back midway through the second period with a 14-4 scoring spurt. Tiffany Pugh (So. • Sturtevant) turned in a three-pointer and three free throws to pace the attack. A jump shot from Andrea Baeten (Fr. • Green Bay) brought the Titans within 48-37 with 10:37 remaining.

Meyer put through four points before teammate Ashley Meister scored four in a row of her own. A free throw by Jessica Goudreau made it a 60-41 count with 6:05 to play.

To close out the contest, Meyer hit a three-pointer and converted a three-point play in a two-minute span. The Titans did manage to trim their deficit to 65-49 with 2:20 left after a pair of lay-ups from Kelsey Myklebust (Fr. • Wisconsin Dells).

Lind was the only other player in double figures with 16 points, while DeHamer and Baerenwald each chipped in seven. DeHamer also topped the Red Hawks with eight rebounds and three assists.

UW-Oshkosh posted four players with eight points apiece, including Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh), who also dished out four assists. Pugh, Myklebust and Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) each amassed eight points while Baganz grabbed a team-best five rebounds.

Ripon College, which defeated the Titans for the second time in nine meetings, took advantage of 25 free throw attempts by making 21 (84 percent). They also hit 40.7 percent (22-54) of their field goals and 35.7 percent (5-14) from long range.

The Titans connected on 2-of-9 three-point shots (22.2 percent), as well as 18-of-45 tries from the field (40 percent). UW-Oshkosh hit 71.4 percent (15-21) of its attempts at the free throw line.

In the first 10 minutes of the contest, the two teams combined to turn the ball over 15 times. Ripon College finished with 20 giveaways, while the Titans had 22. The Red Hawks also held the advantage in rebounding, 41-23.

Division II Huskies Overwhelm Titans In Season Opener

St. Cloud State University (Minn.) scored the first 23 points of the first half and the first 21 points of the second half as it rolled to a 94-39 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (Nov.15) in St. Cloud, Minn. The loss was just the eighth season-opening defeat for the Titans (0-1) in the last 35 years.

The NCAA Division II Huskies (1-0) took advantage of 36 UW-Oshkosh turnovers, cashing them in for 55 points. Talisha Barlow led all players with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven steals in the victory.

The Huskies got on the board early with a jump shot from Rachel Booth, who accounted for eight points during the game-opening streak. Barlow added six points during the outburst, which ended with a Danielle Ellison lay-up for a 23-0 advantage at the 11:18 mark of the first half.

UW-Oshkosh, which started five sophomores in the game, fought back by registering the next eight points of the contest. Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon) opened the Titans’ scoring with a three-point play before Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) added a lay-up. Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) then drained a three-point jumper to make it 23-8 with 9:19 to play in the opening period.

Barlow put together four consecutive points before Marlayna Graff stretched St. Cloud State’s lead to 35-12 with a lay-up. Kelsey Myklebust (Fr. • Wisconsin Dells) hit a lay-up of her own to pull UW-Oshkosh within 37-19 with 2:57 on the clock, but that is the closest the Titans would get the rest of the way. The Huskies tallied 10 of the half’s final 12 points, including five by Katie Tacheny, to take a 47-21 lead to the intermission.

Tacheny then opened the second-half scoring with a three-pointer to begin another rally. She added two more long-range shots while Ellison and Barlow each marked four points during the streak of 21 straight. Ellison’s lay-up extended the Huskies’ cushion to 68-21 with 14:40 to play.

Baganz stepped up for the Titans, accounting for the team’s next eight points. She made a trio of free throws before nailing a three-point bucket to make it a 72-27 game. Two more Baganz foul shots and an Arin Lane (So. • Stevens Point) lay-up cut UW-Oshkosh’s deficit to 79-31 with 9:36 left.

St. Cloud State also received 18 points from Tacheny and 12 from Booth. The Huskies shot 52.2 percent (36-69) from the field, 46.2 percent (6-13) from three-point range and 66.7 percent (16-24) at the charity stripe.

UW-Oshkosh’s only double-figure scorer was Baganz with 13, including 6-of-7 accuracy on free throws. Churchill chipped in with eight points and six rebounds, while Lane pulled in six rebounds and dished out three assists. The Titans connected on 30.8 percent (12-39) of their field goal attempts, 40 percent (2-5) of their three-point tries and 76.5 percent (13-17) of their free throws.

The Huskies committed 12 turnovers and held a 40-27 advantage in rebounds. They also owned the steals department, 19-2, along with the assist category, 18-5.

Titans' 2008-09 Season Preview                                  

The UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team will look to take its game to another level after many young players gained valuable experience last season. Four of last year’s starting five players return for the 2008-09 campaign as Head Coach Terri Schumacher leads a squad that features no seniors, one junior, eight sophomores and six freshmen.

Eight Titans with starting experience are back, including six letter winners from last year’s team that compiled a 10-16 record (5-11 WIAC). One of the Titans’ biggest victories last season came when they brought down 10th-ranked and eventual NCAA Division III postseason participant UW-Stevens Point by a score of 59-42 on Jan. 26 in Kolf Sports Center.

In 2007-08, UW-Oshkosh put together back-to-back wins on three separate occasions. The Titans recorded victories over non-conference foes Central College (Iowa), Ripon College and North Central College (Ill.), along with WIAC opponent UW-River Falls, to start the season 4-2. During league play, UW-Oshkosh followed the 59-42 win over UW-Stevens Point with a 71-62 success against UW-Platteville.

The Titans’ best field goal shooting performances of the year came against Lakeland College (56 percent) and NCAA Division III Tournament-bound UW-Whitewater (53 percent). In wins over both UW-Superior and UW-Platteville, the Titans connected on 11 three-point attempts. UW-Oshkosh also recorded a season-high 19 steals in its home finale as they defeated UW-Superior, 55-39.

Schumacher ventures into her fourth season at the helm for the Titans. The former UW-Oshkosh standout was a NCAA Division III All-American as part of the Titans’ 1984-85 WIAC championship team. She owns a 37-40 coaching record, which includes the Titans earning a share of the WIAC title in 2005-06.

UW-Oshkosh had just one senior on the team last year, but it was all-region first team performer Whitney Tyriver. She led the Titans in 2007-08 with averages of 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals per game. Tyriver earned All-WIAC first team honors twice as she amassed 1,047 points, 489 rebounds, 215 assists and 157 steals in 105 career games.

Beth Hebl (Jr. • Brookfield) is back as the only upperclassman on the 2008-09 squad. She started 12 games while playing in all 25 contests last season, averaging two points, two rebounds and two assists. Another returning contributor is Erin Baganz (So. • Ashwaubenon), who started all 26 contests last year and was second on the team with 10 points and five rebounds per game. Michelle Boeder (So. • Oshkosh) also averaged 10 points, including 35 percent accuracy on three-pointers, in her 15 starts during 2007-08.

Another returning letter winner is Laura Ebbens (So. • Appleton), who averaged six points and dished out 51 assists last season, the second-highest total on the team. Tiffany Pugh (So. • Sturtevant) hit 33 percent of her three-point shots while scoring seven points per game in her 14 starts. In her 12 contests (five starts) last year, Kelly Ketterhagen (So. • Burlington) recorded averages of two points and two rebounds for the Titans. She may miss the 2008-09 season due to an injury.

Amber Goljenboom (So. • Pickett) is back from a medical redshirt last season, along with Arin Lane (So. • Stevens Point), who played for UW-Oshkosh in 2007-08. Goljenboom totaled nine blocks, along with averages of four points and four rebounds, in her seven starts. Lane was a starter for 22 contests two years ago, posting five points and four rebounds per game. The Titans also welcome transfer Shelby Churchill (So. • Sheboygan) from UW-Stout, where she played in 24 games and averaged three points and three rebounds while shooting 49 percent from the field.

Six freshmen are among this year’s team, including Andrea Baeten (Green Bay), Abby Eddy (La Crosse), Megan Lund (Reedsville), Megan McGowan (Verona), Kelsey Myklebust (Wisconsin Dells) and Brittany Schuh (Brillion).

The Titans open the 2008-09 campaign with a contest at NCAA Division II opponent St. Cloud State University (Minn.) on Nov. 15. UW-Oshkosh will try to continue its early season success, having won 27 of its last 34 season openers. Ripon College comes to visit for the home opener on Nov. 18, while UW-Oshkosh travels to UW-River Falls for its maiden WIAC contest on Dec. 6.