1998-99 Pioneer Women's Basketball Season Review

Eau Claire ousts Pioneers

UW-Eau Claire jumped out to a 21-2 lead and went on to beat UW-Platteville 94-63 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference quarterfinals Tuesday in Eau Claire.

The second-seeded Blugolds led 44-30 at the half and increased the lead to as large as 30 points at 72-42 with 10 minutes remaining. The Blugolds move on the Thursday's semifinals. The Pioneers finish the season at 9-16 overall.

Ellie Nies finished her career with a school-record 10-for-10 at the free throw line. She totalled 24 points and ends her four years with with 1,048 points. That ranks her fifth all-time in the UWP record books.

Jolene Wessel added 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, as she and Nies combined for 44 of Platteville's 63 points.

Jayme Anderson made 13 of 15 from the field and led Eau Claire with 28 points. The 21-3 Blugolds will face UW-River Falls in the semifinals.

Stout ends UWP three-game winning streak

UW-Stout ended UW-Platteville's three-game winning streak with a 89-72 victory in Menomonie Wednesday.

The Blue Devils prevailed despite a career night from Lisa Dietzel. The junior shooting guard poured in 22 points in 18 minutes. She knocked down 7x12 from the field, including 3x6 three-point baskets, and 5x6 from the line. Jolene Wessel added 11 points and Ellie Nies had 10 for the Pioneers, who are 9-15 overall and 3-13 in the WIAC.

The Pioneers open league tournament action Tuesday at UW-Eau Claire.

Pioneers get "Nies" win

Ellie Nies, who earlier in the game scored her 1,000th career point, made perhaps her most important with no time left at the end of overtime, lifting the Pioneers to a 85-84 win over UW-La Crosse Saturday in Williams Fieldhouse.

The Pioneers inbounded the ball under their own basket with 1.8 seconds left. Nies pump faked and drew the foul as the clock expired. She made the first free throw, giving the Pioneers the win.

Platteville jumped into seventh place in the league with its third straight win. The Pioneers improved to 9-14 overall, 3-12 in league play. La Crosse fell to 6-17, 2-3.

Nies became just the fifth player in Pioneer history to surpass 1,000 points when she hit a layup with 8:25 left in the first half. Nies led the Pioneers with 19 points. Colleen Michelson added 16 points, six assists and two steals. Jolene Wessel and Jean Mulderink scored 12 points apiece, and Jen Kneeland added 11.

The Pioneers close their regular season at UW-Stout Wednesday at 7 p.m. Should they remain in seventh place, the Pioneers would open the WIAC playoffs Tuesday, Feb. 23 at second-place UW-Eau Claire.

Pioneers top Superior

UW-Platteville won its second straight women's basketball game with a come-from-behind 69-62 victory over UW-Superior Wednesday at Williams Fieldhouse.

The Pioneers trailed 60-59 with just over a minute to play, but Jolene Wessel gave UWP the lead for good with a baseline jumper. Colleen Michelson made two free throws with 53 seconds left, and two more with 24 ticks left for a 65-62 lead. Ellie Nies and Jolene Wessel knocked down a pair of free shots in the final 21 seconds for the win.

Wessel paced a balanced attack with 17 points, while Nies scored 13, leaving her just 5 points shy of 1,000 career points. She moved into fifth place on the all-time scoring chart. Lisa Dietzel, who made 3 three-point shots in the first half, added 11 points. Amy Rieck chipped in 9 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Pioneers broke the eighth-place tie in the conference, improving to 2-12 in league play overall and 8-14 overall. UW-Superior fell to 1-13, 4-16.

Platteville has a chance to grab seventh place when the Pioneers play host to UW-La Crosse Saturday at 7 p.m.

Pioneers beat St. Ambrose

The UW-Platteville women's basketball team snapped its six-game losing streak with a 73-68 non-conference win over St. Ambrose Monday in Williams Fieldhouse.

The Pioneers, who improved to 6-2 in non-league play, were led by Jolene Wessel with 24 points. She hit 9x10 from the line, a pair with 11 seconds left for the final five-point margin.

Ellie Nies added 15 points, moving her within 18 of 1,000 for her career. Jean Mulderink recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Colleen Michelson added 12 points and 9 assists.

The Pioneers return to Williams Fieldhouse Wednesday to face UW-Superior at 7 p.m.

Ott, Pointers pull out squeaker

Jessica Ott scored 30 points, including the a three-point play in the final seconds, to lead host UW-Stevens Point to a 61-58 women's basketball victory Saturday afternoon in the Berg gymnasium.

Jean Mulderink hit three of four free throws in the final 20 seconds to tie the score at 58-58, but Ott made a driving layup and free throw with 2 seconds left for the win.

The Pioneers fell to 6-14 overall and 1-12 in WIAC play. They were led by Mulderink's 13 points and Jolene Wessel's 11.

Platteville begins a three-game homestand Monday with a non-conference game with St. Ambrose at 7 p.m.

Pioneers fall to Blugolds

The UW-Platteville women's basketball team battled with the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds only to fall 53-39. With the score 9-10 in favor of the Blugolds, Jayme Anderson proved to be to much. Anderson scored 9 straight points in a 19-6 run to end the first half.

The shooting woos continue for the Pioneers, as they are only able to connect on 27.8% of their shots. The Pioneers and Blugold combined for 47 turnovers.

Anderson led all scorers with 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Pioneers were led by 8 points from both Ellie Nies and Jean Mulderink. Colleen Michelson scored 5 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and pitched in 3 assists.

The Blugolds improve to 18-1 overall, and 11-1 in the WIAC. The Pioneers fall to 6-13 overall, and 1-11 in conference.

Warhawks prove too tall a task

UW-Whitewater, which features three regulars 6-1 or taller, proved to be too tall a task for the UW-Platteville women, as the Warhawks prevailed 76-57 Saturday afternoon in Whitewater.

The Warhawks outrebounded the Pioneers 46-32, including 10 by 6-5 Marquette transfer Vanessa Rieder. The Pioneers were forced outside and only made 5 of 26 three-point shots.

Jolene Wessel led the Pioneers with a career-high 24 points and 6 rebounds.

The Pioneers fell to 6-12 overall and 1-10 in league play. The Warhawks improved to 13-6, 8-4.

Pioneers' upset bid falls just short

UW-Platteville overcame a 14-point halftime deficit and nearly upset UW-River Falls, the Great Lakes Region's sixth-ranked team, before falling 75-70 before 478 fans at Williams Fieldhouse.

The Falcons led 40-26 at the half, but the Pioneers came back to tie the score at 47-47 on Jen Kneeland's three-point basket. Amy Rieck's layup gave the Pioneers their first lead at 49-47. Platteville extended the margin to as large as 5 at 58-53.

River Falls came back to take the lead on a five-point play. Jodi Loblein hit a three-point basket, and Missy Johnson was fouled underneath the basket. She then hit both free throws for a 61-60 UWRF advantage. Steph Olson assured the win by making 7x8 from the line in the final 54 seconds.

Ellie Nies led Platteville with 17 points and 8 rebounds, while Jean Mulderink scored 11 points with 9 rebounds and 5 steals. Laurie Buechel, thanks to 5x6 shooting, scored 10 points.

Johnson scored 34 points, hitting 14x18 from the field, and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Falcons.

River Falls improved to 14-5 overall and 6-5 in league play. The Pioneers dropped to 6-11, 1-9.

Pioneers fall to undefeated Titans

Undefeated UW-Oshkosh jumped out to a 20-2 lead and held off UW-Platteville 82-59 Wednesday night in Oshkosh.

The Titans, who won their 40th straight regular season game, improved to 16-0, 9-0. The Pioneers fell to 6-10, 1-8.

Jen Kneeland bombed in six three-point baskets and finished with a game-high 18 points. Ellie Nies and Jean Mulderink each scored 8 points, while Nies grabbed 7 rebounds.

Pioneers come back to beat Superior

Laurie Buechel's made one of two free throws with 12 seconds remaining, lifting UW-Platteville to a thrilling 56-55 win at UW-Superior Wednesday.

Ellie Nies pulled the Pioneers to a tie with 47 seconds remaining by sinking a pair of foul shots.

The victory was the first in league action for the Pioneers and snapped a five-game overall losing streak. UWP is now 6-8 overall and 1-6 in the WIAC.

Amy Uppena hit all 6 of her shots from the field and finished with 14 points. Jolene Wessel added 12 points and 7 rebounds.

The Pioneers travel to UW-La Crosse Saturday to face the Eagles. Tip-off time is 7 p.m.

Blue Devils prevail over Pioneers

UW-Stout prevailed 86-72 over UW-Platteville Monday in a game filled with 52 turnovers and 96 missed shots.

The Pioneers turned the ball over 21 times in the first half alone and fell behind 48-32. Platteville reduced its turnovers to 7 in the second half, but could not make up the lead. The closest the Pioneers could come was 10, twice.

Ellie Nies led the Pioneers with a season-high 20 points, while Laurie Buechel poured in a career-high 16. Lisa Dietzel added 11 points and 4 assists.

Pioneers lose lead, game

UW-Platteville shot 55 percent in the first half and rolled to a 44-35 halftime lead over UW-Stevens Point. However, in the second half, the Pioneers lost their hot hands, the lead and eventually the game, 76-67.

The Pioneers made 17 of 31 shots in the first 20 minutes, but only 8 of 27 in the final period. The loss, UWP's fourth in a row, dropped them to 5-7 overall and 0-5 in the league. Stevens Point improved to 7-6, 3-3.

Jolene Wessel was the lone Pioneer in double figures with 20 points, hitting 6x12 from the field, including 2x3 three-point shots, and 6x7 from the line.

The Pioneers return to Williams Fieldhouse Monday to face UW-Stout at 7 p.m.

Pioneers lose to undefeated Blugolds

UW-Eau Claire continued its impressive roll through the season as the Blugolds beat the Pioneers 87-52 in Eau Claire.

The 11-0 Blugolds jumped out to a 47-18 halftime lead, holding the Pioneers to 5x25 from the field. Platteville shot 59 percent in the second half, but could not overcome the large lead.

UWP, playing without injured point guard Colleen Michelson, was led by Amy Uppena off the bench with 12 points and Ellie Nies with 11.

The Pioneers, now 5-6 overall and 0-4 in the WIAC, play host to UW-Stevens Point Saturday and UW-Stout Monday. Both games begin at 7 p.m.

Pioneers place 4th at Clarke

The UW-Platteville women's basketball team placed fourth in the eight-team Clarke College Holiday Classic, which concluded Sunday.

The Pioneers defeated the University of Dubuque 61-47 in the opening game on New Year's Eve. In the semifinals the next day, Mount Mercy stopped the Pioneers 75-65. Top-seeded Cardinal Stritch (12-3) beat UWP 75-60 in Sunday's third-place contest.

Ellie Nies was named to the seven-player all-tournament team after she totalled 36 points in the three games. She had 15 points and seven rebounds against Cardinal Stritch.

Jolene Wessel also scored 36 points in the three contests. She and Laurie Buechel led a balanced attack in the opener with 10 points apiece. The Pioneers held the Spartans to 33 percent shooting in the game.

Wessel (13 points) and Nies (12) led the Pioneers in the semifinals, but 25 turnovers hurt the UWP cause.

Platteville is 5-5 on the season and travels to undefeated UW-Eau Claire Wednesday. The Pioneers return home Saturday and Monday to face UW-Stevens Point and UW-Stout. Both games begin at 7 p.m.

Warhawks beat Pioneers

UW-Platteville women's basketball team fell to UW-Whitewater Saturday night 49-67 in Williams Fieldhouse. The Pioneers who forced 27 turnovers continued to have their shooting troubles. The Pioneers were only able to connect on 27% of their shots while the Warhawks nailed 43% of their shots. Jolene Wessel had 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 steals, and Lisa Dietzel added 12 points. The Pioneers drop to 4-3 overall and 0-3 in the WIAC, while the Warhawks improve to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the WIAC.

Pioneers fall to Falls

UW-River Falls forced 34 UW-Platteville turnovers and went on to post a 72-60 women's basketball victory Wednesday in the UWRF Karges Center.

Colleen Michelson scored 19 points to lead the Pioneers, who fell to 4-2, 0-2 in league action. The Falcons improved to 7-1, 2-0.

Platteville returns to Williams Fieldhouse Saturday against UW-Whitewater in a 7 p.m. game.

Pioneers win close one over Loras

The UW-Platteville women's basketball team remains unbeaten in non-conference games after a 68-67 win over Loras College in Williams Fieldhouse. The Pioneers, who found themselves down 13 with 11:29

to go in the game, rattled off 14 straight points over the next six and a half minutes to take a 61-60 lead. The run was sparked by Jolene Wessel, who scored 10 of her team high 18 points during the run.

Wessel, who also had 10 rebounds, made two free throws with 13 seconds left to put the Pioneers on top 68-67. The Pioneers got only one basket over the last 6:26 but made 7 of their last 9 free throws to hold on for the win.

Jean Mulderink and Colleen Michelson both added 14 points, with Michelson pitching in 9 assists as well.

The Pioneers improved to 4-1 overall, while the Duhawks fell to 2-3.

Pioneers fall to Titans

The UW-Platteville women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season as the top-ranked Titans of UW-Oshkosh pulled away for a 61-43 win in Williams Fieldhouse.

The Pioneers pulled within 34-28 early in the second half and again to 40-33 with 9:38 to play. Platteville was still within nine with 4:41 to play at 48-39, before the Titans made a 13-2 run.

Jolene Wessel was the lone Pioneer in double figures with 12 points. Laurie Buechel hit 4x6 from the field and added 6 assists.

The Titans, who out-shot the Pioneers 53-34 percent, were led by Jennie Vosters with 18.

Platteville fell to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in league play. Oshkosh is 5-0, 1-0.

Pioneers improve to 3-0

The UW-Platteville basketball team improved to 3-0 Saturday with a 67-50 victory over Upper Iowa in Fayette, Iowa.

The Pioneers put that unbeaten streak on the line Wednesday at Williams Fieldhouse when pre-season #1 UW-Oshkosh comes to town. The Titans were ranked first in the country by Dick Vitale's College Basketball Preview. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.

Jolene Wessel paced a balanced attack Saturday with 13 points, while Jean Mulderink came off the bench for 10 points and 5 rebounds. Wessel added 5 of the Pioneers' 12 steals, as they forced 32 Upper Iowa turnovers.

Big second-half carries Platteville

The UW-Platteville women's basketball team shot 58 percent in the second half and pulled away for a 65-45 victory over St. Ambrose in Davenport, Iowa Tuesday night.

The Pioneers outscored the Queen Bees 36-23 in the final 20 minutes. In the process, the Pioneers avenged last year's 19-point loss to St. Ambrose.

Jolene Wessel, who hit 8x11 shots, led four players in double figures with 19 points. Both Colleen Michelson and Ellie Nies scored 11 points, and Jen Kneeland added 10 off the bench.

The 2-0 Pioneers play at Upper Iowa Saturday at 7 p.m.

Pioneers win in Dunbar's debut

The debut of Coach Denise Dunbar was successful for the UW-Platteville women's basketball team, as the Pioneers defeated Coe College 63-45 Friday night in Williams Fieldhouse.

Ellie Nies recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Jolene Wessel took game scoring honors with 14 points, and Amy Rieck added 7 points and 12 rebounds. The Pioneers controlled the glass, out-rebounding the Kohawks 52-33.

Platteville is back in action Tuesday at St. Ambrose College, tipping off at 5:30 p.m.