UW-Eau Claire scored the first 11 points of the contest and had four double-digit scorers to register a 64-52 triumph over the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team on Wednesday (Dec. 1) in Kolf Sports Center. The contest was the WIAC opener for both teams.

The Blugolds (4-2/1-0 WIAC) held the Titans (5-3/0-1 WIAC) without a field goal for the game's first 10 minutes. UW-Eau Claire was propelled by Hannah Mesick's 17 points and 10 rebounds, along with 16 points from Ellen Plendl and 12 apiece by Nicole Christianson and Sarah Bingea.

Christianson carried her offense right away, tallying the first five points. Plendl followed with a lay-up, jumper and two free throws to put the Blugolds ahead, 11-0. After UW-Eau Claire took a 19-3 lead on Leah Rempert's lay-up, the Titans made it 19-8 on a Shelby Churchill (Sr. • Sheboygan) bucket 10:16 into play.

UW-Oshkosh pulled within single digits, but the Blugolds rattled off a 14-2 scoring run to end the first period. Christianson and Jade Pelzl each knocked down a three-pointer, while Plendl dropped in two close-range attempts. Mesick's lay-up before intermission gave her squad a 35-15 cushion.

The margin reached 25 points (43-18) with 18:03 left when Bingea canned a jump shot. Sarah Stecker (Fr. • Menasha) notched a lay-up at the 15:06 mark, and neither team scored for nearly six minutes. A Mesick foul shot with 8:44 remaining made it a 47-26 tally.

The Titans had six different players sink a pair of free throws as they trimmed their deficit to 60-50. They finished with 24-of-30 conversions at the charity stripe (80 percent), bettering the Blugolds' 9-of-15 figure (60 percent). UW-Oshkosh's 3-of-26 shooting in the opening half led to 22 percent field goal accuracy (13-58) for the game.

Churchill and Kelsey Myklebust (Jr. • Wisconsin Dells) each booked 11 points to lead the Titans, with Churchill snatching nine rebounds. UW-Oshkosh did manage a 38-35 edge in rebounds, but the Blugolds made up for it with a 43-percent to 17-percent victory in three-point shooting. UW-Eau Claire hit 53 percent of its attempts overall (26-49).

The Titans venture to Wheaton College (Ill.) on Saturday (Dec. 4).