DUBUQUE, Iowa- The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team defeated Loras College (Iowa), 56-36, on Saturday (Nov. 9) in the second day of the Duhawks' Tip-Off Classic.
 
The No. 8/13 nationally ranked Titans (2-0) by D3hoops.com and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association led the Duhawks (0-2) in all shooting categories, going 40.8 percent (20-of-49) from the field, including 36.4 percent (8-of-22) from three and 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from the line. Loras shot 28.9 percent (13-of-45), 18.8 percent (3-of-16) and 58.3 percent (7-of-12). Oshkosh also led 11 to eight in points off turnovers, 25 to six in bench points, and nine to eight in second chance points while Loras recorded 20 points in the paint to the Titans' 16. Oshkosh paced scoring in all four quarters, outscoring its opponent 13-10, 9-6, 14-11, and 20-9.
 
Sammi Beyer (So. •Appleton) shot 6-of-8 from the field and connected on two of her three 3-point attempts for 14 of the Titans' bench points, leading the team. Kayce Vaile (Fifth • Greendale) was Oshkosh's top rebounder with 10 (three offensive), adding six points and a team-high four steals.
 
Loras tallied the first points on a layup before Avery Poole (Jr. • Cottage Grove), Vaile and Sarah Hardwick (Jr. • Green Bay) combined for five points to swap the lead. The Duhawks kept the score close and led by a point as late as 4:32, however the Titans put up a 6-2 run to close out the quarter.
 
In a low-scoring second quarter, Oshkosh strung runs of five and four points while it held Loras to two layups. The Titans led 22-16 headed into halftime.
 
The Duhawks opened second half scoring on a layup, cutting the deficit to four points. Poole made a three, pushing the Oshkosh lead to seven points, however Lexi Beier made a 3-pointer and a layup, cutting the deficit to 25-23. UW-Oshkosh ended the third quarter with a 9-0 run. Beyer converted two jumpers and a three while Vaile made a layup.
 
Two successful free throws for Vaile made the score 38-27 early in the final period, and the Duhawks scored five straight, bringing the score within five points. Beyer kept her foot on the pedal with a fastbreak jump shot and her second 3-point shot to increase Oshkosh's edge to 15 points with 6:25 left on the clock. Poole added to the spurt with her own three. After Ashtyn Kelderman made a pair of shot from the charity stripe for Loras, Alex Rondorf (Grad. • West Bend) began and ended a 10-3 spurt for the Titans with a set of 3-pointers. Beyer made her sixth field goal and Paige Seckar (Fr. • Oshkosh) laid up a shot during the run while the Duhawks managed a layup and a free throw.
 
The Titans return to Wisconsin for the Wisconsin Lutheran College Paul F. Knueppel Classic in Milwaukee on Nov. 15-16. They will face the University of Dubuque on Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. and Wisconsin Lutheran, which is receiving votes in the D3hoops.com poll, at 3:15 p.m. on Nov. 16.