As the 2012-13 season unfolds for the Yellowjacket women's basketball team, it seems that with every win, at least one thing from the game is preceeded by the phrase, "the last time..."  Whether it is a team or individual accomplishment, this year's edition of the Yellowjackets is regularly checking items off its list and putting their fingerprints on the record books.

On Friday night, Sally Linzmeier (Valders, Wis./Valders), battling the flu bug that has attached itself to several team members, dropped in 30 points as the Yellowjackets stretched their winning streak to three with an 85-75 victory over St. Scholastica at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.

Linzmeier's offensive output was the largest point total by a Yellowjacket since Brenda Hedrick tied the school record with 34 points in an 86-83 win over UW-River Falls on January 23, 1993.  It could be argued that had she not been slowed by the illness, Linzmeier would have had a legitimate chance to set a new school scoring record in the game.

From a team standpoint, the 7-2 start that the Yellowjackets are enjoying is the best mark to start a season since the team went 8-2 out of the gate in the 1980-81 season.  With seven victories, the Yellowjackets are also more than halfway to the all-time school record for wins in a season.  The 1979-80 Yellowjackets established that benchmark with 13 wins.

The seventh win of 2012-13 didn't come easy, however, as the rivals from across the river gave the Yellowjackets all they could handle, despite never having a lead in the game.

The Yellowjackets started fast, with Kailee McDonald (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti), Kristen Nett (Green Bay, Wis./Bay Port) and Hillary Peterson (Sturgeon Lake, Minn./Moose Lake) combining for seven points before the game was two minutes old.  The hot shooting continued in the early going, with Cansis Bodsberg (Rice Lake, Wis./Boyceville) hitting a jumper to make it a 14-4 game just 3:16 in.  The home team cooled off, however, and the Saints began to chip away at the lead and tied things at 20-20 just past the midway point of the half.  Nett hit another three-pointer with just over nine minutes left in the half to once again give the Yellowjackets the lead, and they never looked back.

A Linzmeier free throw made it a seven-point game with 3:47 left in the half.  Then, after the Saints again pulled back to within three, Linzmeier took over, hitting a three-pointer at the buzzer to make it 40-34 at the half.

Both teams shot over 40% in the first half.  The Saints were nearly perfect from the line, hitting 8-of-9 free throws.  The Saints also outrebounded the Yellowjackets, 20-18 in the opening frame.  Linzmeier and Nett led the Yellowjackets with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Connie Urmanski (Edgar, Wis./Edgar) was tagged with her fourth foul just 3:12 into the half and was forced out of the game, but the Yellowjacket bench didn't miss a beat when called upon.  Allyssa Lindberg (Marquette, Mich./Marquette) came in and hit a three-pointer almost immediately to stretch the lead to eight.  Then Linzmeier followed with a layup to give the Yellowjackets a double-digit lead for the first time in the game.

As the midway mark of the half approached, the Yellowjackets found themselves spending a lot of time at the free throw line.  At one point the Yellowjackets converted ten consecutive free throws and built their edge to 17, leading 67-50 with 10:01 to play. 

Down the stretch the Saints didn't go away, but the Yellowjackets also didn't allow them to make it less than a three-possession game, giving them little drama late.

The second half wasn't as friendly for the Yellowjacket shooters, as they fired at just a 28.1% clip.  They did, however, go 24-of-28 from the free throw line after halftime.

After Linzmeier, Urmanski and Lindberg each dropped in 13 points.  All of Lindberg's points came off the bench.  The Yellowjackets took advantage of the Saints' carelessness with the ball, scoring 21 points off of 21 turnovers.  Urmanski also led the Yellowjackets with six assists and seven rebounds.

Caitlin McKernon paced St. Scholastica with 15 points and was one of five Saints to score in double figures.

Milestone Update: Urmanski now has 968 points and sits just 12 points behind Ann DeBruin (1982-87) for eighth place on the all-time list.  Her six assists also push her into a tie for third on the all-time list with Sandy Eilertsen (1983-87).  The three-pointer Urmanski made was the 170th of her career, already a school record.  Linzmeier had four steals in the game and crossed the 100-steal mark for her career.  With a current average of 3.67 steals per-game, Linzmeier is on pace to shatter the school record of 217, held by Mandy Giffen (1994-99).

The Yellowjackets (7-2, 3-1 WIAC) will close out their first semester schedule on Saturday, December 15 when they take on Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minn.  The opening tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.