Titans Coast To Season-Opening Victory

Eliza Campbell had 18 points and seven rebounds as the nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team opened its season with a 69-28 victory over Edgewood College on Tuesday (Nov. 15) in Madison.

UW-Oshkosh (1-0), ranked 14th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, held Edgewood College scoreless for nearly six minutes to begin the game and owned a 30-6 lead at halftime.

The Titans have won 10 of their 11 meetings with the Eagles, including an 81-53 decision in last year's season opener in Oshkosh. UW-Oshkosh also won its opening game for the eighth straight season and the 34th time in the past 43 years.

UW-Oshkosh, which ranked third in the nation last season with 12.1 turnovers per game and 15th by allowing 51.1 points per contest, owned advantages of 55-26 in rebounds and 20-13 in turnovers against Edgewood College.

All 17 Titans recorded at least one rebound while 14 UW-Oshkosh players scored points.

Edgewood College (0-1) was limited to 22.4 percent (11-49) shooting from the floor, including 12.5 percent (3-24) during the first half. UW-Oshkosh shot 40.9 percent (27-66) from the field but just 23.8 percent (5-21) from 3-point range and 50 percent (10-20) from the free throw line.

Campbell made 8 of 12 shots from the field, including 6 of 7 during the second half.

Emma Melotik and Madeline Staples added eight points apiece for the Titans, who also received five points from both Morgan Kokta and Taylor Schmidt.

Campbell, Staples and Alex Richard each pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds while Schmidt and Chloe Pustina led the Titans with three assists apiece.

UW-Oshkosh jumped out to an 8-0 lead as Edgewood College missed six shots from the field and committed three turnovers to open the game.

Edgewood College tallied its first points on a jumper by Allison Gordon at the 4:10 mark of the first quarter, but a layup by Isabella Samuels and four points from Staples extended the Titan lead to 14-2 before the Eagles knocked down a jumper with 21 seconds remaining in the period.

In the second quarter, UW-Oshkosh created six turnovers and held the Eagles to 1-for-11 shooting from the floor. A 3-pointer by Kokta gave the Titans a 22-6 lead midway through the period and a 3-pointer from Melotik extended UW-Oshkosh's advantage to 30-6 with six seconds left in the frame.

Campbell scored the Titans' first 10 points in less than five minutes to begin the third quarter. The Eagles connected on three 3-pointers to pull within 38-15 less than four minutes into the third period, but the Titans closed the quarter with 14 of the last 17 points, including two on a Richard layup that gave UW-Oshkosh a 52-18 lead.

A layup by Erin Vande Zande increased UW-Oshkosh's advantage to 63-24 midway through the final quarter, and Emily Miller gave the Titans their largest lead of 41 points on a layup that provided the game's final score with nine seconds remaining.

Cali Twet led Edgewood College with 15 points and three assists. She connected on 5 of 13 shots from the field, including 3 of 8 from behind the 3-point line, and made both of her free throw attempts.

Aleigha Sigafus added four points and six rebounds for the Eagles while Gordon had two points and a team-best seven rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh heads to Milwaukee to face Iowa Wesleyan University on Friday (Nov. 18).