OSHKOSH, Wis.- For the first time since 2017-18, the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team, ranked No. 5 in the nation by D3hoops.com and No. 9 by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), is off to a 10-0 start to a season.
 
The Titans (10-0) beat Trine University (Ind.) (8-2, 2-0 MIAA), 61-54, in their first matchup of the UW-Oshkosh BSN Winter Classic at the Oshkosh Arena on Sunday (Dec. 29). The Thunder are receiving votes from D3hoops.com and are ranked No. 18 by the WBCA.
 
UW-Oshkosh shot 42.3 percent (22-of-52) from the field, 40 percent (4-of-10) from beyond the arc, and 68.4 percent (13-of-19) from the line, leading Trine in all three categories. 34 of Oshkosh's points came in the paint against 20 of Trine's and led 17 to seven in points of the bench. The Thunder outrebounded, the Titans 35 to 28 in rebounds.
 
Avery Poole (Jr. • Cottage Grove), who shot 7-of-11 from the field, including 4-of-5 from three and added two free throws, scored a game-best 20 points. She was followed with 18 points and eight rebounds by Kayce Vaile (Fifth • Greendale). Vaile went a matching 6-of-8 from the field and from the line. Paige Seckar (Fr. • Oshkosh) led the Titan bench with eight points, three blocks, and two steals.
 
Poole put UW-Oshkosh up early with a three and followed a Thunder layup with another two points for a 5-2 edge. Trine pulled within a point and wouldn't allow Oshkosh to jump ahead by more than five points. Neither team managed a run in the opening period and Poole's third 3-pointer to make the score 17-12 was cut down to three points in the Thunder's final basket of the first quarter.
 
Opening second quarter scoring was Seckar, sinking a pair of free throws. Sarah Hardwick (Jr. • Green Bay) followed a Thunder three with two points on a layup, however the nationally ranked teams wouldn't allow the other to string together more than a pair of baskets. UW-Oshkosh reached an 8-point lead at 28-20 with 5:13 remaining in the quarter and led by five points (32-27) by halftime.
 
The Titans scored five points to Trine's three in the first three baskets of the third quarter before the Thunder went 5-0 to cut the deficit to two points. UW-Oshkosh put together four straight points aided by a Trine turnover, regaining a two-basket lead and led by seven headed into the final period after Mahra Wieman (Jr. • Sparta) made a layup at 1:35.
 
Both teams scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and once again, a Titan scored the first points. This time it was on a Hardwick layup after Oshkosh held the Thunder scoreless with a pair of steals in Trine's first two possessions. UW-Oshkosh led 51-48 at 7:18 and neither squad scored again until Vaile converted a layup with 4:48 to go which she followed with another at 4:06 to make the score 55-48. The Thunder nearly took their first lead of the game by going 6-0 late, however Vaile tallied five consecutive points between 1:30 and 0:17. Sammi Beyer (So. • Appleton) sunk the final basket of the win with eight seconds to go after being fouled by Trine.
 
The Titans will play Marian University (3-6, 1-1 NACC) in the eighth and final game of the BSN Winter Classic on Saturday (Dec. 30) at 7:30 p.m. The Sabres lost to Ripon College (7-2, 2-0 MWC) on Sunday. Oshkosh and Marian have faced nine times dating back to the 1989-90 season. The Titans are 8-2 in that time and have won the last six matchups.