Second half struggles cost Yellowjackets

Deandra Vavra

Box Score

River Falls 65, Yellowjackets 44
Box Score

The Yellowjacket women's basketball team, fresh off having their school-record five-game winning streak snapped, were looking to get back in the win column on Wednesday night at UW-River Falls. The task was a hefty one, as the Falcons entered the game in second place in the WIAC and ranked 17th in the nation according to www.d3hoops.com. On this night, the Falcons showed why they merit such high praise. Coupled with cold Yellowjacket shooting, the Falcons enjoyed a big run early in the second half to pull away and cruise to a 65-44 win over the Yellowjackets at the Karges Center in River Falls.

With the loss, the Yellowjackets have now dropped two straight and find themselves in the sixth and final playoff spot in the WIAC midway through the conference schedule.

The Yellowjackets got off to a good start, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first three minutes of play thanks to a pair of free throws by Bri Davis (Hermantown, Minn./Hermantown) and a layup by Deandra Vavra (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti). The Falcons would eventually take their first lead with 14:40 play on a Tiffany Gregorich layup, making the game 9-7. The Yellowjackets would hang around, keeping the deficit in the single digits until the Falcons went up 30-20 with 3:47 to play in the first half. The Yellowjackets would score the final bucket of the first half as Kailee McDonald (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) hit a three to close the gap to nine, and the teams went to the locker room with the score 35-26.

In the second half, it was all Falcons. A 16-4 run to open the half essentially sealed the Yellowjackets' fate. A Brittany Gregorich layup extended the lead to 26 with just over 11 minutes to play. The Yellowjackets would outscore the Falcons 13-8 in the final 11 minutes, but it was too little, too late. Connie Urmanski (Edgar, Wis./Edgar) paced the Yellowjackets on their closing run, dropping in five points.

Vavra led the Yellowjackets in scoring with 14 points, the only player to reach double figures. Shooting was a struggle for the Yellowjackets on this night, as they hit on only 29.5% of their shots in the game, compared to 44.8% shooting by the Falcons. Sally Linzmeier (Valders, Wis./Valders) had a team-high eight rebounds for the Yellowjackets, who were out-rebounded 45-25 in the game. Urmanski and Davis had two assists apiece. Davis had the only block. Davis, Vavra, Linzmeier and Hailey Hart (Osseo, Wis./Osseo-Fairchild) all had two steals in the contest.

Alise Holst was the top scorer for the Falcons with 16 points, followed by Brittany Gregorich who had 14 and Tiffany Gregorich who had 11.

Milestone Update: With five points, Hart now has 955 points, putting her 25 behind Ann DeBruin for seventh on the all-time list. Her four rebounds gives her 562 and moves her into seventh place on the all-time list. Next up is Stephanie Janigo (2001-05), who is sixth with 580. Davis now needs seven points to pass Geraldine Papenfuss (1980-84) for 13th on the all-time scoring list. Five rebounds will move her past Sherri Oldevak (1977-81) into 11th on the all-time list. Two assists will move Urmanski into ninth place on the all-time list, past Oldevak. She currently has 170 assists.

The Yellowjackets (9-7, 3-5 WIAC) return to action on the road when they travel to UW-Platteville on Saturday, January 21. Game time is 1:00 p.m. The teams met earlier this year, on January 7 at Mertz Mortorelli Gym. The Yellowjackets were victorious in the game, 69-50.

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