Titans Knock Out Cardinals In NCAA Tournament Opener
UW-Oshkosh used a late 8-0 run to capture its 71-61 victory over Saint Mary's University (Minn.) in a first-round game of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship on Friday (March 7) in Kolf Sports Center.
The 12th-ranked Titans (25-3) will host fifth-ranked Washington University (Mo.) in the second round on Saturday (March 8) at 7 p.m. The Bears (24-2) defeated the University of Northwestern-St. Paul (Minn.), 64-47, in the opening contest held in Kolf Sports Center.
With the score tied at 52 with 6:23 remaining, the Titans took the lead for good on a Sarah Stecker lay-up. Katelyn Kuehl followed with a basket, and Stecker added another hoop inside, as UW-Oshkosh gained a 60-52 lead at the 3:12 mark.
The 19th-ranked Cardinals (24-4) pulled within 62-59 with 1:29 to go, but Kuehl grabbed an offensive rebound and sank two free throws to put the game out of reach.
Stecker counted 15 of her game-high 17 points during the second half. The Titans also used 13 points from Taylor Schmidt, 12 from Marissa Selner and 10 by Ashley Neustifter. Stecker posted nine rebounds, four steals and three blocks, while Selner grabbed eight boards.
Both teams were cold to start the game, with UW-Oshkosh shooting 1-for-9 and Saint Mary's University 1-of-6. The major highlight was when Schmidt banked in a three-pointer to put the Titans ahead, 3-2.
Saint Mary's University used a 15-2 scoring run to take control. Darcey Rice started the streak with a deep jumper, while Bridget Pethke kept it going with a mid-range basket. The Cardinals held a 19-12 lead with eight minutes left in the first half.
UW-Oshkosh struck back with 11 unanswered points. Selner's jumper bounced high off the rim before dropping to pull the Titans within 19-18. Alicia Tollefson then splashed a three-pointer to give UW-Oshkosh a 23-19 advantage. The Titans took a 26-24 lead to halftime.
Stecker made buckets on consecutive possessions to increase the Titans' lead to 39-31. Saint Mary's University rallied, using a lay-up by Mariam Awoniyi to tie the score at 45 with 10:49 left.
Schmidt drove to the rim, made the basket and completed a three-point play to put UW-Oshkosh back on top. That lead stood until Octavia Brown's three-pointer made it 52-52.
The Titans shot 27-of-34 (79 percent) at the foul line to make up for 38 percent (21-55) shooting from the field. UW-Oshkosh, which made 2-of-12 three-point shots (17 percent), committed just 11 turnovers compared to the Cardinals' 18.
Neustifter upped her season total to 103 assists, making her the first Titan to crack triple digits in eight years.
Saint Mary's University received a huge game from Courtney Euerle, who totaled 17 rebounds, 16 points and four blocks. Shelby Auseth also contributed 11 points.
The Cardinals shot 39 percent (22-57) from the field, 35 percent (6-17) beyond the arc and 69 percent (11-16) on free throws.
Saint Mary's University finished the season with a school-record 24 victories. This was the school's third trip to the NCAA Division III Championship.
By Jon Feyen