MANKATO, Minn. – UW-Superior joined the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) in 2015. Since that time, the Yellowjackets have been a perennial contender, with things culminating with the program's first-ever trip to the UMAC title game in 2023.
 
During that same span, Bethany Lutheran has been the proverbial thorn in the collective side of the Yellowjackets, including being the team that ended the Yellowjacket playoff hopes last season.
 
In 2023-24, the Yellowjackets got off to a historic start, stumbled in the middle, before finding their stride heading into the conference tournament. After a thrilling win over North Central in the UMAC semifinals Wednesday, the Yellowjackets got another date with Bethany Lutheran, and once again there was a conference title and trip to the NCAA tournament on the line.

Unfortunately for the Yellowjackets, things followed a similar script to last season.
 
Bethany Lutheran took their first-half lead and pulled away in the second half to defeat the Yellowjackets 77-58 at North Gymnasium in Mankato Saturday afternoon.
 
Josef Fahrenholtz (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) led the Yellowjackets with 21 points on 8-of-23 shooting from the field. He also pulled down eight rebounds.
 
The Yellowjackets had a three-point lead in the first five minutes of the first half, but the Vikings quickly erased the deficit to move in front. The 'Jackets kept things close but were never able to get completely over the hump and take more than a one-possession lead. Bethany Lutheran would open up a 10-point lead before J'Vaun Walker (Rosharon, Texas/Manvel) hit a three in the final minute, and the 'Jackets were down seven at the half.
 
In the second half the Yellowjackets got it to within three, 31-28, with 3:29 gone in the half, but that's as close as they would get, and Bethany Lutheran pulled away to get the win.
 
Game Notes

• The Yellowjackets shot 28.4 percent from the field in the game, including going 5-of-22 from outside the arc.
• Fahrenholtz and Walker accounted for all five three pointers.
• Fahrenholtz scored in double figures for the 17th time this season.
• Walker scored 15 points, with seven of those coming from the free throw line. He also had seven rebounds.
• Joey Barker (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) led all Yellowjackets with nine rebounds.
• Four Yellowjackets – Walker, Barker, Fahrenholtz and Andrew Kunelius (Caledonia, Minn./Caledonia) all played over 30 minutes in the game.
• Kunelius also had a team-high three assists.
• Bethany Lutheran's Jax Madson led all scorers with 27 points.

The Yellowjackets close the season with a record of 18-9. Read Full Article