MENOMONIE, Wis. – The UW-Stout women's basketball team battled from the opening tip against No. 3 UW-Oshkosh, but a decisive second-quarter surge by the Titans proved too much as the Blue Devils fell 75–49 Saturday afternoon at Johnson Fieldhouse. Oshkosh entered the contest ranked No. 1 in the NPI and showed why, leaning heavily on second-chance points, paint touches, and capitalizing on turnovers.
Stout came out sharp, opening the game with a 9–6 advantage behind the confident scoring of Addie Verhagen. Verhagen scored eight of the Blue Devils' first 10 points, attacking from all three levels and setting an aggressive early tone. Oshkosh responded with an 11–0 run fueled by offensive rebounds and finishes in the lane, turning the early deficit into a 17–9 lead and closing the first quarter ahead 19–10.
The second quarter featured one of the more memorable stretches of the afternoon, as both teams beat the shot clock on three consecutive possessions. Brooklynn Birt started the sequence by converting a tough post move as the horn sounded, followed immediately by an Oshkosh three at the buzzer. On the ensuing possession, Verhagen drilled a contested three through contact as the shot clock expired to make it 28–21. Officials ruled the contact occurred after the release, giving Stout possession instead of a potential four-point play.
Oshkosh used a 13–0 run to stretch the margin to 41–21, again doing most of its damage inside and off turnovers. Birt halted the run with 42 seconds left in the half, converting an and-one to make it 41–24. The Titans shot a scorching 60 percent from the floor in the first half and carried a 45–24 advantage into the break.
Stout continued to compete after halftime, with Julia Rybacki providing a spark off the bench in the third quarter. Rybacki poked the ball loose for a steal and finished the play herself with a fast-break layup, highlighting a stretch of strong defensive effort and energy. Despite the push, Oshkosh maintained control throughout the second half, closing out the contest with a 75–49 win.
Verhagen led the Blue Devils with 14 points, while Birt added 11 on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting performance.
By the Numbers
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Points in the Paint: Oshkosh 32, Stout 24
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Points off Turnovers: Oshkosh 29, Stout 8
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Second-Chance Points: Oshkosh 18, Stout 10
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First-Half Shooting: Oshkosh 60% from the field
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Bench Points: Oshkosh 24, Stout 16
Up Next
UW-Stout hits the road on Wednesday, traveling to Eau Claire for a 6 p.m. WIAC matchup against the Blugolds.
