OSHKOSH, Wis.- Women's flag football debuted as UW-Oshkosh's 21st varsity sport on Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 25) as the Titans hosted Aurora University (Ill.) under the UW-Oshkosh Rec Plex Dome.
 
In a contest between a pair of first-year teams that were playing in their first-ever games, Oshkosh (0-1) and Aurora (1-0) both recorded nine first downs, however the Spartans shut out the Titans by a 34-0 score and accumulated 288 total offensive yards to Oshkosh's 185.
 
Overall, Oshkosh gained 143 passing yards on 16 of 32 attempts and rushed for 42 yards on 13 attempts. The Titans also punted twice for 59 yards and committed three penalties for 15 yards while allowing a four-yard sack.
 
Aurora totaled 234 passing yards on 21 of 33 attempts and rushed nine times for 54 yards. The Spartans did not punt or commit a penalty; however, two Titans pierced the offensive line for a pair of sacks that accumulated 13 yards.
 
One of three Titans that saw action under center, Jaia Carson (Cross Plains/Middleton) completed 11 of her 23 passing attempts for 78 yards. Aaliyah Lathrop (Port Washington/Port Washington) completed her only passing attempt for 42 yards and Marin Bell (Oshkosh/Oshkosh West) went 4-for-8 for 23 yards. Lathrop also led Oshkosh with 55 receiving yards on nine catches.
 
Joely Schelfhout (Oshkosh/Oshkosh West) was Oshkosh's leading rusher, totaling 15 yards on two attempts from scrimmage. Kyana Williams (Oshkosh/Oshkosh West) also eclipsed double-digit yards on the ground with 11 yards on two attempts.
 
Jamaya Mariner (Green Bay/Green Bay East) caught a pair of passes for 53 yards, including a 42-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter and Sophia Lee (Cottage Grove/Monona Grove) caught five passes for 35 yards.
 
Defensively, Williams and Lee paced Oshkosh with six tackles and a tackle-for-loss apiece. Lee also recorded two pass breakups. Aliana Rauter (Milwaukee/Ronald Reagan) sacked Aurora quarterback Kaylin Morgan for four yards in the second quarter.
 
The Titans began the game with the ball and reached their 21-yard line before Bell was picked off by Emily Gabrelcik. The Spartans scored for the first time three plays later on a 16-yard Jada Morgan run. The point-after attempt was no good and the score sat at 6-0. Oshkosh advanced to the 38 in their second possession and threatened to cross midfield with 6:34 remaining in the opening period, however Bell was sacked on fourth-and-2 and Aurora got the ball back again, but the Titans induced a fourth-down incomplete pass to get the ball back before punting just before the end of the first period.
 
The Spartans scored on the first play of the second quarter with a 43-yard touchdown pass but failed the point-after again. The score was 12-0 with 11:49 left in the half. Aurora scored once more before halftime and Oshkosh reached Aurora's territory and eventually the red zone for the first time in program history, however the Titans came up short and turned the ball over again.
 
Coming out of the break, the Spartans had first possession and eventually tacked on another six points before converting a 2-point try to make the score 26-0 with 8:18 remaining in the third quarter. The Titans ate more than four minutes of the clock in the following drive, but stalled at Aurora's 31-yard line and turned the ball over again. The Spartans failed to convert a 4th-and-11 in the last play of the third quarter and the Titans started the final period with the ball.
 
Bell punted for the second time of the day at 10:07 in the final period and the Spartans used a lateral to advance the ball to their own 30-yard line. Oshkosh's defense stood strong and forced a turnover on downs at their 24-yard line. Following another change of possession, Aurora scored its final points on a toe-tapping touchdown in the end zone and added another two points after the score for a 34-0 lead with 1:33 to go. Oshkosh reached the opposing side of the field a final time, but couldn't get down the field fast enough to add any points of their own.
 
The Titans return to the field for a pair of games in the Marian University Triangular on Sunday, March 22. They will face Marian at 11 a.m. and Illinois Wesleyan University at 12:30 p.m.