Yellowjackets Escape With Win Over Titans

Hailey Hart recorded a double-double and scored the game-winning point from the free-throw line as UW-Superior held on for a 53-52 victory over the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team on Saturday (Feb. 4) in Superior.

The Yellowjackets tied the score and then went ahead on Hart's two foul shots with 1:03 remaining. UW-Oshkosh committed a turnover on its next possession, but two missed free throws by Hart with 11 seconds left gave the Titans another opportunity. UW-Oshkosh passed the basketball around for the next nine seconds and got the shot it wanted, but Heather Conroy's (Fr. • Wisconsin Dells) lay-up missed the mark as time expired.

UW-Oshkosh (7-14/1-1 WIAC) had seven different players account for its first 15 points of the contest. After Kelsey Myklebust (Sr. • Wisconsin Dells) buried a jump shot, Katie Kitzke (Jr. • South Milwaukee) drove for a lay-up to give the Titans an 11-6 lead. The Yellowjackets later grabbed a 13-11 advantage when Keely Deadrick sank consecutive jumpers.

The shooting percentages began to drop for both teams, but Connie Urmanski finally made a three-pointer to put the Yellowjackets up, 18-13. The largest margin of the first half came when Mariah Marcol converted a lay-up to give UW-Superior a 24-17 lead with 4:29 to play before intermission.

UW-Superior (10-11/4-9 WIAC) held a 27-22 lead at the break and quickly expanded its advantage to 35-24 on two baskets from Carly Chell. Megan Wenig (Jr. • Oshkosh) sank a pair of jumpers around the 16-minute mark to pull the Titans to a 35-28 deficit. After the squads traded baskets, Marcol converted a free throw to give the Yellowjackets a 47-37 lead.

Finding its groove, UW-Oshkosh tallied 12 of the next 14 points. Nichole Paisar (Fr. • Leopolis) started things with a hoop from behind the arc and drilled another three-point shot to slice the Titans' deficit to 49-45. UW-Oshkosh then pulled even at 49 on a lay-up by Shelby Sarafin (Fr. • Amherst) with 4:41 left.

Hart scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end. Deadrick added 14 points and five rebounds while Bri Davis contributed nine points and 10 rebounds.

Wenig paced UW-Oshkosh with 11 points and eight rebounds. The Titans also received 10 points and six rebounds from Conroy, eight points and eight rebounds from Paisar and four points and eight rebounds from Kitzke.

UW-Oshkosh was held to 28.8 percent (19-66) shooting from the field. The Titans made just 4-of-20 three-point shots (20 percent) and 10-of-16 free throws (62.5 percent). UW-Oshkosh marked a 50-42 rebounding advantage while committing 10 turnovers.

UW-Superior shot 33.9 percent (19-56) from the field, but just 18.8 percent (3-16) behind the three-point arc. The Yellowjackets shot only 46.2 percent (12-26) from the free-throw line while turning the basketball over 11 times.

UW-Oshkosh visits 13th-ranked UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday (Feb. 8).