SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Yellowjacket women's basketball team entered Saturday's Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) championship game as the No. 1 seed, having gone 13-1 in conference play. Earning the No. 2 seed was Minnesota Morris. After the Yellowjackets defeated North Central and the Cougars beat Northwestern in the semifinals, it set the table for a highly anticipated women's basketball championship inside Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium.
UW-Superior also played host to the 2024 UMAC Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday, and once action wrapped up inside the Lydia C. Thering Fieldhouse, a multitude of fans made their way inside the Mertz for a suspense-filled title game.
The contest commenced with the 'Jackets taking an early 12-4 lead, but the Cougars rallied to come within four at the end of the first quarter. Once play resumed the two teams traded points and eventually the lead until the Yellowjackets capped the first half with a three-point play, drawn by
Emily Dehler (Pierz, Minn./Pierz Healy) who took a foul from Malory Anderson to give UWS a four-point edge at the half.
The third was the closest quarter of the game. Despite the Yellowjackets only leading by a five-point margin due to persistent double-teaming by the Cougars' defense, UWS would shoot a game-high 57.14 percent from the field.
The strong defensive output from the Cougars would benefit them late, as Maddy Grove nailed a jumper at the start of the fourth. This would allow for Minnesota Morris to take a two-point lead and they wouldn't allow the 'Jackets to come back, securing the UMAC championship by a 69-60 victory.
The Cougars earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and will learn their opponent Monday.
Game Notes
- The last time the Yellowjackets hosted a conference championship at the No. 1 seed would date back to the 2018-19 season.
- UWS was led by lone-senior Erika Mattson (Ely, Minn./Ely Memorial), finishing with 14 points, one steal, three assists and six rebounds.
- Charlotte Ferstl (Plain, Wis./River Valley) picked up another double-double on the evening, grabbing a game-leading 12 rebounds and 10 points. She also added three assists and two blocks.
- Yet again playing a full 40 minutes was Elise Besonen (Ewen, Mich./Ewen-Trout Creek), scoring three-of-five long balls for the Yellowjackets. Picking up the other two was MyKenzie Leccia (Somerset, Wis./Somerset), who added three rebounds, one steal and three assists.
- Head coach Emily Carpenter has led UWS to the UMAC Tournament for the second time in as many seasons at the helm.
- The Cougars were led offensively by Maddy Grove, who capped her evening with 18 points, three steals, two rebounds and three assists. She shot 63.6 percent from the field and nailed four-of-six from the line, as she was named the tournament MVP.
- Shelby Mortenson wasn't far behind Grove, scoring 17 points and grabbing seven boards. Malory Anderson also accounted for seven rebounds in the contest.
The Yellowjackets cap the 2023-24 season with an overall record of 18-9.
