NOTE: the CVPost ordinarily does not cover sports. However, with no local newspaper available until next Monday, we’re making an exception in order to provide those readers who care with a timely report on the Blugold women’s last-second victory over UW Oshkosh Friday night.
By David Gordon, associate editor
Tyra Boettcher went scoreless for the first 39-plus minutes of Friday night’s women’s basketball game between UW-Eau Claire and UW Oshkosh, taking only a single shot.
But she was in the middle of the Blugolds’ four points in the last 17 seconds, as they beat the Titans 64-62 on Katie Essen’s basket at the buzzer.
The win clinched home court advantage for UW-EC (7-1) throughout the WIAC post-season tournament, which starts on Monday.
With the score tied at 60, Boettcher – a junior transfer from D-II Minnesota State-Mankato – stole a pass in the Titans’ forecourt and drove for a tie-breaking layup. Oshkosh then rebounded its own missed 3-point attempt and with 2.4 seconds to play, Jenna Jorgensen tied the game on a layup – two of her team-high 18 points.
Dramatic finish
A Blugold timeout allowed play to resume in the UW-EC forecourt. Boettcher cut to the left corner to take the in-bounds pass from Ellie Clayton and made a perfect entry pass to Essen on the block on the left side of the lane.
The 6-1 Essen turned and her shot over 6-1 Karsyn Rueth went through the net as the backboard lit up to signal that time had run out. It gave Essen a game-high 22 points and it allowed the Blugolds to avenge the 63-56 loss they absorbed at Oshkosh on Wednesday.
Oshkosh jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the game’s first three minutes but after that it became a physical back-and-forth struggle with neither team leading by more than 5 points. Overall, there were eight ties and ten lead changes.
UW-EC took a 29-28 halftime lead on Maizie Diehl’s spinning layup just before the buzzer. For the Blugolds, seniors Diehl (13) and Essen (12) accounted for all but four of their first half points.
Ruden scores 15 second half points
Jessie Ruden, who failed to score in the first half, was 5 for 7 for 15 points in the second half, including the 3-pointer that gave UW-EC a 60-59 lead with 1:19 to play. She also hit from beyond the arc to tie the game at 57 with 3:12 remaining.
Diehl finished with 16 points for the night, going three for three from long range.
Had Oshkosh won Friday night’s game, it would have captured home court advantage for the entire tournament. The Titans finished the abbreviated regular season with a 6-2 record.
No spectators will be permitted at any of the conference tournament contests but those games will be live-streamed on the web. See www.Blugolds.com for further information.
Note: the home page photo was taken from the Blugolds.com website. It shows Katie Essen going up for a shot against UW-La Crosse earlier this month.