OSHKOSH, Wis.– In another tough road match-up, the Wheaton College women's basketball team fell victim to a hot-shooting opponent in an 84-59 loss to No. 3-ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Saturday afternoon.
The Thunder dropped to 2-4 on the year. Their three road losses have come against squads that own a combined record of 13-1 this season.
The Titans (5-0 record) sprinted ahead from the opening tip-off by scoring the first eight points. Three-pointers by Lauryn Ham and Chloe Kostka, followed by a basket from Lily Caddow, got Wheaton back within 10-8. But a 10-1 run got UW-Oshkosh back on track and pushed the lead to double digits by the end of the quarter.
Kostka canned another trey to start the second quarter. Teammate Kate Oliver immediately followed up with a steal and a layup going the other way. However, the Titans remained undeterred, putting together another big surge to create distance at 34-20. Wheaton's deficit stood at 46-33 after the home side nailed a three at the buzzer before halftime. The stats at the break saw UW-Oshkosh shoot 59 percent from the field.
The momentum continued unabated for the Titans, as they outscored the visitors 22-11 in the third quarter. Both teams utilized their benches in the fourth quarter to close out the contest.
Ham was the top scorer for Wheaton with 11 points, and Lydia Brogan submitted a near double-double off the bench with nine points and nine rebounds. Caddow contributed seven points and four rebounds. Oliver, Kostka, Petra Trumbach and Jenna Hunter added six points each. Trumbach grabbed six rebounds as well.
Wheaton concluded with a 44-percent shooting performance from the field, while making 33 percent from three (5-15) and 83 percent at the free throw stripe (10-12). UW-Oshkosh was particularly proficient from deep, making 50 percent from beyond the arc (12-24) and 48 percent overall on field goals. The hosts also made 74 percent on free throws (20-27).
The Titans were stingy in the turnover category, committing only five while forcing 18. They also posted 17 points on the fast break. The Thunder controlled the boards overall by a 35-23 margin.
Wheaton's returns home to the friendly confines of King Arena for a 5:00 p.m. game versus University of Dubuque on Tuesday.
