UW-Oshkosh tallied the first nine points and never looked back as it captured its home women's basketball opener, 76-42, over Lawrence University on Tuesday (Nov. 16) in Kolf Sports Center.
UW-Oshkosh (2-0) dominated all aspects of the contest, including rebounds (63-32) and free throws made (25-5). The Titans had three players score in double figures while three different players posted 10 or more rebounds. Katie Kitzke (So. • South Milwaukee) topped everyone with 16 points and five assists.
Megan Wenig (So. • Oshkosh) compiled 15 points, including three triples, as Michelle Boeder (Sr. • Oshkosh) tacked on 12 points and five assists. UW-Oshkosh's dominance on the boards featured a career-best 13 from Kelsey Myklebust (Jr. • Wisconsin Dells), 11 by Shelby Churchill (Sr. • Sheboygan) and 10 into the hands of Becca Diedrich (Fr. • Two Rivers).
Following two free throws and a pair of lay-ups, the Titans got a three-point basket from Wenig to go up, 9-0, less than four minutes into the game. Churchill added a pair of foul shots before a Sarah Stecker (Fr. • Menasha) hoop in the lane made it 13-3 with 13:20 on the clock.
UW-Oshkosh asserted itself midway through the opening half with a 22-3 scoring run. Four free throws kicked off the run, which also featured steals by Diedrich and Dannielle Bauer (Sr. • Dell Rapids, S.D.). A Megan Lund (Jr. • Reedsville) triple stretched the lead to 22 points, and it reached 36-8 when Wenig made a lay-up at the 5:08 mark.
Kanesha Walker started a roll by marking two lay-ups and a steal for Lawrence University (0-1). The Vikings pulled to 36-15 on Katie Condon's deep jumper, but the Titans bounced back with six unanswered points. UW-Oshkosh carried a 47-22 lead into the break.
A lay-up and three-pointer by Wenig helped the Titans take a 54-22 cushion five minutes into the final period. Two close-range baskets by Walker and a Nakita Chadwick lay-up eventually got the Vikings' deficit to 25 points with 8:05 remaining. The Titans posted their largest margin of the contest (36) in the final minute after two successful free throws by Kitzke.
Neither team cracked 36 percent shooting, as Lawrence totaled 26.6 percent (17-64) and the Titans 35.5 percent (22-62). UW-Oshkosh held advantages at the charity stripe (83 percent to 46 percent) and behind the three-point arc (41 percent to 25 percent).
Walker was the lone Viking in double figures with 13 points, in addition to her six rebounds. Condon scored eight points and Alex Deshler was next in line with seven, while Chadwick paced her squad with 11 rebounds.
UW-Oshkosh takes on the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) this Friday (Nov. 19) in De Pere.