1997-98 Pioneer Women's Basketball Season Recap

Pioneers end season on a high note

The UW-Platteville women's basketball team ended its season on a high note by beating UW-Superior 71-62. The Pioneers led 30-22 at the half, then used a 10-2 run to take a 40-24 lead early in the second half. Platteville closed the season with a 10-15 overall record and 5-11 in the WIAC.

Ellie Nies led three players in double figures with 14 points, while Jolene Wessel added 13 and Amy Uppena 10 points and 9 rebounds. Colleen Michelson added 8 points, 5 assists and 5 steals.

Pioneers lose to top-ranked Titans

The UW-Oshkosh Titans showed why they were voted the nation's top team earlier in the day by whipping the Pioneers 67-36 Wednesday night at Williams Fieldhouse.

The Pioneers led 7-6 early, but Oshkosh went on a 17-2 run, holding the Pioneers without a field goal for nearly 10 minutes. Oshkosh led 31-16 at the half.

Rachael Garin, playing in her final Williams Fieldhouse game, scored 12 points for the Pioneers.

Pioneers fall short at River Falls

The UW-River Falls' women's basketball team held off UW-Platteville 78-69 Saturday in River Falls.

The Pioneers hung close through close through more than three quarters of the game, trialing by just four points at 49-45 with 9:37 to play. The Falcons then went on a 13-2 run over a five-minute period to put the game away.

Jen Kneeland scored 17 points, and Colleen Michelson had 11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals and 5 assists to pace Platteville. The Pioneers fall to 4-10 in the WIAC and 9-14 overall. River Falls improves to 8-6, 14-9.

Platteville closes its home season Wednesday against UW-Oshkosh. The Pioneers will honor senior Rachael Garin before the game.

Big second-half carries Platteville to win

The Pioneers held UW-Whitewater to 19-percent shooting and 14 total points in the second half and cruised to a 64-39 victory at Williams Fieldhouse Wednesday night.

Platteville led by just one at the half, 26-25, then outscored the Warhawks 15-2 over the first 8:30 of the second half for a 41-29 lead. Platteville continued to build its lead. The final 64-39 score was the largest margin of the contest.

Ellie Nies had a "double-double" for the Pioneers with 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Rachael Garin added 14 points and 7 rebounds. Colleen Michelson dished out a game-high 6 assists.

The Pioneers improved to 9-13 overall, 4-9 in the WIAC. The Warhawks fell to 9-13, 5-8.

Pioneers' upset bid falls short

UW-Eau Claire outscored UW-Platteville 18-9 down the stretch to post a 63-52 victory at Eau Claire's Zorn Arena Saturday night.

Jacquie Vinje hit a three-point shot to break a 44-44 tie with 6:15 remaining to give the Blugolds the lead for good. Ellie Nies scored with 1:57 to play, cutting the lead to 56-53, but the Blugolds' Jacci Smieja made four straight free throws and a layup at the buzzer for the final 62-53 score.

Jolene Wessel was the only Pioneer in double figures with 12 points. Nies had 8 points and 8 rebounds, while center Rachael Garin had six assists.

Pioneers shoot down La Crosse

The UW-Platteville women's basketball team shot 53 percent from the field and shot down La Crosse 76-66 Wednesday night at Williams Fieldhouse.

Four players scored in double figures for the Pioneers, led by Ellie Nies with 17, Jolene Wessel 16, Colleen Michelson 13 and Rachael Garin 12. Garin added 6 rebounds, two assists and three steals. Freshman center Amy Uppena grabbed 5 boards and blocked 2 shots.

The victory improved the Pioneers' record to 8-12 overall, 3-8 in WIAC play.

Pointers edge Pioneers in final seconds

The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team edged the Pioneers in overtime, 70-65, Saturday in Stevens Point.

The Pointers' Terri Crum hit a layup with 50 seconds remaining to break a 65-65 tie, and Jessica Ott scored a three-point play with 15 seconds remaining to put the game away.

The Pioneers led by one at halftime, 29-28. They held a 59-53 lead with 2:22 remaining in regulation, but the Pointers scored the final six points to force overtime.

Jolene Wessel led the Pioneers with 16 points, while Lori Mergen had 13 and Colleen Michelson 12.

Pioneer rally falls short

The UW-Platteville women's basketball team cut a 17-point second-half deficit to six points with 3:22 to play, but cut not complete the comeback, falling to UW-Stout 74-64 Saturday before 473 fans in Williams Fieldhouse.

The Blue Devils led 63-46 with 9:31 remaining, but the Pioneers went on a 16-5 run, slicing the deficit to 68-62. Ellie Nies and Jolene Wessel each had four points during that run. Platteville had two chances to narrow the gap to four, but failed. The Pioneers also came within 70-64 with 1:14 remaining, but Stout hit four of six free throws down the stretch.

Wessel led the Pioneers with 20 points, while Jen Kneeland added 11 and Colleen Michelson 10.

The Pioneers fell to 7-11 overall and 2-7 in WIAC play. Stout improved to 12-5, 6-3.

Platteville has a bye Wednesday and returns to action Saturday at UW-Stevens Point. The next home game is Feb. 11 against UW-La Crosse.

Titans run past Pioneers

UW-Platteville played the UW-Oshkosh women close in the first half, trailing by just a 28-23 count, but the first-place Titans ran away in the second period for a 83-43 victory in Oshkosh.

The Titans improved to 15-1 overall and remained undefeated in the WIAC at 8-0.

Platteville fell to 7-10 overall, 2-6 in league play. Amy Uppena led the Pioneers with 11 points.

Falcons top Pioneers

UW-River Falls's Missy Johnson proved tough to handle in the paint, as she hit 10x13 from the field and scored 25 points to lead the visiting Falcons to an 83-67 victory over UW-Platteville Saturday night.

Jolene Wessel led the Pioneers with 12 points, while Ellie Nies added 10.

Platteville fell to 7-9 on the year and 2-5 in WIAC play.

Pioneers fall to Whitewater

The UW-Platteville's women's basketball team fell at UW-Whitewater 81-63 Wednesday, falling to 7-8 overall.

Rachael Garin led the Pioneers with 18 points, hitting 8x8 from the line. As a team, the Pioneers made 22x24 from the line. Ellie Nies added 10 points.

The Pioneers return to Williams Fieldhouse Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against River Falls.

Pioneers get back to .500 with win

UW-Platteville's women's basketball team climbed back to the .500 mark with its second straight win, 67-58 over UW-Superior Saturday afternoon in Williams Fieldhouse.

The Pioneers used an 8-0 run--keyed by Lisa Dietzel's three-point basket and backdoor layup--to increase a 43-41 lead to 51-41 with 10:24 remaining. The Yellowjackets never were able to get within fewer than eight points after that.

Colleen Michelson made her first five shots and finished with 15 points to lead Platteville. Jolene Wessel, returning to the lineup after missing the last two contests with an injury, scored 13 points, while Rachael Garin added 12. Freshman center Amy Uppena grabbed 14 rebounds, a season-high for the Pioneers.

Platteville improved to 7-7 overall and 2-3 in WIAC play. Superior fell to 2-10 overall and 0-6 in the league.

The Pioneers return to action Wednesday night at UW-Whitewater and come back to Williams Fieldhouse Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. game with UW-River Falls.

Pioneers hit 14 of 20 three-point shots, whip Eagles 85-64

The Platteville women's basketball team drained their first seven three-point attempts in the first 3:48 of the second half and went on to whip UW-La Crosse, 85-64 Wednesday night in La Crosse's Mitchell Hall.

Leading 35-28 at the half, the Pioneers rolled to a 60-33 lead with 16:12 remaining in the game, thanks to four three-point shots by Colleen Michelson and three by Jen Kneeland. Kneeland tied a school-record with 7 three-point baskets (in 8 attempts), while Michelson was 6x7. The guards combined for 48 points, with Kneeland scoring a game-high 25. Ellie Nies added 10 points for Platteville.

The Pioneers shot 52.5 percent for the contest, including a torrid 72 percent (18-25) in the second half. UWP knocked down 14 of 20 three-point shots on the night.

Platteville improved to 6-7 overall and 1-3 in the WIAC. The Pioneers return to conference action Saturday vs. UW-Superior at 1 p.m. in Williams Fieldhouse.

Pioneers give #1 Blugolds a good one

The Platteville women's basketball team gave #1 ranked UW-Eau Claire all it could handle before falling 72-54 at Williams Fieldhouse Saturday.

The Pioneers held a 42-41 lead with 11 minutes to play, but the Blugolds ran off 11 straight points in 2:04 to take a 52-42 lead. Platteville sliced the lead to 52-47 on a pair of jumpers by Allison Rotramel--with one being a three-pointer--but the Blugolds scored eight more unanswered points for a 60-47 lead with 7:37 remaining. The Pioneers were never able to cut the deficit to under 10 points again.

Ellie Nies and Rotramel scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, to lead Platteville. The Pioneers played without leading scorer Jolene Wessel, who has an injured hip. Wessel, the WIAC player of the week last week, is averaging 15.2 ppg.

Platteville fell to 5-7 with the loss, including 0-3 in the WIAC. The #1 ranked Blugolds improved to 13-0 overall, 4-0 in the league.

For the second straight Wednesday, the Pioneers will travel to La Crosse. This time they will face the UW-La Crosse Eagles.

Pioneers lose to Viterbo, get ready for #1 Eau Claire

Just five days after beating Viterbo in the semifinals of the Clarke College Holiday Classic, the V-Hawks got revenge Wednesday with a 59-54 victory over the Pioneers in La Crosse.

Platteville turned the ball over 34 times, which allowed the 13-2 V-Hawks to escape with the win. Jolene Wessel scored 17 points, and Ellie Nies 12 for the Pioneers, who fell to 5-6.

The Pioneers will play host to undefeated Eau Claire, the top-ranked team in the Columbus Multimedia poll, Saturday at 5 p.m. The Blugolds edged Stout 89-85 Wednesday night.

In better news for Platteville Wednesday, Wessel earned the league's player of the week award. She was named to the all-tournament team at Clarke and also poured in 22 points against Stevens Point.

Pioneers fall in title game

The UW-Platteville women's basketball team almost accomplished the trifecta at the Clarke College Holiday Classic.

The sixth-seeded Pioneers knocked off third-seeded Mount Mercy 62-44 in the first round and second-seed Viterbo 55-52 in the semifinals before falling 69-57 to top-seeded Cardinal Stritch in Sundayt's championship game.

The Pioneers led 36-32 at the half, but the Crusaders took the lead 46-45 with about 7 minutes remaining. The undefeated Crusaders then hit back-to-back three-point bombs to extend the lead and hold off the Pioneers.

Jolene Wessel led the Pioneers with 17 points and was named to the all-tournament team.

Platteville fell to 5-5, while Stritch improved to 14-0. The Pioneers face Viterbo in a re-match Wednesday night in La Crosse.

Pioneer women join men in title games

UW-Platteville will have both its men's and women's basketball teams in Sunday's championship game of the Clarke College Holiday Classic. The men face Viterbo College Sunday at 4 p.m., while the women play Cardinal Stritch at 6 p.m.

The women, who came into the eight-team field seeded sixth, turned back #2 Viterbo 55-52 in Saturday night's semifinal. Colleen Michelson scored 15 points and had 4 steals, while Lori Mergen scored 11 and Jolene Wessel 10, including 4 free throws in the final minute to seal the win. Michelson made one of two with 8 seconds left, then grabbed the tipped rebound and dribbled out the clock.

Rachael Garin grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Pioneers against a much taller V-Hawk team.

The Pioneers raised their record to 5-4.

Pioneer women say "No Mercy" and win 62-44

The Pioneer women's basketball team held #3 seed Mt. Mercy to just 5x22 shooting in the first half and cruised to a 62-44 victory in the opening round of the Clarke College Holiday Classic New Year's Day.

Platteville led 30-14 at the break against Coach Keven Emerick's former school. Ellie Nies out-scored the entire Mustangs team by herself in the first half as she nailed 15 of her game-high 19 points in the first 20 minutes. Jolene Wessel added 18 for the Pioneers, who advance to Saturday's semifinal against Viterbo at 6 p.m.

Pointers edge UWP women

The UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team nipped the Pioneers 75-67 in a WIAC game Tuesday afternoon at Williams Fieldhouse.

Guard Jolene Wessel poured in 22 points, and forward Lori Mergen, making her first start, had 17 for Platteville. The Pointers hit 28 of 34 free throws, while the Pioneers made just 15 of 28.

Platteville is back in action New Year's Day at 6 p.m. against Mount Mercy in the first round of the Clarke College Holiday Classic in Dubuque.

Pioneers to ring in the New Year's with home games

The UW-Platteville basketball teams will ring in the New Year's with home games next week.

The Pioneer women, 3-3 on the year, face league rival UW-Stevens Point Tuesday at 3 p.m. That game has been designated "Elementary School Day," and parents can pick up free tickets for school-aged children at the athletic department offices during normal business hours.

"This day provides a chance for kids to see an important game in the fun-filled atmosphere at Williams Fieldhouse," UWP Athletic Director Mark Molesworth said. "We also set the game time at 3 p.m. to make it accessible for all the younger students as well. This will be a great chance for students to get out of the house for a while and support the Pioneers."

The undefeated Platteville men's team faces the University of Dubuque on New Year's Eve at 7:30 p.m. That game is the first round of the Clarke College tournament but will be at Williams Fieldhouse. The 4-0 Pioneers will seek the homecourt advantage that has helped them to a 145-7 mark over the past 10+ seasons. The Pioneers will be coming from San Antonio, where they play in the Alamo Shootout Dec. 26-30.

Molesworth asked fans to note the special game-time. Because it is part of the tournament, the game was set by Clarke College and will start at 7:30 p.m., instead of the usual 7 p.m. time.

Both the men's and women's teams are in the Clarke tournament that lasts through Jan. 4. The men's championship game will be televised by FOX-40, Dubuque. The title game time will be determined after the NFL playoffs are set for that weekend to ensure FOX-40 of televising the contest.

Kneeland's heroics help UWP to overtime win

Jen Kneeland connected on a three-point bomb with :01 left on the clock to tie the score at 53-53, and the Pioneers outscored Upper Iowa 8-2 in overtime for a 61-55 victory in Williams Fieldhouse Saturday.

Field goals by Ellie Nies and Colleen Michelson and a free throw by Amy Uppena gave the Pioneers a 58-53 lead in the extra period. After the Peacocks closed within 58-55, Jolene Wessel nailed a jump shot for a 60-55 lead. Lori Mergen made 1x2 from the line with 55 seconds left for the final margin.

Wessel made one of two free throws with 1:09 remaining in regulation to pull Platteville within 53-50, the Pioneer D held Upper Iowa scoreless. Platteville called timeout with 16 seconds left and set the play for Kneeland's three-pointer.

Wessel led the Pioneers with 13 points, while Michelson and Nies each had 11.

The Pioneers take a 3-3 record into the semester break. Upper Iowa fell to 4-2.

Kneeland makes this three-point shot to send the game into OT (photo by Bob Phillips).