MENOMONIE, Wis. – In a festive afternoon at Johnson Fieldhouse, the UW-Stout women's basketball team put together a wire-to-wire performance, defeating Augsburg 79–57 on Saturday.
Before tipoff, the Blue Devils celebrated last season's historic Final Four run with a ring ceremony and banner reveal honoring the 2024-25 team. Rings were presented by Athletic Director Erin Sullivan and Chancellor Katherine Frank, with members of the Final Four squad returning to be recognized, including Anna Mutch, Raegan Sorensen, Allison Letcher, Sam Schaeffer, Amanda Giesen, Elissa Lodermeier, and Sophie Moran. Returning players from that team also received their rings, setting an emotional and energized tone for the afternoon.
That energy carried straight into the opening tip, as Stout stormed out to a 7–0 lead in the first 45 seconds. Julia Rybacki opened the scoring by grabbing her own offensive rebound and converting an and-one. On the next possession, Addy Verhagen went coast-to-coast off a defensive rebound to make it 5–0, and moments later Verhagen swiped the ball away to set up an Eleice Dahl transition layup, forcing an Augsburg timeout less than a minute into the game.
Stout controlled the tempo throughout the first half, building a 23–9 advantage after one quarter and taking a 42–25 lead into the break. The game featured frequent stoppages, as the officials called a tight contest with quick whistles on both ends, but the Blue Devils remained composed and continued to find quality looks inside.
The margin grew in the third quarter behind strong interior play and ball movement. At the 1:40 mark of the third, Verhagen made a hustle play to save a loose ball, flipping it backward over her head to Eleice Dahl, who then found Brooklynn Birt in the paint for a tough finish. The sequence capped a strong stretch and appeared to give Stout a 60–37 lead heading into the final period, before Augsburg's Wakinyela Bear buried a deep logo three at the buzzer.
Any momentum from that shot was short-lived, as the Blue Devils opened the fourth quarter with steady offense and continued defensive pressure to keep Augsburg at arm's length. Stout finished with four players in double figures and showcased impressive depth, scoring 43 bench points on the afternoon.
Brooklynn Birt and Addy Verhagen each neared double-doubles, as Birt finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Verhagen posted 10 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Julia Rybacki added a season-high 13 points in just 16 minutes of action, providing an early spark that set the tone for the victory. Eleice Dahl chipped in key contributions on both ends as Stout improved to 7–2 on the season.
By the Numbers
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UW-Stout will now break for the holiday recess before returning to action in Dubuque, Iowa. The Blue Devils will compete in the Paxton Pack Classic, opening with games against Dubuque and Loras following the Holiday Break.
