UWL Women’s Hoops fall to UW-Oshkosh Titans
February 11, 2018
After winning the past three games, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women’s basketball team looked to extend their winning streak to four heading into Saturday’s game. They faced a challenge as they were up against the 18th ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Titans.
Saturday was the annual Play4Kay Day, for the Kay Yow cancer fund. Founded in 2007, according to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund website. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund focuses on the vision of the former NC State head basketball coach. Yow’s vision is to end women’s cancers. The team was collecting donations for the fund, and both teams warmed up in pink Play4Kay t-shirts. All of the UWL women’s basketball players wore white shoes with pink laces to honor the event.
After the first quarter, the UWL Eagles were down by four with a score of 17-13. UWL senior Elise DeNoyer, number 25, had a hot start to the game—something that would continue as the game went on—as she scored six of the Eagles’ first 13 points.
The Titans scored both in the paint and from the perimeter, hitting five threes and scoring 38 points in the paintUW-Oshkosh forward, junior Isabella Samuels, number 44, was very effective in the paint, shooting 8-11 and ending with 16 points and 8 rebounds; she was the second leading scorer in the game.
At halftime, the Eagles trailed 27-32. DeNoyer had 10 points at that point, which led all scorers. The first half was very competitive score-wise, something that would change as the afternoon continued.
UWL got onto a slow start in the second half, as the Titans started the third quarter with a 9-0 run and extended the lead to 27-41. The Titans would never relinquish this lead. After three the score was 34-45 in UW-Oshkosh’s favor.
The fourth quarter was more of the same, as the final score ended UWL 49, UWO 61. There was a bright spot for the Eagles, as senior Elise DeNoyer ended the game with 20 points, 10 rebounds on 8-17 shooting. DeNoyer, who averages 13.6 points per game, did not eclipse her season high of 27 but was one of the lone offensive producers that were able to get through the Titan defense.
This is the last home game for UWL as they finish with a respectable 9-2 home record. The Eagles are 15-8 on the season with two games left before the playoffs. The next game for UWL is Wednesday, Feb 14 at 7PM against the University of Wisconsin-Stout Blue Devils in Menomonie, WI.
