SUPERIOR, Wis. – After falling in their first two games within Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium, the Yellowjacket women's basketball team was seeking win number one on their home court in 2023-24, facing off against the Muskies from Lakeland Tuesday.
 
Both teams kept things interesting in the first half, but the 'Jackets would take control in the fourth quarter and secure a 72-57 victory, snapping a winless streak at home and adding a tally in the win column on Swarm Night.
 
The Muskies scored the first four points of the game, but the Yellowjackets would counter with freshman Charlotte Ferstl's (Plain, Wis./River Valley) jump shot in the paint and a three-pointer from sophomore MyKenzie Leccia (Somerset, Wis./Somerset). The 'Jackets would foul shortly after, allowing Lakeland to extend their lead on two made free throws from Meryam Belbaz.
 
Senior Erika Mattson (Ely, Minn./Ely Memorial) took advantage of an open lane to notch her first two points of the game bringing UWS within one at 8-7, but they would go quiet as the Muskies took offensive control. Ferstl would block a jumper from A.T. Bartlett and secure another jumper within the paint which changed the tempo of the quarter, leaving UW-Superior with a seven-point deficit at 17-10.
 
Sophomore Elsa Olson (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park) got the 'Jackets' first points of the second quarter, hitting a shot from downtown after receiving a feed from Ferstl. Teams would trade turnovers until officials issued a technical foul to Lakeland's head coach, which shifted momentum towards the Yellowjackets. Elise Besonen (Ewen, Mich./Ewen-Trout Creek) would score both free throws, and this commenced a scoring rally which featured back-to-back layups from junior Katie Dobson (Black River Falls, Wis./Black River Falls) and forcing the Muskies to take a timeout.
 
Scoring would continue, however, as Ferstl once again took control within the paint and notched another two points, which was followed by junior Emily Dehler (Pierz, Minn./Pierz Healy). Lakeland came back to tie the game at 25-25 and ultimately took a lead, but Dehler hit a jumper within the arc to edge the Muskies 27-26 going into halftime.
 
Quarter number three saw Lakeland come back and capitalize on Yellowjacket miscues, giving them a six-point lead at 37-31. Besonen drained both free throws after receiving a foul from Bartlett, which was followed by another shot beyond the arc from Olson. Leccia would jump back in the scoring mix with a layup and jump shot inside the paint before junior Chloe Peterson (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) sunk three-of-four free throws after taking two fouls. Lakeland countered with two three-point shots late in the quarter, only allowing the Yellowjackets to hold a two-point lead at 45-43.   
 
Teams began to trade points and the lead early in the fourth, but jumpers from Ferstl and Mattson helped give UWS the lead. From there the 'Jackets poured on the points and took advantage of multiple Muskie turnovers, as Ferstl, Besonen, Mattson and Olson helped extend the lead. After taking a foul late, Leccia sunk both free throws and scored the final two points for the Yellowjackets, ending with a 72-57 victory and their first home win of the 2023-24 season.
 
Ferstl led the offensive attack with 17 points, who was tailed by Besonen with 15 points. Olson ended her evening with 10 points, while Leccia and Mattson ended with nine and eight points, respectively. Defensively Ferstl grabbed 12 rebounds and Besonen accounted for 11 of the team's 47 throughout the evening.
 
The Yellowjackets enter Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play next Friday, facing off against Crown. Tipoff inside Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium is set for 5:30 p.m.