We are part of The Trust Project.
Wisconsin-Superior survived a grinding overtime Upper Midwest Athletic Conference men's basketball encounter with Northwestern on Friday, Jan. 20 at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.
The Yellowjackets escaped with a 57-54 win only after a miss from Henry Fahnbulleh with nine seconds left kept the visiting Eagles from taking the lead. J'Vaun Walker collected the rebound and sunk two free throws for the final margin.
Northwestern sent the game to overtime after Kyle Kaemingk knocked down a pair of jumpers, the second from 3-point range, to tie in in the last 2:08. Josef Fahrenholtz took a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win it for UWS, but missed. In the extra session, Kaemingk recorded five points but the Yellowjackets outscored the Eagles 7-1 in the last 2:55.
UWS had only four turnovers, but shot 24-for-61 (39.3%) from the field. Fahrenholtz scored a team-leading 15 points. Walker added 13 and Joey Barker 10. Kaemingk led Northwestern with 17 points. The Eagles shot better (23-for-56, 41%) but committed 10 turnovers.
UWS (10-6, 5-1 UMAC) continues its homestand vs. North Central on Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENT
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Eagles prevail in defensive struggle
Offense was similarly hard to come by in the women's game between Northwestern and Wisconsin-Superior, but it was harder to come by for the host Yellowjackets in a 46-41 UMAC loss.
The Yellowjackets made 15 of 58 field-goal attempts for a 25.9% success rate. Northwestern, at 15 of 41 (36.6%) wasn't much better, going 1-for-15 from 3-point range, but it was enough.
UWS started the fourth quarter down 33-29 but scored the first seven points of the frame to take the lead, only to give up a 9-0 run the other way and trail 42-36 with three minutes remaining. Buckets by Sam Parendo and Kaelyn Christian allowed the Yellowjackets to close to within a possession, but after drawing a foul with 11 seconds to play, Christian missed the second of two free throws, which would have tied it up, then missed a 3-pointer to tie with six seconds remaining.
Christian was UWS's leading scorer with 13 points. Lexi Hagen paced the Eagles with 10 points, adding six rebounds.
UWS (5-9, 3-3 UMAC) will attempt to break a three-game losing streak vs. North Central on Saturday.
MEN'S HOCKEY
Yellowjackets unable to counter fast start
Late first-period goals from Cade Lemmer and Leo Bacallao put Wisconsin-Eau Claire on the front foot toward a 4-2 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's hockey victory over Wisconsin-Superior on Friday night in Eau Claire.
Faced with a two-goal deficit, MacGregor Sinclair scored twice, but both times it only drew the Yellowjackets within a goal. Sinclair's first goal, at 4:02 of the second period, was followed by one from the Blugolds' Aaron Swanson, and his second, a power play tally 42 seconds into the third period, was followed by a late empty-netter for Bacallao's second goal of the game.
Dylan Meilun took the loss for UWS (10-7-1, 5-3-0 WIAC), stopping 18 of 21 shots faced. Max Gutjahr made 23 saves for UWEC.
ADVERTISEMENT
The teams meet again Saturday night in Eau Claire.
