The UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball team used a late run to pull away and post a 65-56 nonconference victory over Lawrence University on Tuesday night at Alexander Gymnasium.
Katie Kitzke scored a game-high 18 points to pace UW-Oshkosh (1-0), and Megan Wenig added 16 points.
Amber Lisowe scored 17 points in her collegiate debut for Lawrence (0-1). Alex Deshler picked up a double-double for the Vikings with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Cathy Kaye and Presley Neuman added eight points apiece for the Vikings.
Lawrence trailed 47-37 midway through the second half, but the Vikings got a 3-pointer from Kaye and a jumper by Deshler to trim the lead to 47-42 with 7:28 left. The teams traded baskets before Oshkosh went on a 9-0 run to build a 58-44 lead with 3:42 remaining. Wenig scored five points in that decisive run for the Titans.
Lawrence got no closer than eight points after that.
Lawrence, playing its first game under head coach Tara Carr, started strong by scoring the first six points of the game. The Titans recovered to lead 7-6, but Lawrence Neuman scored four consecutive points and Deshler added a jumper to give Lawrence a 15-9 lead with 10:05 left in the opening half.
Oshkosh came back and took the lead for good at 18-17 with 6:15 left in the first half. The Titans led 29-26 at the half.
The Titans shot 51 percent for the game, but Oshkosh was 16-for-24 (66.7 percent) from the floor in the second half. Lawrence shot only 34.3 percent from the floor but did post a 40-35 edge on the glass.
Lawrence returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to Marian University.