The UW-Superior Women’s Basketball team had one thing on their mind this season: redemption.
After falling short last season in the UMAC title game to Minnesota Morris the team returned reigning UMAC Player of the Year Elise Besonen and other contributors from last season.
However, this season their path to a conference title wasn’t as easy. After only suffering one conference loss last season, the Yellowjackets lost three times within the UMAC. Their hopes of claiming a regular season conference title came down to playing the team that ended their season last year that being Minnesota Morris.
The game was a back-and-forth competition which saw the Yellowjackets trailing the Cougars at halftime by 4. The Yellowjackets would fight back into the game in the third quarter outscoring the Cougars 18-9.
The Cougars would claw back into the game and have it tied at 63 with 15 seconds left. Katie Dobson would come through for the Yellowjackets as she would claim an offensive rebound and be fouled sending her to the line where she would sink both free throws to give UWS a 65-63 lead and victory over the Cougars knocking them out of the UMAC playoffs.
The Yellowjackets would claim their second straight conference crown sharing it with Northwestern but claiming the number one seed in the UMAC tournament. The teams they could see in the tournament though were the ones that handed them all their losses in conference play.
Elsa Olson Sizes Up Northwestern Defender.
Photo by Sama (Sky) Abdullayeva | The Promethean
They opened up the tournament against the four seed Martin Luther who handed UWS their first loss in conference play back in January. The Yellowjackets looked strong in the first quarter as they took a 24-12 lead into the second. Martin Luther wouldn’t go down without a fight as they clawed back into the game only trailing by three at the half.
The second half saw UWS build a strong lead again, but Martin Luther came back into it yet again. The Yellowjackets and Knights would fight to an overtime period which saw UWS take the game 80-75. MyKenzie Leccia would set a career high in points with 24 leading the Yellowjackets to the UMAC title game against co-conference champion Northwestern.
Against Northwestern the Yellowjackets would struggle to find the bottom of the net trailing Northwestern for much of the first half of play going into halftime down 20-26. The cold shooting found the Eagles in the second half as UWS was able to make their way back into the game only trailing by one at the end of the third quarter.
The Eagles were again able to build the lead back to six, but from there it was the Elise Besonen show as she went on a seven nothing run by herself to take the lead. The Eagles would take the lead back a possession later, but Katie Dobson would yet again come through in the clutch with a huge three pointer to seize the lead for UWS. The Yellowjackets took home the victory 53-47 over Northwestern and their fourth UMAC tournament title and first since the 2017-18 season. The Yellowjackets also receive the UMAC’s automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.
UWS Celebrates Their Fourth UMAC Tournament Title
Photo by Sama (Sky) Abdullayeva | The Promethean
Elise Besonen would claim the tournament’s MVP as she led the team in scoring with 28 points in the championship game. For head coach Emily Carpenter she has now won a UMAC title as both a player and coach for UWS. The Yellowjackets would ultimately fall to Whitman College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament 54-77 ending their season with an overall record of 17-11.
