No. 1 Yellowjackets, No. 2 Vikings win in semis to set up UMAC title game
ST. PAUL, Minn.---Following an exciting quarterfinal Monday, the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) women’s basketball tournament was set for an even more thrilling round of semifinal action Wednesday with a trip to the conference title on the line.
In familiar fashion, No. 1 University of Wisconsin-Superior shut down No. 4 University of Northwestern 65-54 to advance to a third-straight UMAC championship game, while No. 2 Bethany Lutheran College will make its first-ever tournament title game appearance after downing No. 3 University of Minnesota Morris 76-64.
Following Wednesday's exciting outcomes, the championship stage is ready for Saturday as No. 1 WIsconsin-Superior hosts No. 2 Bethany Lutheran at 7:30 p.m. in Superior, Wisconsin.
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Tournament Site |
Semifinal 1 |
Semifinal 2 |
No. 1 Wisconsin-Superior def. No. 4 Northwestern, 65-54 |
Box Score |
For the first time in three years since joining the UMAC, the No. 1 Yellowjackets looked early on in their game with the No. 4 Eagles as if they could be defeated in the postseason. The Eagles jumped out to a lead first and the two exchanged advantage all throughout the second quarter before the Yellowjackets went into the half with a 29-22 lead.
In the third quarter, the Yellowjackets had a double-digit lead twice but the Eagles wouldn't go away. They managed to pull within six before the Yellowjackets offense just became too much and pulled away for the win. Hannah Norlin fueld the offense for UWS with 19 points, while senior star Hailey Kontny picked up a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double. Justine Larson added 10 points, nine boards and five assists.
For the Eagles, Amy Berglund poured in a game-high 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting, while Taryn Toumbleson added 12 points and four assists.
No. 2 Bethany Lutheran def. No. 3 Minnesota Morris, 75-64 |
Box Score |
Everything was on the line for the No. 2 Vikings and No. 3 Cougars Wednesday and it couldn't have been a more competitive contest until late in the fourth quarter when the Vikings pulled away for good. In the first quarter, the Vikings came out firing on all cylinders and took a 10-point lead into the break. The momentum shifted to the Cougars in the next 10 minutes as they pulled within one down 34-33 at the half.
In the third quarter, the Vikings saw their lead slowly slip away as the Cougars went up by eight in less than three minutes. The Vikings eventually clawed their way back in and found a way to dig deep when star player Haley Sandin went down. Hannah Geistfield and Dakota Ellinghuysen took over the game combinging for 46 points and 21 rebounds to fuel the win.
Rookie Geistfield scored 30 points and picked up 10 rebounds to fuel the Vikings' comeback, while Ellinghuysen tallied 16 points and 11 boards. Sandin and Brooke Henning each added nine points to the win. For the Cougars, Kendra Raths recorded a 17-point, 10 rebound double-double. Mauren Theisen added 14 points, while Elli Stevenson and Bailey Miller had 11 points each in the loss.
Playoff Schedule
Quarterfinal Round – Monday, Feb. 19
No. 4 Northwestern def. No. 5 St. Scholastica, 52-39 |
Box Score |
CSS Recap |
UNW Recap |
Semifinal Round – Wednesday, Feb. 21
No. 1 Wisconsin-Superior def. No. 4 Northwestern, 65-54 |
Box Score |
UNW Recap |
UWS Recap |
No. 2 Bethany Lutheran def. No. 3 Minnesota Morris, 76-64 |
Box Score |
BLC Recap |
UMM Recap |
Championship – Saturday, Feb. 24
No. 2 Bethany Lutheran at No. 1 Wisconsin-Superior, Superior, Wis., 7:30 p.m. |
Live Stats |
Live Video |
Ticket Information
All UMAC postseason events have the following set admissions prices: Adults, $7; college students and seniors, $5; youth (Age 6-18), $3; age 5 and under, FREE. Any UMAC students, faculty and staff are free with a valid and current institutional ID. No other passes will be accepted.
All tournament information including scores, recaps, team information and more can be found on the UMAC Women’s Basketball page. Keep up with all of the tournament action on Twitter and
Instagram using #UMACchamp.