Titans Gift Wrap Eagles

A 15-3 scoring run midway through the second half lifted the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team to a 71-60 victory over Edgewood College on Tuesday (Dec. 22) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (3-7) held a 47-37 lead with 14:04 left in the game, but Edgewood College (4-5) staged a 13-2 scoring spree to take a 50-49 advantage with 9:46 remaining.

The Eagles' lead lasted only 11 seconds as two free throws by Laura Ebbens (Jr. • Appleton) put the Titans ahead for good at 51-50. UW-Oshkosh then scored 13 of the next 16 points to build a 64-53 advantage with 4:33 to play.

Edgewood College cut its deficit to 66-59 with just under a minute left, but four free throws by Megan Wenig (Fr. • Oshkosh) and one by Heidi Baerenwald (So. • Appleton) helped the Titans end the contest with a 5-1 scoring run.

Ebbens scored five points and Baerenwald four as UW-Oshkosh built a 9-2 lead at the 16:06 mark of the opening period. Edgewood College then put together a 9-4 scoring run to pull to within 13-11 at the 13:38 mark.

UW-Oshkosh extended its lead to 20-13 on a lay-up by Baerenwald, but baskets by four different players helped Edgewood College tie the score at 22 with 6:27 left in the opening half. The teams played to ties at 24 and 26 before the Titans finished the first period with an 11-4 scoring run, including five points by Wenig.

Edgewood College scored the first five points of the second half to cut its deficit to 37-35 with 18:41 to play. UW-Oshkosh answered back with a 10-2 scoring run to take a 47-37 lead.

UW-Oshkosh had four players reach double-figure scoring as Ebbens tallied 17 points, Wenig 16, Baerenwald 13 and Katie Kitzke (Fr. • South Milwaukee) 10. Baerenwald also grabbed 12 rebounds for her second double-double of the season, while Ebbens dished off three assists and Kitzke collected three rebounds.

Shae Beckwith scored 14 points, dished off three assists and recorded three steals to pace Edgewood College. The Eagles also received 10 points and five rebounds from Lexie Schmitgen, nine points from Emily Decorah and eight points and nine rebounds from Hannah Schultz.

UW-Oshkosh shot 48.9 percent (22-45) from the field, including 61.5 percent (16-26) in the first half. The Titans also shot 30 percent (3-10) behind the three-point line and a season-high 82.8 percent (24-29) from the free-throw stripe. UW-Oshkosh grabbed 41 rebounds and committed 18 turnovers.

Edgewood College shot 34.4 percent (22-64) from the field, 35.3 percent (6-17) behind the three-point arc and 58.8 percent (10-17) from the free-throw line. The Eagles collected 31 rebounds and committed 11 turnovers.

UW-Oshkosh is off until it plays Baruch College (N.Y.) on Dec. 29 in Phoenix, Ariz.