Titans Swat Yellowjackets In Home Finale

Four players in double figures led the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team to a 63-54 win over UW-Superior on Saturday (Feb. 13) in Kolf Sports Center. The contest was the final home game of the 2009-2010 season for the Titans.

UW-Oshkosh (8-16/3-12 WIAC) was paced by 15 points from Michelle Boeder (Jr. • Oshkosh). The Titans also received 12 points and four assists from Laura Ebbens (Jr. • Appleton), 11 points and nine rebounds from Dannielle Bauer (Jr. • Dell Rapids, S.D.) and 10 points from Megan Wenig (Fr. • Oshkosh).

UW-Superior (8-15/3-11 WIAC) received 14 points and 11 rebounds from Kelsey Thingvold for her second consecutive double-double, in addition to nine points from Connie Urmanski. Hailey Hart served up three assists, as Thingvold and Urmanski each registered three steals.

The Titans opened the game with a 6-3 advantage thanks to two free throws from Bauer at the 16:21 mark. UW-Superior then earned its first lead of the game (7-6) with 14:14 to play when Hart's lay-up found the bottom of the net.

UW-Oshkosh quickly answered, with Katie Kitzke (Fr. • South Milwaukee) draining a long three-pointer for a 9-7 advantage. Shelby Churchill (Jr. • Sheboygan) then extended the cushion to four on lay-up with 12:09 to go.

UW-Superior outscored the Titans, 7-1, during the next 3:58 of play, taking a 14-12 lead at the 7:52 mark on two free throws by Anna Peterson. Ebbens responded for the Titans, scoring her team's next four points for a 17-16 advantage.

After Kailee McDonald tied the game at 17 for the Yellowjackets, Boeder and Megan Lund (So. • Reedsville) hit back-to-back treys to earn a 23-17 lead at the 3:25 mark. Wenig posted another long jumper to extend the cushion and take a 26-23 margin to intermission.

Urmanski pulled UW-Superior within 26-25 to open the second half, knocking down a jumper 51 seconds into action. Consecutive lay-ups from Bauer and a three-pointer from Kitzke led the Titans to an eight-point lead (33-25) with 15:22 to play.

A lay-up from Thingvold, paired with a three-pointer from Danielle Anderson, brought UW-Superior within 33-30 at the 13:58 mark. Soon after, Boeder made a lay-up and Wenig converted a three-point play to make it a 38-32 tally.

UW-Superior was as close as 40-36 with 10:55 to play when the Titans scored 11 straight points, including a three-pointer from Boeder with 7:22 left to go up, 51-36. The lead swelled to 57-38 when Wenig followed another trey from Boeder with a deep three-pointer of her own.

Hailey Hart made a lay-up and Thingvold swished a jumper to pull UW-Superior within 57-42 at the 5:03 mark. Casteele Miller and Urmanski then knocked down consecutive three-pointers to cut the Yellowjackets' deficit to 11 (59-48) with 3:34 to play.

Ebbens answered by making four straight free throws to give UW-Oshkosh a 63-48 lead with just over a minute left. Soon after, Kaitlyn Houser converted a three-point play and swished a triple, creating the game's final score.

UW-Oshkosh shot 42 percent (21-50) from the field and 59.1 percent (13-22) from the free-throw stripe. The Titans made 8-of-21 from three-point range (38.1 percent) while gathering 37 rebounds and committing 17 turnovers.

UW-Superior made 36 percent (18-50) of its shots from the field, 65 percent (13-20) from the charity stripe and 29.4 percent (5-17) from behind the three-point arc. The Yellowjackets corralled 34 rebounds and committed 17 turnovers.

The Titans conclude the 2009-10 season at nationally ranked UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Feb. 17).