Yellowjackets report: UWS women close out UMAC title
Feb. 16—Wisconsin-Superior put away the game and a regular-season Upper Midwest Athletic Conference championship with 15-0 run in the fourth quarter as the Yellowjackets closed out Martin Luther 73-57 on Friday, Feb. 16 in New Ulm, Minnesota.
The big move helped open up a game in which the Knights were competitive, trailing just 37-34 at half and closing to within a point in the third quarter.
Charlotte Ferstl finished with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, one of four Yellowjackets to score in double figures.
Erika Mattson and Katie Dobson made four 3-pointers apiece and finished with 14 and 12 points, respectively. UWS was 13-for-27 (48%) from 3-point range. UWS (16-8, 12-1 UMAC) will complete the regular season against Bethany Lutheran on Saturday, Feb. 17 before hosting the fourth-place team on Wednesday, Feb. 21 in a tournament semifinal.
Wisconsin-Superior opened the game on a 15-2 run and cruised past Martin Luther 77-64 on Friday night, Feb. 16 in New Ulm, Minnesota.
The win guarantees a second seed and a home game on Wednesday, Feb. 21 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference tournament.
After the big start, Martin Luther closed to within 32-25 at halftime, but four was as close as the Knights got the rest of the way.
J'Vaun Walker led all scorers with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting for UWS, while Josef Fahrenholtz and Reid Johnson scored 14 apiece.
UWS (17-7, 9-4 UMAC) will play at league champions Bethany Lutheran on Saturday, Feb. 17 to complete the regular season.
Goaltender Rose Beeman made 32 saves as Wisconsin-Superior opened the last weekend of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's hockey season with a 3-0 shutout win over Northland on Friday, Feb. 16 at Wessman Arena.
The win allows UWS to pass idle Wisconsin-Stevens Point for third in the league standings, leading to a semifinal series at No. 2 Wisconsin-Eau Claire next weekend.
Before that, it took a while for either team to break through, but with a minute remaining in the second period, Emma Booth bagged the game's first goal and after the intermission, UWS struck again, with Kaylin Garner making it 2-0 just 34 seconds into the third.
Kailey Swerhun added a third goal for the Yellowjackets (7-16-1, 4-5-1 WIAC), who'll finish the regular season and the series against Northland on Saturday, Feb. 17.
A bad second period helped put Wisconsin-Superior's backs against the wall after a 3-2 loss to Wisconsin-River Falls in the first game of a first-round WIAC playoff series on Friday night, Feb. 16 in River Falls, Wisconsin.
UWS beat the buzzer and took the lead with three-tenths of a second left in the first period when C.J. Walker scored, but instead of a good sign, it proved to be a false dawn, as Sam Anzai, Max Collette and Noah Roofe scored in the second period.
Chris Ishmael pulled a goal back for UWS with 8:17 remaining but it wasn't enough for UWS to avoid an elimination game and then some Saturday in River Falls. The Yellowjackets must win Game 2, plus a 20-minute mini-game immediately afterward, to keep their season alive.
Jack Boschert made 24 saves for UWS (11-14-1).
