Division I Phoenix Defeat Titans In Exhibition Game

Taylor Schmidt had a team-high nine points and Alex Richard added seven points and four rebounds as the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team suffered a 79-35 loss to NCAA Division I UW-Green Bay in an exhibition contest held Saturday (Oct. 29) in Green Bay.

UW-Green Bay, seeking its 40th consecutive winning season and 20th straight NCAA postseason appearance, held an 18-2 lead after the first quarter and a 41-19 advantage at halftime.

UW-Green Bay outrebounded the Titans, 47-29, including 16-8 on the offensive end. The Phoenix shot 46.2 percent (30-65) from the field while limiting UW-Oshkosh to just 21.7 percent (10-46) from the floor.

Jen Wellnitz, who made all six of her shots from the field and each of her four free throws, led all players with 17 points for the Phoenix, who also received 11 points apiece from Caitlyn Hibner and Frankie Wurtz.

UW-Green Bay's Mehryn Kraker and Jessica Lindstrom both chipped in nine points while Lexi Weitzer pulled down a game-high six rebounds.

The Phoenix collected 13 steals as UW-Green Bay owned a 16-5 advantage in turnovers.

UW-Oshkosh went 3-for-24 shooting (12.5 percent) from behind the 3-point arc and converted 12 of 18 attempts (66.7 percent) from the free throw line.

Morgan Kokta had five points for the Titans on 2 of 3 shooting from the field, and Kayla Lorenz connected on all four of her free throw tries in two minutes of action off the bench.

UW-Green Bay scored the first four points of the game before Richard answered with a layup with just under seven minutes to play in the opening quarter. The Phoenix tallied the final 16 points of the period as the Titans missed their final eight shots from the floor and committed three turnovers to end the quarter.

The Titans score five straight points to open the second quarter as Richard converted a layup and split a pair of free throws, and Schmidt made two shots from the charity stripe to cut the UW-Oshkosh deficit to 18-7 with eight minutes to play in the first half.

A 3-pointer by Kylie Moe trimmed the Titan deficit to 24-12, and a jumper by Titan Chloe Pustina made the score 26-14 midway through the second quarter, but the Phoenix closed the half with a 15-5 scoring run.

The Phoenix held UW-Oshkosh scoreless in the third period until a 3-pointer by Kokta pulled the Titans within 60-22 with 25 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Schmidt hit a 3-pointer to cut UW-Green Bay's lead to 62-25 and a layup by the Titans' Erin Vande Zande made the score 72-29. UW-Oshkosh recorded its final six points from the free throw line as Emma Melotik made two and Lorenz each of her four free throws during the final 103 seconds.

UW-Green Bay also defeated UW-Oshkosh, 61-34, in an exhibition game held in Green Bay to begin the 2013-14 campaign.

UW-Oshkosh, which is favored to win the WIAC title, opens its regular season at Edgewood College on Nov. 15.