LA CROSSE, Wis.- Kayce Vaile's five points were the five she needed to become the 24th member of the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball program to join the 1,000-point club. The Titans faced UW-La Crosse on the road Saturday (Feb. 15) and went to overtime for the third time of the campaign before falling, 64-56.
The Titans, ranked in the top 10 by both
d3hoops.com and the
Women's Basketball Coaches Association, shot 40 percent (20-of-50) from the field, 20 percent (4-of-20) from three, and 75 percent (12-of-16) from the line. In a game where the lead changed five times, 28 of Oshkosh's points came in the paint, 16 came off turnovers, 22 came off the bench, and Titans grabbed 32 rebounds.
Kate Huml (Jr. • Janesville) led Oshkosh with 15 points, going 4-of-6 from the field including 1-of-1 from three and 6-of-8 from the line. She added three assists and a pair of rebounds.
Sammi Beyer (So. • Appleton) was the Titans' second leading scorer with 14 points. She shot 5-of-9 from the field, 2-of-4 from three, and 2-of-2 from the line off the bench.
Vaile led with seven rebounds (two offensive) and two blocks.
Sarah Hardwick (Jr. • Green Bay) recorded three steals.
After UW-Oshkosh scored the first two points of the game on a Vaile layup, La Crosse scored five quick points and built up its lead to 10 points on a three with 2:57 remaining in the quarter.
Allison Forney (Fifth • Batavia, Ill.) hit a 3-pointer to make the score 17-10 before an Eagle layup increased the deficit to nine points after the first period.
Beyer converted a three at the start of the second quarter to kick off a 12-point run for Oshkosh. By the time Huml rounded out the spurt with a pair of free throws at 5:30, the Titans were leading, 22-19. La Crosse got back within a point, however Hardwick hit a layup and Huml scored on a three to increase Oshkosh's lead to 31-24 at halftime.
The Titans kept their foot on the gas to kick off the third quarter, scoring six points for a 37-24 edge at 7:58. La Crosse then held Oshkosh scoreless over the next eight minutes and added 15 of its own points, claiming a 39-37 lead through 30 minutes.
Vaile tied the score at 39-39 and Huml tied it at 45-45 before sets of free throws by Beyer and
Avery Poole (Jr. • Cottage Grove) made the score 49-45 with 2:55 left in regulation. The Eagles scored on a layup and a three while Vaile scored her 1,000th point on a free throw to send UW-Oshkosh to overtime for the third time this season.
La Crosse opened the extra period with four points and never relinquished the lead. The teams traded baskets down the stretch and after Poole scored a 3-pointer with 56 seconds to go to make the score 59-56, the Eagles added five consecutive points for the win.
The Titans host UW-Eau Claire (8-15, 3-9 WIAC) for their regular season home finale on Wednesday (Feb. 18) at 7 p.m. In the teams' first meeting of the season at the Sonnentag Event Center on Jan. 8, UW-Oshkosh won 67-53.
