Yellowjackets 74, Oshkosh 66

For the Yellowjacket women's basketball team, the 2011-12 season has been all about steady progress, taking steps forward.  On Wednesday afternoon at UW-Oshkosh, head coach Don Mulhern's team bypassed the steps entirely and moved forward with a leap.  Four players scored in double figures and the balanced attack put up 37 points in each half, as the Yellowjackets made history with a 74-66 win at the Kolf Sports Center.

It was an historic win on several fronts.

The win was the first since 2009-10 over the Titans, and also marked just the third Yellowjacket triumph in 59 all-time meetings between Superior and Oshkosh.  It was the first time that the Yellowjackets went onto the Titans' home court and came out with a win.  The victory stretched the Yellowjackets' winning streak to four games, tying a school record for consecutive wins.  The mark has been reached several times, most recently a four-game span from November 29-December 10, 1994.

The Yellowjackets started fast in this one, scoring eight of the first ten points in the game and building up a double-digit lead by the midpoint of the first half.  The lead swelled to 13 when Bri Davis (Hermantown, Minn./Hermantown) hit a layup with 8:42 to play to make the score 27-14.  The Yellowjackets were able to keep the lead in double figures as the teams traded buckets over the next four minutes.  A Sally Linzmeier (Valders, Wis./Valders) three-pointer made it a 35-22 game with 4:16 to play and the Yellowjackets were cruising, but that's when the well ran dry in the first half.  The Titans went on a 12-0 run, paced by back-to-back three-pointers from Megan Wenig and Katie Kitzke to pull to within one at 35-34.  Hillary Peterson (Sturgeon Lake, Minn./Moose Lake) would restore order, hitting a jumper as the clock ran out to make the lead three points at the half.

Oshkosh continued to apply pressure and chip away at the Yellowjacket lead as the second half commenced.  Davis and Connie Urmanski (Edgar, Wis./Edgar) hit consecutive shots early to build the lead back to four points, but Oshkosh came roaring back and took their first lead of the game with 16:29 to play, leading by a point at 43-42.  Just over two minutes later a layup by Hailey Hart (Osseo, Wis./Osseo-Fairchild) allowed the Yellowjackets to regain the lead, a lead they wouldn't relinquish.  A pair of threes by Urmanski, sandwiched around free throws from Linzmeier built the lead back up to double figures.  A Carly Chell (Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley) jumper would make the score 65-53 with 8:22 to play in regulation, a high water mark for the second half.  From there, the Yellowjackets stayed steady and picked up their second conference win of the year, matching their total from a year ago.

Linzmeier led the way for the Yellowjackets with a team-high 16 points, shooting 60% from the field.  It's the sixth straight game that Linzmeier has paced the Yellowjacket scoring attack.  Davis was next with 15 points, while Urmanski added 13 and Hart 12 for the Yellowjackets, who shot 50.9% for the game.  Hart ended the game with another double-double, as she pulled down ten rebounds and dished out five assists, both leading the team.  Davis had a pair of blocks and Urmanski and Deandra Vavra (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) had one steal apiece.

Wenig had a game-high 17 points to lead Oshkosh.

Milestone Update: With her 12 points, Hailey Hart inched closer to the top ten on the all-time scoring list.  Her 925 career points has her just eight behind tenth place Maggie Dittburner.  Her ten rebounds give her 542 in her career, 14 shy of eighth place Sheri Domitrovich.  Davis' 15 points helped her jump into 14th place on the all-time scoring chart with 796.  Up next on the list is Geraldine Papenfuss who has 833 career points.  Davis is still 12th on the all-time rebounding list with 447.  She is 20 boards behind Sherri Oldevak.

The Yellowjackets (8-5, 2-3 WIAC) return home on Saturday, January 7 when they host UW-Platteville at 1:00 p.m.  The game can be viewed live online at www.ifan.tv.