Issued: February 28, 2003

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL VS OSHKOSH WIAC FINAL PREVIEW

Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Women's Basketball Tournament
Monday, February 24; Wednesday, February 26; Saturday, March 1

First Round Results - Monday, February 24

#1 Eau Claire 76, #8 River Falls 41

#2 Stevens Point 90, #7 La Crosse 55

#3 Oshkosh 70, #6 Whitewater 60

#4 Stout 80, #5 Platteville 64

Semifinals - Wednesday, February 26

#1 Eau Claire 83, #4 Stout 70

#3 Oshkosh 83, #2 Stevens Point 76

Championship - Saturday, March 1

#3 Oshkosh (22-5, 11-5) at #1 Eau Claire (26-1, 16-0)

Oshkosh vs. Eau Claire
Saturday, March 1 - 7 pm
Zorn Arena, Eau Claire
Doors open at 6 pm
Tickets

    Reserved - $7

    Adults - $6

    UWEC Faculty/Staff - $6

    Seniors - $4

    Youths - $3

    Students (High School & College) - $3

Fans asked to bring a non-perishable food item (canned good or packaged item) to drop off at the door in support of the conference-wide food drive in conjunction with Ministry Health Care to benefit the food pantries in each WIAC community.

This is the fifth year of the WIAC women's basketball tournament and the No. 1 seed has won the previous four championships.

1999: #1 Oshkosh beat #2 Eau Claire, 79-60

2000: #1 Eau Claire beat #2 Oshkosh, 56-45

2001: #1 Eau Claire beat #7 Platteville, 78-76

2002: #1 Stout beat #3 Oshkosh, 90-71

Eau Claire is the No. 1 seed for the third time in five years. The Blugolds previously were

1999: #2

2000: #1

2001: #1

2002: #4

2003: #1

This championship showdown is a rematch of the first two tournament championships. Both teams are making their fourth title game appearance in the five-year history of the conference tournament. Eau Claire missed last year and Oshkosh missed in 2001. Oshkosh beat the Blugolds, 79-60, in the 1999 matchup at Oshkosh while Eau Claire beat Oshkosh, 56-45, in the 2000 championship tilt at Eau Claire.

Oshkosh holds a 34-24 lead in the all-time series between the two schools but Eau Claire has won 8 of the last 9 meetings and Tonja Englund is 5-1 vs. Pam Ruder. Prior to its current win streak against the Titans, Eau Claire had lost seven in succession to the Titans. Oshkosh's last win in Zorn Arena was on Jan. 16, 1999 by a 76-66 score. Eau Claire has won five straight in Zorn since that setback. Eau Claire won the two previous meetings this year, 72-56, at Oshkosh Jan. 15 and 62-58 at Eau Claire Feb. 12.

Third-year Eau Claire coach Tonja Englund owns a 67-14 record (.827 winning percentage) since taking over for Lisa Stone, who posted a 277-59 record (.824 winning percentage) in 12 years as the head coach before leaving for the head job at Division I Drake University.

The Blugolds became only the fifth team to go through a conference schedule unbeaten since the conference went to a 16-game double round robin format beginning with the 1985-86 season. The previous unbeaten champs were Eau Claire (1999-00), Oshkosh (1997-98 and 1995-96) and Whitewater (1985-86).

The Blugolds have won 17 games in succession since their only loss of the season, a 73-59 decision to South Dakota State, currently the No. 4-ranked team in NCAA Division II. The Blugolds have won all 14 of their home games this year. Oshkosh owns an 11-3 road record this year and was 5-3 in WIAC road games.

The Blugolds are currently the No. 1-ranked team in the NCAA's Central Region and are ranked No. 1 nationally in the most recent d3hoops.com poll and No. 2 in the most recent WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Association) poll.

Only seven of 17 players on the roster hail from more than an hour's drive of Eau Claire.

Three players are from the two public high schools in Eau Claire (Joanna Leafblad, Molly Menard, Emilee Planert). Moving out from Eau Claire, there is representation from Chippewa Falls (Becca Spaeth), Fall Creek (Kristi Channing), Cadott (Janel Soppeland), Gilmanton (Rachel Becker), Stanley (Brooke Wozniak) and Hudson (Emily Anderson, Megan Hanson). Even the seven that are more than an hour are all within six hours: La Crosse (Katie Murphy), North Branch, MN (Kelly Lines), Osceola (Jenny Wolter), St. Michael, MN (Liz VanDrasek), Appleton (Kelly Guay), Brillion (Laura Tamm) and Rock Island, IL (Toya Banks).

The Blugolds' average winning margin is 18.4 points with 15 wins by 16 or more points. The Blugolds have escaped four opponents by less than five points with two in the 6-10 range and five more victories in the 11 to 15 range. The two most telling stats are shooting percentage and rebounding. The Blugolds are outshooting their opponents, 46.3 to 37.0 percent, and outrebounding them by 11.3 per game.

Nine Blugolds have scored in double figures this year: Kristi Channing (21), Becca Spaeth (19), Janel Soppeland (13), Brooke Wozniak (6), Emilee Planert (6), Toya Banks (2), Katie Murphy (3), Rachel Becker (1) and Emily Anderson (1). Only three have reached double digits in rebounding: Brooke Wozniak (16), Kristi Channing (4) and Becca Spaeth (3). The same three have the only double-doubles: Brooke Wozniak (4), Kristi Channing (3) and Becca Spaeth (1).

Five players have led the team in scoring: Kristi Channing (13 times), Becca Spaeth (8), Janel Soppeland (6), Emily Planert (1) and Katie Murphy (1). Channing was the leading scorer in the final four games of the regular season during which time she averaged 20.5 per game.

Four players have been the rebounding leader: Brooke Wozniak (16 times), Becca Spaeth (7), Kristi Channing (3) and Janel Soppeland (1). Wozniak has been the leading rebounder in the last 11 games during which time she has averaged 12.8 per game.

The Blugolds' top scoring efforts this year included 31 and 30 by Channing in the two games against Whitewater, 28 by Planert in the second game against Stout, 26 by Soppeland in the Thanksgiving Showcase game against Northwestern and 25 by Spaeth in the first game against Stout. The top rebounding efforts were by Wozniak with 19 in the second meeting against La Crosse, 17 Monday in the WIAC playoff game against River Falls and 15 in the second game against Platteville. The 17 boards against River Falls represented a new WIAC tournament single game record, eclipsing the mark of 15 set by Jamie Vosters against Eau Claire in the 2000 tournament.

Katie Murphy has scored 29 points in the two conference tournament games while Rachel Becker has 21.

Senior Kristi Channing continues to accumulate post-season honors. In addition to being one of 10 finalists for the Jostens Trophy as the NCAA Division III Player of the Year, she also was named the WIAC's Scholar-Athlete for women's basketball.

The last Oshkosh game was the only time all season the Blugolds have failed to hit a three-point field goal, going 0-of-6. They have hit at least two in all other contests and are 19-45 (.422 percentage) in the four games since Oshkosh.