Westminster College (Mo.) allowed just three points in the opening 13 minutes as it notched a 55-41 victory over the UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team on Friday (Dec. 30) in Waverly, Iowa.

The Blue Jays (7-2) used three-point baskets by Kenna Cornelson, Leigh Ann Lutz and Rachel Backes to take a 15-3 lead after 4:23 of play. The Titans (6-6) were unable to make their second field goal until 6:11 remained in the first half. Westminster College kept a comfortable lead, with its smallest advantage being 43-33 with 8:37 left in the game.

Cornelson and Lutz each scored 13 points for the victors, while Backes tallied 10 points and six rebounds. The Blue Jays also received eight points and nine rebounds from Liz Klaffenbach.

UW-Oshkosh was led by the 17 points, three rebounds and two steals of Katie Kitzke (Jr. • South Milwaukee), 13 points and three rebounds of Megan Wenig (Jr. • Oshkosh) and the two points, six rebounds and two steals of Shelby Sarafin (Fr. • Amherst).

From the 15:37 mark to the 6:29 mark of the first half, the teams combined to miss all 22 of their shots from the field. Lutz ended that scoring drought with a three-pointer and a jumper to put the Blue Jays ahead 20-5. Backes drained another shot behind the three-point arc to give Westminster College a 25-9 advantage at intermission.

UW-Oshkosh found its offensive rhythm during the second half and scored 12 unanswered points. The first six came at the charity stripe, with Wenig converting four attempts. Kitzke and Alicia Tollefson (Fr. • Crystal Falls, Mich.) then buried consecutive three-point shots to cut the Titans' deficit to 35-25 with 14:47 left.

Kitzke recorded a traditional three-point play before her long-distance jump shot pulled the Titans within 43-33. Westminster College posted five field goals after that, while yielding just one in the final eight minutes, to capture the first meeting between these two schools.

UW-Oshkosh shot 19 percent (4-21) from the field in the first half and finished the contest at 26.8 (11-41). The Titans converted 14-of-15 (93.3 percent) free throws and 5-of-16 (27.8 percent) three-point shots. UW-Oshkosh committed 22 turnovers and was outrebounded, 40-34.

Westminster College recorded shooting percentages of 34.5 (20-58) from the field, 60 (9-15) from the free-throw line and 40 (6-15) behind the three-point line. The Blue Jays turned the basketball over 11 times.

UW-Oshkosh returns to conference action against UW-Superior on Wednesday (Jan. 4) in Kolf Sports Center.