SUPERIOR, Wis. – Wednesday evening the Yellowjacket women's basketball team faced off against their bridge-rival, the Saints of St. Scholastica. Historically the Yellowjackets have emerged successful on the hardwood, at one point boasting a 19-game winning streak spanning from the 2011 and 2022 seasons.
 
The Saints snapped UW-Superior's win streak last season after grabbing a 77-74 victory inside Reif Gymnasium, but Wednesday's matchup saw the 'Jackets get back to their winning ways, earning a 72-50 win inside Mertz Mortorelli Gym.
 
Game Notes

• Both teams struggled to produce offensively in the opening quarter. The Saints scored an early four points before MyKenzie Leccia (Somerset, Wis./Somerset) got the 'Jackets going at 7:56. Either team was unable to capitalize on the other's miscues, ending the first frame in a 6-6 logjam.
• Midway through the second, UWS engineered timely offense to gain the lead and never look back. Hannah Hause (Stanley, Wis./Stanley-Boyd) hit back-to-back jumpers in the opening minutes of the second, which was followed by Leccia and Kylee Hewitt (Hurley, Wis.) garnering two points to lead 16-13.
• Charlotte Ferstl (Plain, Wis./River Valley) checked into the game and logged a jumper shortly after, then Hewitt sent a pass into Leccia's hands to drain a three at 21-13.
• Elsa Olson (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park) hopped into the scoring with roughly two minutes remaining in the second, hitting a jumper from midrange before drawing a foul and finishing a three-point play, aiding the 'Jackets to a 30-18 lead.
• St. Scholastica fought back after halftime, keeping the Yellowjackets at bay with a combination of midrange jumpers and layups. Leccia, Hewitt and Katie Dobson (Black River Falls, Wis./Black River Falls) each produced points to extend their lead and maintain a 16-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter at 49-33.
• Hewitt and Elise Besonen (Ewen, Mich./Ewen-Trout Creek) fed each other passes throughout the early stages of the fourth to aid Superior's lead, while Dobson and Leccia contributed to apply offensive pressure. Late in the fourth Emily Coonrod (Hastings, Minn./Randolph) took a feed from Besonen to give UWS a 65-46 advantage before Besonen drew a foul and was sent to the line for two.
• Coonrod was awarded two free throws after St. Scholastica issued a foul within the final 90 seconds of play. From there the 'Jackets saw Kyra Latvala (Solon Springs, Wis./Solon Springs) finish a layup inside the paint after garnering an assist from Megan Schafer (Grantsburg, Wis./Grantsburg), serving as the final scoring play on the evening as UWS defeated CSS 72-50.
• Three 'Jackets finished in double-digit figures, including Leccia who led with 19 points. Besonen logged 12 points, while Hewitt finished with 11.
• Defensively Hause and Hewitt garnered seven and six boards, respectively.
• UW-Superior garnered 17 points off Saints turnovers, compared to St. Scholastica's five.
• With Wednesday's victory, this serves as the 'Jackets' 20th victory against the Saints inside the Mertz.

 
The Yellowjackets commence a five-game road trip Wednesday, Dec. 4, taking on UW-Stout. The opening tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside Johnson Fieldhouse in Menomonie.
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