SUPERIOR, Wis. – After traveling over 2,300 miles to play in four road games, the Yellowjacket women's basketball team finally opened action inside Mertz Mortorelli Gym Tuesday, facing off against former Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) foe UW-Stout. After outscoring the Yellowjackets in three out of four quarters, the Blue Devils were able to pick up the road victory 75-57.
UW-Stout struck early and often from the field, as they began the first quarter with a 9-2 lead.
Katie Dobson (Black River Falls, Wis./Black River Falls) hit the 'Jackets' first three-pointer of the evening before the Blue Devils capitalized on multiple scoring opportunities, extending the lead to 16-7. Jumpers by
Erika Mattson (Ely, Minn./Ely Memorial) and
Elsa Olson (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park) brought the Yellowjackets to within seven, but the Blue Devils came back and scored five, ending the first quarter with a 21-9 lead.
Elise Besonen (Ewen, Mich./Ewen-Trout Creek) started quarter number two's scoring with a jumper inside the paint, which was followed by a UW-Stout jumper of its own. Teams traded points back-and-forth before
Charlotte Ferstl (Plain, Wis./River Valley) picked up her first two points of the game, bringing the 'Jackets within 15 at 32-17. UW-Stout commenced a balanced offensive attack for the remainder of the quarter, who brought the Blue Devils to a 21-point lead before
MyKenzie Leccia (Somerset, Wis./Somerset) ended the first half of play with a shot beyond the arc, bringing the score to 45-27 in favor of the visitors.
The Yellowjackets led scoring in the third, which was commenced by Ferstl with a jumper within the paint. Following Ferstl was Besonen and Leccia with a pair of jumpers, who was later followed up by a layup courtesy of
Katie Dobson (Black River Falls, Wis./Black River Falls) and a three-pointer from
Erika Mattson (Ely, Minn./Ely Memorial), bringing UWS within 15 points at 53-38. UW-Stout began to create offensive momentum from Yellowjacket turnovers before
Emily Dehler (Pierz, Minn./Pierz Healy) and
Hannah Hause (Stanley, Wis./Stanley-Boyd) finished a pair of free throws each to bring the 'Jackets within 15 points again, with a score of 59-44.
UW-Stout once again capitalized on UW-Superior turnovers and began to extend their lead. Ferstl, Besonen, Dehler and Peterson provided the offensive recoil for the Yellowjackets, but their efforts weren't enough as the Blue Devils came away with a 75-57 decision.
Besonen was the lone Yellowjacket who ended the evening in double figures, as she accounted for 16 points, five rebounds and five assists. Dobson finished with nine points and Mattson capped her evening with seven.
The Blue Devils were paced by Amanda Giesen, Sydney Brennan, Raegan Sorensen and Anna Mutch, who finished their scoring in double figures.
The Yellowjackets remain at home for the next five games, as they take on Luther Saturday, Nov. 25. Tipoff inside the Mertz is slated for 5 p.m.
