DULUTH, Minn. – The 2023-24 season has been up and down for the Yellowjacket women's basketball team. They'd lose a game, then win a game. They'd win two, then drop two. The 'Jackets recently rode a three-game win streak to a record above .500, but after falling to UW-Eau Claire Tuesday, the Yellowjackets were back to even with one game to go before the break.
 
Saturday afternoon the Yellowjackets were on the road, but it was a short trip, as they crossed the river for a matinee with St. Scholastica. A win, and the 'Jackets get a couple weeks off with a record above .500. A loss, and the record goes the other way.
 
St. Scholastica took charge of the game with a big second quarter and held off a furious Yellowjacket rally late to escape with a 77-74 win over UW-Superior Saturday at Reif Gymnasium.
 
The Yellowjackets (5-6, 2-0 UMAC) have now dropped consecutive games for the second time in 2023-24.
 
Both teams came out firing in the opening 10 minutes, as they combined for 37 points. St. Scholastica scored the first six points and built a 12-point lead, 18-6 with three minutes left in the frame. But over the final three minutes the Yellowjackets heated up. Erika Mattson (Ely, Minn./Ely Memorial) started the rally with a layup, and Elise Besonen (Ewen, Mich./Ewen-Trout Creek) scored five points within 10 seconds to cut the deficit to five, 18-13. In the final minute Kyra Latvala (Solon Springs, Wis./Solon Springs) made a layup to tie the game at 18-18. The Saints scored the final point of the quarter, and they led the 'Jackets 19-18 going into the second.
 
In the second quarter the Yellowjackets went cold, hitting just five field goals and St. Scholastica pulled away. One of those field goals came just over a minute in when a Latvala layup tied the game, 22-22. From there the Saints took off, going on a 15-0 run to pull away. When the horn went off, the lead was 16, with the Yellowjackets trailing 48-32.
 
St. Scholastica built the lead as high as 18 points, moving in front 59-41 with five minutes to go in the third quarter, but that's when the Yellowjackets began to warm up. Chloe Peterson (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) got the comeback started with a layup to cut into the Saints' lead. The teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter, and the 'Jackets trailed 65-52 heading to the fourth quarter.
 
Early in the fourth MyKenzie Leccia (Somerset, Wis./Somerset) hit a three, and a minute later Hannah Hause (Stanley, Wis./Stanley-Boyd) hit a layup. Then, with just under six minutes to play Katie Dobson (Black River Falls, Wis./Black River Falls) hit a three to cut the deficit to single digits. A pair of free throws by Hause with under five minutes to go made it a six-point game, 70-64. Later in the quarter Besonen drained her free throws, making it a 73-69 game. Then, in the final minute Besonen hit a jumper, and with 54 seconds to play it was a one-score game, with the 'Jackets down 76-74. After a made free throw by the Saints, the 'Jackets were down three and had the final possession. With two seconds left they got the ball into the hands of their top scorer, but Besonen's three-point chance didn't fall, and the Saints held on for the win.

Besonen led all Yellowjacket scorers with 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting. She also had a game-high six assists. Mattson added 15 points, a season high. She also had six rebounds and a team-best three steals. Leccia also hit double figures, scoring 11 on the day. She also led the Yellowjackets with eight rebounds.
 
Kloey Lind of St. Scholastica led all scorers with 24 points.
 
The Yellowjackets will now be off until Friday, Dec. 29 when they take on Marian in their first game of the 2023 Superior Shootout. The opening tip is set for 6 p.m. at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.