NEW ULM, Minn. – The Yellowjacket women's basketball team have put together a strong season in the 2023-24 campaign. Entering Friday, the 'Jackets had won 11-of-12 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) games and were riding a seven-game winning streak. Traveling to New Ulm, Minn. to face off against the Knights of Martin Luther, the Yellowjackets were faced with a big conference game. A win means they capture their fifth in program history and their first since the 2018-19 season.
The Yellowjackets got the job done, taking down Martin Luther 73-57 inside the Luther Student Center.
UWS saw four players finish in double digits, including
Charlotte Ferstl (Plain, Wis./River Valley),
Erika Mattson (Ely, Minn./Ely Memorial),
Katie Dobson (Black River Falls, Wis./Black River Falls) and
Elise Besonen (Ewen, Mich./Ewen-Trout Creek). The Knights didn't make things easy on UWS, however, as they applied pressure early in the contest to make for an intriguing basketball game.
Game Notes
- Martin Luther's Jordyn Heckendorf led all scorers with 23 points, which included nailing a buzzer-beater in the first quarter to bring MLC within one at 22-21.
- Ferstl led the Yellowjackets with 16 points and 10 rebounds, adding yet another double-double under her belt. She shot 70 percent from the field and was 66 percent from the line.
- Mattson and Dobson each drained four shots from downtown during the game.
- The Yellowjackets saw 15 points from players on the bench, while limiting the Knights' reserves to zero points.
- Martin Luther scored over half of their points inside the paint, finishing with 32 compared to the 'Jackets' 26.
- UW-Superior outscored the Knights in the second (16-11), third (17-14) and fourth (19-10) quarters.
- UWS shot 49.1 percent from the field while shooting 48.1 percent from beyond the arc. Martin Luther finished 37.3 percent and 20 percent, respectively.
The Yellowjackets (16-8, 12-1 UMAC) have secured the No. 1 seed in the UMAC Tournament, earning the right to host the No. 4 seed Wednesday, Feb. 21.
The 'Jackets will close the regular season Saturday, facing off against Bethany Lutheran. Opening tipoff in North Gymnasium is set for 3 p.m.
