Yellowjackets down Stevens Point

More news about: UW-Superior

On a day when the UW-Superior women's basketball won their fourth straight game, senior Sally Linzmeier (Valders, Wis./Valders) stole the show.

Linzmeier not only became the all-time leading scorer in Yellowjackets' history, she scored a game-high 22 points to lead UW-Superior to an impressive 58-50 win over UW-Stevens Point before a boisterous crowd at Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, UW-Superior improved to 4-3 overall and 2-0 in WIAC action while dropping the Pointers to 4-4 and 1-1.

Linzmeier, who entered the contest needing just four points to break Sandy Eilertsen's 27-year scoring record, set the mark with 7:57 left in the opening half on a driving layup to take her place as UW-Superior's all-time points leader.

Behind the strong play of Linzmeier, the Yellowjackets turned up the heat defensively, 25 UW-Stevens Point turnovers, 19 of which came during a smothering defensive effort in the opening 20 minutes.

The Yellowjackets broke a 10-10 tie with 7:08 remaining by scoring the final 15 points of the half to take a 25-10 lead into halftime.

Linzmeier started the run for UW-Superior by knocking down a long jumper at 6:55 and added six more points during the spurt before Allyssa Lindberg (Marquette, Mich./Marquette) connected on a three-pointer, Hadley Skalmoski (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) converted on a transition layup and Grace Kennedy (Wausau, Wis./Newman Catholic) hit a jumper to help build a 15-point Yellowjackets' edge at the intermission.

UW-Superior continued to extend their lead in the second half as a jumper by Bailee Bartunek (Audobon, Minn./Lake Park-Audobon) made it a 31-14 contest with 16:12 remaining in regulation.

From there, a long three-pointer by Brynn Liljander (Isanti, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) gave the Yellowjackets their largest of the game at 42-23 with just 10 minutes left in the second half.

UW-Stevens Point attempted to rally, cutting the deficit to 52-45 on a three-point play by Ali Miceli with 59 seconds showing on the clock.

But the Yellowjackets closed the door late as Linzmeier and Allie Nelson (Augusta, Wis./Augusta) combined to make six straight free throws in the final 40 seconds to seal the victory.

Along with Linzmeier's 22 points, UW-Superior got nine points from Liljander.

Miceli paced UW-Stevens Point with 16 points.

The Yellowjackets will host UW-Eau Claire at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The game can be heard live with Matt Johnson on the call on 91.3 FM.