Titans Silence Thunder To Advance To 11th Sweet Sixteen
OSHKOSH, Wis.- Bridget Froehlke tied UW-Oshkosh women's basketball's record with seven made three-point shots in the 74-48 win over Trine University (Ind.) in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship on Saturday (March 2).
The Titans will make their 11th appearances in the third round of the NCAA Championship on Friday (March 8), and sixth under head coach Brad Fischer. They most recently advanced that far in 2022, winning the first three games of the tournament before falling to UW-Whitewater in the quarterfinal round.
Froehlke (Jr. • Wrightstown) scored a career-high 25 points with seven made three-point baskets on eight attempts, making her first seven shots before a miss at the end of the third quarter. She finished a total of nine-of-14 from the field, adding four assists and three rebounds. Nikki Arneson made seven three-point attempts on Nov. 19, 2021 and Kelly O'Keef made seven twice (Dec. 3, 2005 and Feb. 15, 2006).
Avery Poole (So. • Cottage Grove) recorded 14 points on four-of-five from the field, all behind the arc and two-of-two from the line.
Oshkosh (24-5) shot 55.6 percent (25-of-45) from the field, 63.2 percent (12-of-19) from three and 100 percent (12-of-12) from the line. The three-point and free throw shooting percentages were both season highs. The Titans last shot better than 63.2 percent from three at UW-La Crosse on Jan. 11, 2006, at UW-La Crosse (64.7 percent). They led the Thunder (22-8) in all three shooting categories as well as rebounds (32-16), assists (16-7), points off turnovers (16-9), second chance points (14-4) and bench points (18-13).
The Titans responded to an early 4-0 Trine lead with 10-straight points. The Thunder went on another four-point run, cutting the lead down to two, but a three-pointer from Poole and a Kayce Vaile (Sr. • Greendale) layup kept them at bay to end the first quarter.
Oshkosh slowly built up its lead over the second quarter, going up by as many as nine points before holding a 32-24 lead at the half.
Froehlke kicked off the second half with a jump shot to push the Titans' edge to double digits. Two free throws and another Froehlke three helped Oshkosh further expand upon the deficit. Kate Huml (So. • Janesville) made the score 58-38 with a three-point basket with 26 seconds left in the third quarter.
Huml also scored the first points of the fourth quarter with two free throws. Oshkosh went on a 6-0 spurt in the middle of the final period and scored the final six points of the game, all from Mallory Hoitink (Fr. • Hartford), securing the 26-point victory.
The Titans will face Smith College (27-3) on Friday (March 8) at 4 p.m. central time in the third round of the Division III tournament. Bowdoin College (27-2) is set to host the Titans' sectional rounds of the tournament at Morrell Gymnasium in Brunswick, Maine on Friday and Saturday (March 8-9). Smith won the New England Men's and Women's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournament to earn the league's automatic bid to the national tournament and the right to host the first two rounds. The Pioneers defeated Maine Maritime Academy, 61-46 in the opening game of the tournament and Messiah University (Pa.), 69-61, in the second game.