University of Wisconsin - Stout

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Hirssig, Geissler take top team awards

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MENOMONIE (April 7, 2008) - Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn/Mayo) was recently named the most valuable player of the UW-Stout women's basketball team, while guard Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) was named the most valuable defensive player for the second consecutive year.

Hirssig finished the season leading the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) with 16.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Hirssig led all of NCAA Division III in field goal percentage at .648 (175-270) and set a school record. She collected a conference-high 12 double-doubles on the season. Hirssig scored at least 20 points six times, all of which came in the team’s final 10 games. Hirssig was a first team all-WIAC pick and was named to the WIAC all-defensive team. Twice the WIAC player of the week, Hirssig was named to the D3hoops.com All-Central region team.

Geissler was simply tenacious throughout her four year career, and would tend to draw the opponent's leading scorer. This season she led the WIAC in free throw percentage, establishing a new school record of .886 (70-79).

Freshman Tricia Van Vreede (Little Chute/Kimberly) received the rookie of the year award. Mary Schaefer (Sr, Madison/Lakeside Lutheran) and Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury/Webster) shared the most improved award. Lindsey Gerber (Jr, Exeland/Bruce) earned the sixth player award. Alisha Todd (Fr, Farmington, Minn) received the hustle award and Danielle DeWitt (So, Green Bay/Bay Port) the spirit award.

Dani Boese (Jr, Nelson/Alma), Joanna Bird (Sr, Boyceville), Megan Maslowski (So, Marshfield) and Kim Stokke (So, Menomonie) received the coaches' award.

First year letters were given to: Van Vreede, Todd, Becky Wyngaard (Fr, Kimberly), Brittany Gerber (Fr, Exeland/Bruce), Kristen Laramy (Fr, Colfax) and Alex Suda (Fr, Ham Lake, Minn/Blaine)

Repeat letters were given to: Bird, Geissler, Edwards, Boese, DeWitt, Hirssig, Stokke, Lindsey Gerber, Schaefer, Maslowski and Nikki Wyngaard (Jr, Kimberly).

2007-08 UW-Stout Women's Basketball Team Awards
Most valuable player: Julia Hirssig; Offensive MVP: Julia Hirssig; Defensive MVP: Lindsey Geissler; Rookie of the year: Tricia Van Vreede; Most improved: Charlee Edwards and Mary Schaefer; Hustle award: Alisha Todd; Sixth player award: Lindsey Gerber; Spirit award: Danielle DeWitt; Coaches' award: Dani Boese, Joanna Bird, Megan Maslowski, Kim Stokke;

Statistical Awards
Chair of the board: Julia Hirssig, 9.1 rpg; Scoring champion: Julia Hirssig, 16.1 ppg; Assists leader: Lindsey Geissler, 3.1 apg; Steals leader: Charlee Edwards, 1.9 spg; Free throw percentage champion: Lindsey Geissler, 70-79, .886 (school record); Shooting percentage champion: Julia Hirssig, 175-270, .648 (school record, led NCAA Division III).

Julia Hirssig leads DIII in shooting percentage

Julia HirssigMENOMONIE (March 28, 2008) - UW-Stout's Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn/Mayo) led all of the NCAA Division III in shooting percentage for the 2007-08 women's basketball season.

A forward, Hirssig finished the season shooting a school record 64.8 percent, hitting 175-of-270 shots from the floor in 27 games. Hirssig finished the season averaging a conference-best 16.1 points per game.

Hirssig never shot less than 40 percent in a game, and three times shot 100 percent. Her most productive nights came, not surprisingly, with solid shooting games. Hirssig scored a career-best 30 points when she hit 14-of-17 shots (.824) against UW-Stevens Point, Feb. 6. The game before that, Hirssig scored 27 points against UW-Oshkosh, Feb. 2, hitting 11-of-16 shots (.688).

In perhaps her most impressive performance of the year, Hirssig connected on her first 12 attempts from the field and finished the night shooting 13-of-14 (.929) and scored 26 points against UW-La Crosse, Feb. 16.

Guard Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) finished the season eight in free throw percentage, making 70-of-79 for 88.6 percent. Geissler opened the season by making her first 29 free throw attempts of the season, before missing an attempt in the ninth game of the season.

Julia Hirssig named to D3hoops.com team

Julia HirssigMENOMONIE (March 18, 2008) - UW-Stout’s Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn/Mayo) was named to the D3hoops.com All-Central Region second team.

Hirssig finished the season leading the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) with 16.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.  Her school record field goal percentage of .648 (175-270) topped the WIAC.  Hirssig rejected 21 shots on the year, putting her third in the conference.  She collected a conference-high 12 double-doubles on the season, and was one of two players to score 30 points in a game.  Hirssig scored at least 20 points six times, all of which came in the team’s final 10 games. 

The D3hoops.com all-region second team was made up entirely of WIAC schools. Also on the squad were Lisa Wubben of UW-Platteville, Haley Houghton of UW-Sttevens Point, Michelle Burns of UW-Eau Claire and Tiffany Morton of UW-Whitewater. Whitney Tyriver of UW-Oshkosh was a first team choice and Kelsey Hendrickson of UW-Whitewater was a third team pick.

Julia Hirssig first team all-WIAC; Edwards HM

Charlee EdwardsJulia HirssigMENOMONIE (March 6, 2008) - UW-Stout’s Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn/Mayo) was named to the all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women’s basketball team, while teammate Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury) was named honorable mention.

Hirssig, who was also picked for the all-defensive team, finished the season averaging a conference-leading 16.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.  Her school record field goal percentage of .648 (175-270) topped the WIAC.  Hirssig rejected 21 shots on the year, putting her third in the conference.  She collected a conference-high 12 double-doubles on the season, and was one of two players to score 30 points in a game.  Hirssig scored at least 20 points six times, all of which came in the team’s final 10 games. 

Hirssig, a finalist for the WIAC player of the year and a two-time WIAC player of the week, was also named to the Inside Wisconsin Sports magazine 2008 All-State first team. The team consisted of all NCAA Division II, III and NAIA schools in Wisconsin.

Edwards scored 7.7 points per game for the Blue Devils while she collected 3.5 rebounds per game and recorded a team-high 51 steals on the year.  Edwards shot .443 (86-194) from the floor and .316 (12-38) from beyond the arc, both of which put her near the top of Stout’s squad.  Edwards’ highlight of the year is perhaps her alley-oop buzzer beater in overtime to advance past UW-La Crosse in the first round of the WIAC Tournament.

Joanna Bird (Sr, Boyceville) was named to the WIAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

Stout bounced by Eau Claire in semi-finals

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EAU CLAIRE (February 28, 2008) - UW-Eau Claire won nearly every facet of the game and went on to a 86-61 win in the semi-finals of the WIAC tournament, Thursday, ending Stout's season.

The top seeded Blugolds (22-5) jumped out to a 23-12 lead midway through the first half, but Stout (17-10) pulled to within four points as Megan Maslowski (So, Marshfield) hit a 3-pointer and Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) contributed six points in the 9-2 run.

But it was all Eau Claire after that as the Blugolds jumped out to a 48-29 halftime lead, and just expanded on that throughout the second half, getting up to as much as a 31 point lead late in the game.

The Blugolds' Michelle Burns led all scorers with 27 points. Heather Witt added 13 for Eau Claire and Heidi Arciszewski contributed 11.

Stout got 20 points from Hirssig, 15 of those points coming in the first half. No other Blue Devil scored in double digits. Dani Boese (Jr, Alma) finished with eight points and Maslowski, seven.

The Blue Devils were 23-66 (34.8 percent) from the floor and 2-17 from 3-point range. The Blugolds were hot all evening, finishing shooting at 60 percent (33-55) from the floor and 55.6 percent (5-9) from 3-point range.

The only the battle the Blue Devils won was on the glass where they hauled down 37 rebounds compared to 33 for Eau Claire. But 19 of Stout's rebounds were offensive rebounds, and the Blugolds snagged 27 defensive rebounds.

Eau Claire will host UW-Stevens Point, which upset second seeded UW-Whitewater, Saturday, March 1.

Stout defeats La Crosse with buzzer-beater in OT

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MENOMONIE (February 26, 2008) - After nearly 45 minutes of basketball, it all came down to half a second.

With 0.5 seconds left on the clock in overtime and the score tied 63-63, UW-Stout's Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) had to execute a pinpoint inbound pass to give her team a chance to win. Geissler hit an airborne Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury), who finished the alley-oop with a bank shot as time expired, giving Stout a 65-63 win, Tuesday, at Johnson Fieldhouse in a WIAC Tournament quarterfinal game.

Stout (17-9) jumped out to an early 9-0 lead with four Blue Devils hitting buckets, but the Eagles (14-12) charged back to tie the game at 11. La Crosse took the lead and stretched it to five before Stout cut it down to a 22-20 halftime lead for the Eagles.

Stout's Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) - who was held scoreless in the first half for the first time this season - scored six points in the first three minutes of the second half to help the Blue Devils grab a seven point lead. La Crosse slowly cut into their deficit and took the lead with just over five minutes remaining.

With eight seconds remaining and La Crosse up by one, Hirssig was fouled and put on the line. She tied the game with the first free throw, but missed the second, giving the Eagles an opportunity to win it in regulation. Geissler took a charge on the Eagles' ensuing possession, which gave Stout a chance to win the game. Geissler then missed the first buzzer-beater attempt of the night, sending the game into overtime.

With a minute and a half remaining in overtime, La Crosse's Sam Aspenson was sent to the line after a Hirssig foul. She hit two free throws, tying the game at 63. That would be the Eagles' final points of the night.

Stout called a timeout with the ball with 15 seconds remaining and a broken play ended up in a jump ball with 0.5 seconds left on the clock. That set up Stout's second buzzer-beater win over La Crosse of the season.

Hirssig finished the night with game highs in points and rebounds. She scored 20 points, all of which came after halftime, and pulled down 17 rebounds, which is her new career high. Edwards threw in 17 points and six rebounds to complement her late-game heroics.

The Eagles had four players score at least 10 points, led by 18 from Mandy Stevens. Mackenzie Hunter and Lindsay Wahl each collected seven boards for La Crosse.

Stout will travel to UW-Eau Claire for the WIAC Tournament Semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 28.

 

Stout closes regular season with loss to Blugolds

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EAU CLAIRE (February 23, 2008) - UW-Stout closed out the WIAC season the same way they opened it - with a loss to arch-rival UW-Eau Claire Saturday at Zorn Arena.

Eau Claire (19-5, 14-2) built up as much as an eight point second half lead, then held off a Stout (16-9, 10-6) comeback for a 77-74 win. The Blugolds claimed a share of the conference title with the win and swept the series over the Blue Devils.

Heidi Arciszewski scored 30 points to lead the Blugolds and Michelle Burns added 22.

Stout got 18 points from the WIAC's leading scorer, Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn). Hirssig recorded a double-double by pulling down 10 rebounds. Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) added 11 points for the Blue Devils. Geissler had a game-high eight assists.

Stout will finish as the fourth seed in the WIAC tournament and will host UW-La Crosse, Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.

Stout blows out River Falls

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MENOMONIE (February 20, 2008) - UW-Stout took an 11-point lead into halftime, and outscored River Falls 47-29 in the second half to get a big 82-53 win in thier final regular season home game, Wednesday, at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Already with a one-point lead with eight minutes remaining in the first half, Stout (16-8, 10-5) took off on a 13-2 run, fueled by solid defense and five points from Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury). That run gave the Blue Devils a 12-point lead, which River Falls (8-16, 2-13) cut to 11 by half, but Stout was just getting started.

The Blue Devils came out of the gates hot in the second half, going on a 16-4 run featuring two three-pointers from Joanna Bird (Sr, Boyceville) and two baskets from both Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) and Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp). Stout would then increase that 23-point lead to 33 over the next nine minutes, and coasted from there to an important conference win.

All of Stout's active players got into the game, with all but one of them adding to their team's point total.

Hirssig was just one rebound shy of a double-double, as she pulled down nine boards and scored 18 in just 19 minutes. Both of those totals were best for all players.

For the visiting Falcons, Jenna Hanson led the way with eights points and Sarah Schoeneck pulled down a team-high five rebounds.

With the win, Stout puts themselves one game ahead of fifth-place UW-La Crosse. They can clinch a first-round home game with a win at UW-Eau Claire on Saturday, Feb. 23 or a La Crosse loss to Stevens Point set for the same date.

Julia Hirssig repeats as WIAC player of week

Julia HirssigMENOMONIE (February 19, 2008) - For the second time in less than a month, UW-Stout's Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) was named the WIAC women's basketball player of the week after the Blue Devils split a pair of games.

Hirssig recorded a pair of double-doubles during the week in games played against UW-La Crosse and UW-Superior.  Against the Eagles, she totaled a game-high 26 points on 13-of-14 shooting from the field - including making her first 12 attempts - and grabbed a game-best 11 rebounds.  Her 13 field goals made rank as the second-highest performance in the conference this season.  

Against the Yellowjackets, she scored 10 points and had 10 rebounds.  In the two games, Hirssig shot 17-of-21 from the field and blocked two shots.

Hirssig leads the WIAC in scoring (15.7 points) rebounds (8.5) and shooting percentage (.680, 153-225). Hirssig was also the WIAC player of the week Jan. 29.

La Crosse snaps 26-game losing streak to Stout

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LA CROSSE (February 16, 2008) - UW-La Crosse ended their 26 game losing streak to UW-Stout, Saturday, when they came back late to grab a 60-57 victory. The Blue Devils had not lost a contest to La Crosse since Jan 27, 1996, when they lost 86-67.

Stout (15-8, 9-5) led for much of the first half, despite 13 turnovers compared to six takeaways, but La Crosse (14-10, 9-6) ended the half on a 9-0 run and took a 35-31 lead into intermission.

The Blue Devils came out of the locker rooms hot and went on a 12-0 run fueled by eight points by Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn), giving them an eight point lead. They grabbed three seperate eight point margins in the second period.

La Crosse surged back in the closing minutes of the game and Mackenzie Hunter hit a jumper to give her team a one-point lead with 1:16 remaining. When Stout turned the ball over on their ensuing posession, they were forced to foul La Crosse to get the ball back. The Eagles' Dana Churchill hit two clutch free throws to take a three-point lead with 11 seconds remaining. The Blue Devils were unable to get a buzzer-beater attempt off, and conceded their first loss to La Crosse in 12 years.

Hirssig finished the game with 26 points on 13-14 shooting from the field. She also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

For the Eagles, Lindsey Wahl contributed a team-high 18 points and Hunter added 12 points on 6-22 shooting.

The Blue Devils won the rebounding battle 40-31, and their shooting percentage of 48 percent bettered La Crosse's by 10 percent. The Eagles, however, had just 17 turnovers compared to Stout's 29. Stout also shot only seven free throws and made just two of them as La Crosse was 13-18 from the charity stripe.

Stout will return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 20, when they will take on UW-River Falls at Johnson Fieldhouse at 7 p.m.

Blue Devils crank it up in second half

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SUPERIOR (February 13, 2008) - UW-Stout held a 26-18 halftime lead, but turned their game up a couple of notches in the second half to down UW-Superior, 73-45, Wednesday.

The Blue Devils (15-7, 9-4), coming off a loss last Saturday, were able to play all 18 players by the end of the first half.

The Blue Devils led by eight at halftime, but ran that out to a 20 points lead, 44-24, with six minutes gone in the first half.

Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) collected a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Stout. Dani Boese (So, Alma) led all scorers with 12 points and Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury) added 11 points.

The Yellowjackets (4-18, 1-3) were led by Kesley Thingvold with 10 points.

Stout will be at UW-La Crosse Saturday, Feb. 16, then return home Wednesday, Feb. 20 to face UW-River Falls.

Stout falls to third ranked Whitewater

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MENOMONIE (February 9, 2008) - UW-Whitewater had five player tally double figures as UW-Stout lost to the third ranked Warhawks, 83-72, Saturday at Johnson Fieldhouse.

The Warhawks (20-1, 11-1) pulled out to a seven point, 35-29, halftime lead and stretched that to as much as 18 points, 65-47, with 8:16 left in the game.

The Blue Devils (14-7, 8-4) eventually got the score to as close as nine points, 76-67, with just over a minute left, but the Warhawks made all eight free throws down the stretch.

Whitewater, which shot 50 percent in the second half and 43.6 percent for the game, were led by inside player Tiffany Mortan with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Heidi Sonntag and Lindsey Buechner added 16 apiece and Kelsey Hendrickson and Meghan Schmidt tossed in 10 points. The win marked the first time Whitewater has swept Stout since the 1994-95 season.

Stout, which shot 35.4 percent for the game, got 14 points from Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) and 11 points from Joanna Bird (Sr, Boyceville).

Stout will be at UW-Superior, Wednesday, Feb. 13 and at UW-La Crosse, Saturday, Feb. 16.

Hirssig, Boese help Stout roll past Pointers

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MENOMONIE (February 6, 2008) - In overtime of a very evenly played game, Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) and Dani Boese (Jr, Alma) each added seven clutch points to help UW-Stout run away from UW-Stevens Point, Wednesday, at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Stout (14-6, 8-3) led for much of the first half, increasing their lead to a maximum of eight, and took a four-point lead into half.

With 16 minutes remaining in regulation, Stout gave up their lead, but quickly took it back and held it until Stevens Point's (16-4, 7-4) Laura Neuenfeldt hit a three-pointer with 25 seconds left in the half, tying the game at 72 apiece. Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) was unable to convert on a buzzer-beater which sent the game into overtime.

The Pointers struck first in overtime, but Hirssig answered with a three-point play to take a lead which held the rest of the game. Boese hit a clutch three to increase a four-point lead to seven, virtually sealing the deal for the Blue Devils with just over a minute to play. Geissler added to the lead by making all four of her free throw attempts in the closing seconds.

For the third game in a row, Hirssig set a personal career high scoring mark. She scored 30 points on the night to go with 11 rebounds, while Boese scored 17 and pulled down six boards.

Stevens Point had four players in double digits, including a team-high 18 points from Neuenfeldt, who shot 4-6 from downtown, including the overtime-forcing three.

With the win, Stout moves into sole possession of third place in the WIAC, while Stevens Point will drop to fourth.

The Blue Devils return to the court on Saturday, Feb. 9, when they host the third-ranked Whitewater Warhawks at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Hirssig helps Stout roll past Oshkosh

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MENOMONIE (February 2, 2008) - It is almost getting to sound like a broken record, but Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) scored a career-high 27 points as UW-Stout defeated UW-Oshkosh, 79-60, Saturday at Johnson Fieldhouse.

With Hirssig camped out in the paint, Oshkosh (9-11, 4-7) had few answers for Hirssig throughout the game. Hirssig scored 16 points in the first half, then tacked on 11 in the second half.

Stout 13-6, 7-3) jumped out to a double digit lead midway through the first half and held that throughout most of the first stanza, heading into recess with a 39-27 lead. The Titans managed to cut into Stout's lead in the second half, pulling two within six points with five minutes left, 62-56, on a bucket by Whitney Tyriver, who led the Titans with 18 points.

The Blue Devils immediately answered when Lindsey Gerber (Jr, Exeland) banged home a 3-pointer and Kim Stokke (So, Menomonie) stole the ball, was fouled and made both shots to give Stout a 67-56 lead.

Hirssig was 11-of-16 from the field and connected on 5-of-6 free throws. She also had eight rebounds and two assists. Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury) contributed 13 points for Stout. Michelle Boeder had 13 points for Oshkosh.

Stout shot 51.7 percent (31-60) from the floor for the afternoon, while the Titans shot 34.5 percent (19-55).

Stout will host UW-Stevens Point, Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. and UW-Whitewater, Saturday, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m.

Julia Hirssig picks up player of week honors

Julia HirssigMENOMONIE (January 29, 2008) - Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) scored a career high and turned in a solid week of play as UW-Stout went 2-0 last week. For her efforts, Hirssig was named the WIAC player of the week.

Hirssig scored a career-high 21 points in a 69-61 win at UW-Platteville on January 26.  After the Pioneers came back to tie the game 54-54 with 6:47 left in the game, Hirssig scored eight points in those final minutes of the contest.  Three times UW-Platteville took a one point lead, and three times Hirssig scored to put the Blue Devils back on top.  In the game, Hirssig finished with seven rebounds and four steals. In only 13 total minutes in an 80-43 win over UW-Superior on January 23, Hirssig tallied 11 points, pulled down a team-high five rebounds and had two assists and three steals.

On the week, Hirssig scored 32 points, shot 14-of-21 from the floor (66.7 percent), had 12 rebounds and seven steals.

Hirssig currently averages a team-high 14.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Stout will host UW-Oshkosh, Saturday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m.

Stout squeezes out win over Platteville

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PLATTEVILLE (January 26, 2008) - Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) scored a career-high 21 points, 12 in the second half and UW-Stout squeezed past UW-Platteville, 69-61, Saturday at Bo Ryan Court.

The Blue Devils (12-6, 6-3) led most of the second half, but Platteville (9-9, 3-6) came back to take a one-point lead a couple of times with about three minutes left to play. Hirssig's tip-in with 3:06 left gave Stout the lead for good, then her bucket with 1:11 left gave the Blue Devils a 62-59 lead.

Stout went to the free throw line to ice the game as Joanna Bird (Sr, Boyceville) made four charity shots and Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) made three.

Stout will host UW-Oshkosh, Saturday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m.

Stout blows past Superior

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MENOMONIE (January 23, 2008) - UW-Stout's first five baskets made were 3-pointers and the Blue Devils launched a 3-point barrage in burying UW-Superior, 80-43, Wednesday.

Lindsey Gerber (Jr, Exeland) gave Stout (11-6, 5-3) a lead after 10 seconds and the Blue Devils kept that lead the entire game, increasing it to 45 at one point.

Gerber led the charge for Stout, connecting on four long-balls, all of which came in the first half. She finished with 12 points, which tied Lindsey Giessler (Sr, Thorp) for a game high. Gerber, who was making her first career start at Stout, also dished out six assists.

Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) added 11 points on 5-5 shooting from the field and pulled down a team-high five rebounds.

For the Yellowjackets (4-12, 1-7), Anna Petersen dumped 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds, both of which were team bests.

Stout will travel to Platteville on Saturday, Jan. 26, and are then off until Saturday, Feb. 2 when they will host UW-Oshkosh.

 

Whitewater uses steady effort to drop Stout

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WHITEWATER (January 19, 2008) - UW-Whitewater steadily pulled away from UW-Stout in the second half and the Warhawks went on to defeat the Blue Devils, 93-72, Saturday at Williams Center.

The Warhawks (15-1, 6-1) held a four point, 44-40, halftime lead, but jumped out to a 12 point, 58-46, lead with five minutes game in the second half and the lead would never slip below 10 points.

Kelsey Hendrickson led four Warhawks with 21 points. Tiffany Morton added 16 points, Lindsey Buechner 12 and Dana Thompson 10. Buechner had 10 rebounds as Whitewater out-boarded the Blue Devils, 47-33. Whitewater got off 74 shots from the floor, making 34 field goals as they had numerous second and third chances, collecting 26 offensive rebounds.

Joanna Bird (Sr, Boyceville) led Stout (10-6, 4-3) with 13 points, scoring 11 in the first half. Lindsey Giessler (Sr, Thorp) finished with 11 and Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) had 10 points.

Stout will host UW-Superior Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m., then will be at UW-Platteville, Saturday, Jan. 26.

Kelsey Duoss honored by state publication

Kelsey DuossMADISON (January 17, 2008) - Former UW-Stout women's basketball player and two-time All-American Kelsey Duoss was honored by Inside Wisconsin Sports in their February 2008 edition as the runner-up college female athlete of the year.

The Madison-based magazine that specializes in Wisconsin sports only, said the following about the Janesville-area native:

"Kelsey Duoss was an elite player in the WIAC for three seasons at UW-Stout. After starting her college career at Division I Illinois-Chicago, Duoss headed to Menomonie for a change of scenery and left as a two-time Conference Player of the Year. The Clinton High School graduate averaged 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds her senior year as the Blue Devils won the WIAC and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament. After the season, Duoss signed a professional contract to play for the Dondenong Rangers in Australia."

Sara Bauer, a member of the national champion University of Wisconsin Badgers women's hockey team, was named the magazine's college female athlete of the year.

Pointers pull away from Blue Devils late

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STEVENS POINT (January 16, 2008) - UW-Stout led for the majority of the first half, but UW-Stevens Point came back to take an 85-68 win over the Blue Devils, Wednesday.

Stout held as much as a seven point lead, but Stevens Point cut the Blue Devils' lead to 41-36 at halftime. The Pointers took the lead with 14:45 remaining in the game and never trailed the rest of the way. The Pointers shot 53.8 percent in the second half, while Stout fell to 30.8 percent shooting.

Haley Houghton scored 18 points to lead the Pointers, while Jessi Sporle scored 15 points, 12 in the first half. Laura Neuenfeldt added 12 points and Janell Van Gomple, 10.

Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) led Stout with 18 points and had 12 rebounds. Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) and Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury) each scored 10 points.

Stout will be at UW-Whitewater, Saturday, Jan. 19 and will host UW-Superior, Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m.

Hirssig gets game winner at buzzer

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MENOMONIE (January 12, 2008) - UW-Stout's Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) hit a lay-up as the buzzer sounded to give the Blue Devils' a 71-70 win over UW-La Crosse Saturday at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Just seconds after committing a foul that led to the Eagles' Mackenzie Hunter completing a three point play to put the Eagles up, 70-69, with seven seconds remaining, Hirssig wiggled her way free in the lane, took a pass from Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) and layed the ball in.

At the start of the game, it didn't even look like the Blue Devils (10-4, 4-1) would have a chance to be in the game, much less win it. The Eagles (6-8, 1-4) jumped to as much as a 29-6 lead as seemingly every La Crosse player who stepped on the court netted a bucket.

Trailing by 23 points with 6:05 remaining in the first half, Stout went off on an 11-0 run as Geissler keyed the run with five points. Stout pulled to within 32-25 at halftime, then took the lead, 42-41, with 13 minutes left when Geissler drained a pair of free throws. The Blue Devils would lead - by as much as eight points - until Mackenzie gave the Eagles the lead, and a very definite shot at breaking their 25 game losing streak to Stout.

Stout shot 29.6 percent (8-27) in the first, but turned it up a couple of notches in the second by hitting 59.3 percent (16-27) from the floor to finish the game at 44.4 percent (24-54). The Eagles stayed about the same in both halves, and finished shooting 38.6 percent (22-57).

The Eagles' Hunter led all scorers with 18 points. Dana Churchill and Lindsey Wahl each scored 13 for the Eagles.

Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury) led Stout with 15 points, nine in the second half. Giessler finished with 13 points and Hirssig, 12.

Stout will be at UW-Stevens Point, Wednesday, Jan. 16, then will be at UW-Whitewater, Saturday, Jan. 19.

Hirssig's second half performance keys win

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MENOMONIE (January 5, 2008) - UW-Stout's Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) came to play, just not in the first half as the Blue Devils defeated UW-Platteville, 80-68, at Johnson Fieldhouse Saturday.

After playing only three minutes in the first half, Hirssig scored 15 second half points to finish with a team-high 17 points. Hirssig also had three steals and two blocked shots in the second half, and tied up the Pioneers on three possessions as she made the possession arrow flicker back and forth.

After not liking what he saw from his starters in the first couple of minutes of the game, Stout coach Mark Thomas benched the starting five, and kept the majority of them on the pines for the first half.

Thomas' second wave of players, led by Danielle DeWitt's (So, Green Bay) seven first half points, took a 38-33 halftime lead. Freshman Shelby Churchill (Sheboygan) matched DeWitt's first half seven points.

Stout (9-4, 3-1) built the lead to as much as seven points before the Pioneers (8-4, 2-2) went to the perimeter game, as Megan Guernsey, Ashley Wolf and Vanessa Nemitz hit 3-pointers to tie the score at 50 apiece. Platteville then built the lead to 64-57 as Lisa Grantman nailed a 3-pointer and four free throws and Angie Vamstad connected on a 3-pointer with seven minutes left in the game.

Stout's Dani Boese (Jr, Alma) stepped outside to hit a 3-pointer and Hirssig hit two free throws to pull Stout to within one point, 65-64, with six minutes on the clock. The Blue Devils went ahead on two free throws by Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) and the Blue Devils never trailed again.

Hirssig hit seven free throws in the second half to help build the Stout lead. She pulled down 11 rebounds, nine in the second half, to finish with a double-double. Boese finished with nine points and seven rebounds. DeWitt finished the game with seven points. Stout held a 47-35 edge in rebounds, but also turned the ball over 28 times, compared to 19 for Platteville.

The Pioneers' Grantman led all scorers with 18 points and had 11 rebounds. Guernsey finished with nine points, as did Druscilla Schneider.

Stout will host UW-La Crosse, Saturday, Jan. 12 at 3 p.m.

Blue Devils give assistant coach win over former school

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 30, 2007) - Back in September when UW-Stout head coach Mark Thomas and his new staff glanced at their schedule for the Land of Magic Classic in December, newly hired assistant coach Marianne Galfano noted that she attended Immaculatta College in Pennsylvania.

Sunday, Galfano had the opportunity to see her Blue Devils defeat Immaculatta, 85-39, in the second game for Stout at the Land of Magic Classic as Stout shot out to a 50-16 halftime lead and never were seriously threatened.

Dani Boese (Jr, Alma) led all scorers with 14 points and had 12 points by halftime. Danielle DeWitt (So, Green Bay) came off the bench to score 13 points, seven in the first half, and finished with 10 rebounds. Speaking of rebounds, the Blue Devils outboarded Immaculatta, 63-28.

The Blue Devils return to action Saturday, Jan. 5 when they host UW-Platteville at 3 p.m. in a return to WIAC play.

Blue Devils have little trouble with Oswego

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 28, 2007) - UW-Stout had little difficulty with SUNY-Oswego in the first day of the Land of Magic Classic Friday, blowing past the Lakers, 85-40, at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center.

The Blue Devils (7-4) held an 18 point, 40-22 halftime lead, but exploded both offensively and defensively in the second half, outscoring the Lakers (5-3) 45-18 in the second stanza.

Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) led all scorers with 16 points, connecting on all eight of her eight field goal attempts. Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury) finished with 11 points and five steals. Joanna Bird (Sr, Boyceville) recorded seven assists. The Blue Devils were able to empty their bench and all but one player scored.

Stout shot 55.6 percent (35-63) on the game, while holding the Lakers to 26.8 percent (15-56) shooting.

Stout will play Immaculatta College Sunday, Dec. 30. That game is expected to be webcast.

Blue Devils rout Finlandia

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MENOMONIE (December 11, 2007) - Just five minutes into the game, UW-Stout took an 11 point lead, and led by at least that many the rest of the way, routing Finlandia University, 103-45, Tuesday, Dec. 11, at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Stout (6-4) got all of its active players into the non-conference game for at least seven minutes, and many of them performed well as four Blue Devils broke into double digits in points.

Stout ran off to a 58-18 halftime lead. The 58 points was the most scored by a Stout team in the first half since the Blue Devils scored 66 points against Central College, Dec. 29, 1999.

Coming off the bench, Danielle DeWitt (So, Green Bay) scored 11 points before fouling out late in the game. Dani Boese (Jr, Alma), who started the contest, also scored 11 points on 4-8 shooting. Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) turned in 10 points, as did Kim Stokke (So, Menomonie). Shelby Churchill (Fr, Sheboygan) led the Blue Devils with eight rebounds, followed by Hirssig's seven.

For the Lions (2-6), Ally Tincknell led the way with a double-double, scoring 10 points and pulling down 13 boards. Jodi Riutta scored a game-high 17 points despite shooting 2-18 from the field; she shot 13-16 from the charity stripe.

Stout is off until Friday, Dec. 28 when they travel to Daytona Beach, Fla. to compete in the Land of Magic Tournament. They will play SUNY-Oswego in their first game, and then face Immaculata two days later on Dec. 30.

Blue Devils down Oshkosh

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OSHKOSH (December 8, 2007) - UW-Stout held UW-Oshkosh scoreless for more than nine minutes and the Blue Devils overcame an early deficit, going on to 64-51 win Saturday.

The Titans (4-4, 1-2) held a 19-16 lead midway through the first half when the Blue Devils (5-4, 2-1) tightened the defensive screws and took a 28-19 lead with 1:26 left in the half.

Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) and Joanna Bird (Sr, Boyceville) made back-to-back 3-pointers, Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) hit a bucket, Geissler added a lay-up and Megan Maslowski (So, Marshfield) made a lay-up to push Stout in the 12-0 run. The Titans closed it to 28-23 at halftime.

Hirssig scored 10 of her 16 game-high points in the second half and Geissler added eight second half points to finish with 13 points as Stout had as much as a 13 point lead - including the final score - several times in the second half. Geissler went 2-for-3 from the free throw line, missing her first free throw of the season. She is now 30-of-31 for the season.

Holding a slim two-point, 40-38, lead, Stout ran off on a 9-0 run to take a 49-38 lead with 8:21 left.

Whitney Tyriver scored 13 points and was Oshkosh's only player in double digits. Bird tallied 10 points for Stout.

Stout will host Finlandia University, Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.

Geissler's buzzer-beater beats Falcons

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RIVER FALLS (December 5, 2007) - Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) hit a running layup at the buzzer to give UW-Stout a 67-66 win over UW-River Falls, Wednesday at Karges Center.

In a game that looked like a blowout early - Stout led 25-2 at midway through the first half - turned out to be full of drama late.

River Falls (2-4, 0-2) overcame the first half deficit to pull to within 39-25 at halftime, then tied the game at 48-48 midway through the second half. Stout 4-4, 1-1) pulled ahead by four, but the Falcons regained the lead and held it until the final second of the game, going ahead by as much as six points with about a minute left.

River Falls held a 66-65 lead with 12 seconds left, but blew a chance to go ahead by three when they missed two free throws.

Stout worked the ball down court, called timeout with five seconds left, then worked the ball around and Geissler found the lane and the winning bucket.

Stout had two players in double figures. Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) finished with 11 points, eight in the first half, and Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury) finished with 11 points, all in the first half. Geissler finished the night with five total points, all in the second half.

The Falcons got 19 points and eight steals from Jana Benitz, 13 points from Kelli Hilt and 10 points from Caitlin Hunstock.

The game was loaded with turnovers. Stout committed 35 turnovers and River Falls committed 27. The Falcons recorded 26 steals, while Stout had 13 steals.

Stout will be at UW-Oshkosh, Saturday, Dec. 8 at 1 p.m. and will return home Tuesday, Dec. 11 to host Finlandia University at 7 p.m.

Blue Devils fall to Blugolds

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MENOMONIE (December 1, 2007) - UW-Stout pulled to within four points early in the second half, rubbing out a 12 points halftime deficit, but could get no closer and the Blue Devils lost to UW-Eau Claire, 70-59, Saturday at Johnson Fieldhouse in the conference opener for both teams.

Stout (3-4, 0-1) cut away at the 12 point deficit over the first four minutes of the second half, and trailed by four when Tricia Van Vreede (Fr, Little Chute) hit a jumper to trail 34-30. The Blugolds (5-1, 1-0) grabbed the six point lead on a bucket by Rachel Mueggenborg, but Stout got back to four points for the last time in the game when Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) drained to free throws. Geissler has not missed a free throw in 28 attempts this season, making all six of her attempts tonight.

The Blugolds spurted out to a 10-point, 45-35 lead, going on 9-3 run as Kali Houselog scored five points in the run. Houselog, who finished with nine points, added two more free throws a minute later to take back the 10 point lead and Eau Claire never led by less than double digits the rest of the way.

The Blugolds' Heather Witt led all scorers with 22 points. Heidi Arciszewski added 13 points and Michelle Burns, 10.

Stout was led by Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) with 17 points, 12 in the second half. Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury) finshed with 11 points. the Blue Devils shot 28.8 percent (17-of-59) from the floor, while Eau Claire connected on 46.9 percent (23-of-49).

The loss was Stout's first conference loss at Johnson Fieldhouse since December, 2005. Stout will be at UW-River Falls, Wednesday, Dec. 5 and at UW-Oshkosh, Saturday, Dec. 8.

Blue Devils cruise past Northland

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MENOMONIE (November 28 , 2007) - UW-Stout got off to an early 11-0 lead and never looked back, leading by at least nine the rest of the way, and defeating Northland, 69-48, Wednesday, at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) led the way for the Blue Devils (3-3, 0-0), posting her fourth double-double in six games this season. She finished with 19 points on 8-11 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Dani Boese (Jr, Alma) added eight points for Stout on 3-7 shooting and also added a game-high three assists. Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury) finished with a game-high four steals, two of which came early, helping the Blue Devils get their early lead.

For the Lumberjills (1-3), Chelsea Lundgren put up a double-double as well, scoring 16 points on 5-13 shooting from the field, and her 13 rebounds led all players. Jessica Graham also put up 16 points for Northland and, with nine rebounds, was just short of the game's third double-double.

The Blue Devils will return to action when they open conference play against Eau Claire, Saturday, Dec. 1 at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Bemidji State goes past Stout in second half

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MENOMONIE (November 25, 2007) - Bemidji State's Heidi Matzke scored 24 of her game-high 26 points in the pivotal second half as Bemidji defeated UW-Stout, 92-84, in the Super 8 Turkey Shootout Sunday at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Matzke was almost non-existent in the first half, scoring only two points, but she turned the tide in the second half, finishing by hitting 9-of-15 from the floor, but only one 3-pointer, and hitting 7-of-8 free throws.

Stout (2-3) led for the majority of the first half, but Bemidji (3-2) took a one point lead with about five minutes remaining in the first first half. Stout snared the lead back, by as much as three points, 40-37, with 2:41 left, but the Beavers chewed away and held a 43-42 halftime lead.

The game stayed close, but Stout jumped out to a six point, 72-66, lead with 8:41 left in the game, but Matzke hit two free throws, a layup and a 3-pointer to push the Beavers ahead, 73-72 only a minute later. Stout would not lead again in the game.

Bemidji got 24 points from Amy Lawson, 17 points and 12 rebounds from Stephanie Peterson and 10 points from Colleen McKay.

The Blue Devils had three players in double figures, with Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) leading the way with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Tricia Van Vreede (Fr, Little Chute) chipped in 15 points and Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) added 12 points.

Both teams feasted at the free throw line. Bemidji connected on 25-of-33 charity shots, while Stout drained 22-of-33 from the line.

Stout will host Northland College, Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m., then will host UW-Eau Claire, Saturday, Dec. 1 at 3 p.m. in the conference opener.

Bemidji State runs past St. Scholastica

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MENOMONIE (November 24, 2007) - Bemidji State University outran St. Scholastica from the get-go and went on to an 86-52 win at the UW-Stout Super 8 Turkey Shootout Saturday at Johnson Fieldhouse.

The Beavers (1-2) picked up their first win of the season by running off to a 41-25 halftime lead, powered by 12 points by Stephanie Peterson. Bemidji never led by less than 20 points after two minutes into the second half.

Peterson was one of four Bemidji players to score in double digits, finishing with 14 points. Amy Lawson had 12, Hallie Hoganson 11 and Melissa Roberts 10. Colleen McKay finished with 11 rebounds, as the Beavers held a 45-37 advantage off the glass.

Bemidji shot 52.4 percent (33-63) for the game, while the Saints (1-4) connected on 27.9 percent (17-61) from the floor.

The Saints Whitney Latham scored a game-high 23 points, knocking down 3-of-6 three-pointers. Kristen Haukom had 12 points.

Gerber leads Stout's first half assault over Saints

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MENOMONIE (November 23, 2007) - With the score tied at 19-19 about midway through the first half, guard Lindsey Gerber (Jr, Exeland) sparked UW-Stout on a 33-8 run to end the first half and the Blue Devils went on to a 90-48 win over St. Scholastica in the UW-Stout Super 8 Turkey Shootout Friday at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Gerber slashed through the lane for three layups and drained three free throws in the first half to lead Stout (2-2) to a 52-27 halftime lead. Gerber finished the game with 11 points.

Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury) tallied five steals on the night, with three coming in the first minute and a half of the game, helping the Blue Devils get off to a quick 9-0 lead. Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) led all players with 16 points while shooting 6-11 from the field, and 3-6 from beyond the arc. Tricia VanVreede (Fr, Little Chute) led the team in rebounds by pulling down eight, and went a perfect 6-6 at the free throw line, which helped the Blue Devils go 25-27 from the line, shooting 92.6 percent.

For the Saints (1-3), Whitney Latham, who was a key part of St. Scholastica's early game-tying run, finished the game with a team-high 14 points, shooting 5-10 from the field.

The Blue Devils will return to action at Johnson Fieldhouse on Sunday Nov. 25, for their second game of the UW-Stout Super 8 Turkey Shootout against the Bemidji State Beavers.

Stout picks up first win by turning over Eagles

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ST. PAUL, Minn (November 20, 2007) - UW-Stout forced 30 Northwestern College turnovers - 19 in the first half - and came away with their first win, a 74-46 victory at the Erickson Center on the Northwestern campus.

Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) finished with a game-high 17 points for Stout (1-2), scoring 10 in the first period. She also snagged a game-high 13 rebounds. Hirssig missed only one shot from the floor in eight attempts and went 3-for-4 from the free throw line.

The Blue Devils forced 19 turnovers that led to 19 Blue Devil first half points as Stout shot out to a 35-22 halftime lead. Hirssig canned five buckets in the first to pick up 10 first half points and had five first half rebounds. The Blue Devils shot only 31.6 percent in the first half, but threw up almost three times as many attempts as the Eagles. Stout was 12-of-38 from the floor in the first stanza, while the Eagles were 6-of-14 (42.9 percent).

The Eagles (0-3) got as close as 11 points in the second half as Stout continued to apply the defensive pressure. Stout forced numerous traveling calls and at least three 30 second clock violations.

Hirssig was the only Blue Devil to score in doubles figures as coach Mark Thomas was able to play everyone who traveled and all but one player scored. Kaelee Kendrick led the Eagles with 13 points and Ariel Liesch add 11.

Stout will host a trio of games after Thanksgiving. Stout will play St. Scholastica, Friday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. St. Scholastica will play Bemidji State, Saturday, Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. and the Blue Devils will return to action Sunday, Nov. 24 when they host Bemidji State at 1 p.m.

Hirssig scores 19 in loss to St. Cloud

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MANKATO, Minn (November 17, 2007) - Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) scored a career-high 19 points but it wouldn't be enough as UW-Stout lost to their second consecutive NCAA Division II opponent in as many days at the Pepsi Tip-Off Classic Saturday.

Stout (0-2) lost to St. Cloud State, 87-72, in a particularly rough schedule to start the year. The Blue Devils opened the season with an exhibition game at Wisconsin, then fell to Division II host Minnesota State the night before.

Tricia Van Vreede (Fr, Little Chute) scored 14 for Stout and Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) added 10 points.

The Huskies (1-1) got 23 points from Anna Cashman and 20 points from Talisha Barlow.

Stout will be at NCAA Division III Northwestern College, Tuesday, Nov. 20 for a 5:30 start, then will host St. Scholastica, Friday, Nov. 23 and Division II Bemidji State, Sunday, Nov. 25 in the Super 8 Thanksgiving Turkey Shootout in Menomonie.

Blue Devils fall at Division II Minnesota State

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MANKATO, Minn (November 16, 2007) - Except for the opening basket by UW-Stout's Dani Boese (Jr, Alma), Minnesota State, Mankato led pretty much from the get-go and defeated the Blue Devils 91-64 Friday in the season opener for both teams at the Pepsi Tip-Off Classic..

Stout (0-1) got 19 points from Charlee Edwards (Jr, Danbury) and 12 points from Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn).

The Mavericks (1-0) had four of their five starters score in double figures, with Joanne Noreen scoring 18 points. Alex Andrews had 15 points, Tiffany Moe 14 and Heather Johnson 13.

Stout will play St. Cloud State, their second NCAA Division II opponent in as many days, Saturday, Nov. 17, at 1 p.m.

Blue Devils hold their own against Badgers

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MADISON (November 4, 2007) - UW-Stout opened some eyes early as they jumped out to an 8-0 lead over the University of Wisconsin, but the nationally ranked Division I Badgers defeated the Blue Devils, 98-60, Sunday in an exhibition game at the Kohl Center.

Julia Hirssig (So, Rochester, Minn) scored 16 points to lead Stout and only the Big Ten preseason player of the year, Jolene Anderson, scored more points in the game. Anderson took scoring honors with 18 points. Stout's Joanna Bird (Sr, Boyceville) and Lindsey Geissler (Sr, Thorp) finished with nine points. Dani Boese (Jr, Alma) pulled down seven rebounds.

Danielle Ward had 12 points for the Badgers and Tara Steinbauer finished with 10 points.

The Blue Devils drained their first three shots of the game, including a game-opening 3-pointer by Bird to run out to the 8-0 lead. The Badgers took their first lead of the game six minutes into the contest on a layup by Janese Banks and never trailed again.

Stout connected on 22-of-57 (38.6 percent) from the field and hit 6-of-18 (33.3 percent) 3-pointers. The Badgers made 40-of-81 (49.4 percent) of their shots from the field and hit 3-of-9 (33.3 percent) from 3-point range. The much taller Badger pulledown 50 rebounds to Stouts 29.

Stout opens the regular season Friday, Nov. 16 at Minnesota State-Mankato.

Erin Churchill returns to Stout as assistant coach

Erin KonselaMENOMONIE (August 9, 2007) - Former UW-Stout standout guard Erin Churchill has been named as an assistant women's basketball coach.

Churchill, a Plum City native, played for UW-Stout from 2001-05 where she was a two-time all-WIAC honorable mention pick, a four year letterwinner and an integral part when Stout won conference championships in 2002 and 2005.

Churchill played in all 112 games she suited up for, which, up to that point, was a school record. Churchill earned a starting role with the Blue Devils during her sophomore season and went on to start 83 games.

For her career, Churchill finished with 844 total points (7.5 ppg), 483 rebounds (4.2 rpg) and 383 assists (3.4 apg).

Since graduating from Stout early childhood education, Churchill has been pursuing a masters from Stout in family development. She has coached at Eau Claire Regis and in Menomonie School District.

In addition to coaching duties, Churchill will also be an instructor in the Physical Education Department.

Churchill is engaged to marry Eric Konsela this fall and the couple plan to reside in Menomonie.

Kelsey Duoss to continue career in Australia

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MENOMONIE (July 18, 2007) - UW-Stout two-time All-American center Kelsey Duoss (Sr, Janesville/Clinton) has inked a professional contract and will play in Australia.

Duoss, a two-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) player of the year and three-time all-conference selection, will play for the Dandenong Jayco Rangers and will leave in September for a 24 game schedule that will conclude in February.

Kelsey DuossDandenong is just east of Melbourne and is located in the southeast province of Victoria of the island continent. The Rangers are a member of the eight team WNBL.

Duoss was twice selected to the first team of the NCAA Division III Kodak All-American squad and to the first team of the D3hoops.com All-American team. Duoss was also a WIAC all-defensive team pick for the third straight year, led the Blue Devils to their third straight WIAC regular season and tournament titles and third consecutive NCAA playoff appearance this year. Duoss led the conference with a .593 field goal percentage and 80 blocked shots, while ranking second with 8.4 rebounds per contest and third with 15.8 points per game. Duoss has posted a league-best eight double-doubles (points-rebounds) and led the team in rebounding in 23 of 29 games and scoring in 22 contests. Her 10 blocked shots against UW-Whitewater on January 27 is the second-highest single-game total in WIAC history. Her 2.8 blocked shots per contest ranked her 17th nationally.

Stout finished the season at 23-6 overall, their third consecutive season with 20-plus wins. They also compiled a 13-3 conference record and 12-1 home record.

The Blue Devils have compiled a 69-21 record in Duoss’ three seasons and her 258 career blocked shots rank second on the WIAC all-time list. She has registered 1,413 career points and 750 career rebounds – both totals place her second on UW-Stout’s all-time charts. Her 457 points this season places her third on the Stout single season scoring list - Duoss's 552 points last season is second - and her 244 rebounds this year places her tied for ninth on the single season rebounding list.

A transfer to UW-Stout from Illinois-Chicago after her freshman year, Duoss averaged a 15.9 points per game for her career, 8.4 rebounds per game and 2.9 blocked shots per game. Duoss led the WIAC in scoring during her junior year, averaging 19 points per game.

Duoss is the first UW-Stout female basketball player to play professional basketball.

Coach Thomas announces 2007-08 recruit class

MENOMONIE (July 18, 2007) - When running a program that hasn’t had a losing record in nearly two decades, you don’t so much rebuild a program as tweak it.

Mark ThomasAfter three consecutive WIAC championships and three straight NCAA Division III playoff appearances, UW-Stout coach Mark Thomas and staff went out and recruited a class that, he says, is a good fit with last year’s recruiting class.

"This is a real nice class that will fit well with last year’s class," said Thomas, who will be entering his 21st year as the Blue Devil coach. "We thought our last year’s (recruiting) class was strong. This one fits in well with them and fills some holes.

"We have some nice size and some nice speed and they are all from winning teams."

In a program that is built on speed, the Blue Devils bring in five guards in their eight-member recruiting class and three forwards.

Two of the guards already have sisters on the team. Brittney Gerber (Fr, Exeland) joins sister Lindsey Gerber (Jr, Exeland) and Becky Wyngaard (Fr, Kimberly) joins sister Nikki Wyngaard (Jr, Kimberly).

Brittney Gerber, a wing guard, is a two-time all-conference selection from Bruce High School and scored more than 1000 career points. Gerber, who played in the WBCA Division 4 all-star game is termed an excellent shooter by Thomas. "She has deep range and is a smart player," Thomas added.

Becky Wyngaard, also a wing guard, has been a leader for the Papermakers and was an all-conference choice. Wyngaard has a good 3-point shot, said Thomas.

Nichole Skillman (Fr, Janesville) comes in as a tall wing guard, tipping the tape at 6-feet tall. An all-conference pick at Janesville Craig, Skillman is a very versatile athlete who earned 11 varsity letters (four in basketball, three in volleyball, two in soccer and two in track) and was named the school’s top senior athlete.

Thomas said Skillman can score inside and outside and the lanky guard is very fast.

Alex Suda (Fr, Blaine, Minn) and Alisha Todd (Fr, Farmington, Minn), Thomas’ only two Minnesota recruits, come to the program as 5-5 point guards.

"Alex Suda is a floor general who is very fast and strong," Thomas said about the all-conference performer. "She is a great perimeter defender and competes all out."

"Alisha Todd is quick and explosive," Thomas said. "She is an excellent shooter and defender."

Todd led her conference in both steals and assists.

Tricia Van Vreede (Fr, Little Chute), Shelby Churchill (Fr, Sheboygan) and Kristen Laramy (Fr, Colfax) come in as forwards.

Van Vreede, a teammate of Wyngaard at Kimberly High School, is a three-time all-conference selection and an honorable mention all-state pick. Van Vreede played in the Division 1 WBCA all-star game and is "a great athlete, excellent basketball player and strong and physical," Thomas said.

Laramy, a two-time all-conference pick, played in the Division 3 WBCA all-star game and came from a program that lost only one game her senior year.

A smaller forward, Laramy is a "relentless player who is strong on the boards," Thomas said. "She is a winner coming from a great program."

Churchill is listed as both a forward and a center and at 6-foot has "a great low post presence on both ends," Thomas said.

An all-conference pick, Churchill’s Sheboygan North finished second at the 2007 state tournament in Division 1.

2007 UW-Stout Women's Basketball Recruit Class
Name Pos Ht Yr Hometown (High School)
Shelby Churchill F/C 6-0 Fr Sheboygan, Wis. (North)
Brittney Gerber G 5-8 Fr Exeland, Wis. (Bruce)
Kristen Laramy F 5-9 Fr Colfax, Wis.
Nichole Skillman G 6-0 Fr Janesville, Wis. (Craig)
Alex Suda G 5-5 Fr Blaine, Minn.
Alisha Todd G 5-5 Fr Farmington, Minn.
Tricia Van Vreede F 6-0 Fr Little Chute, Wis. (Kimberly)
Becky Wyngaard G 5-9 Fr Kimberly, Wis.

Mark Noll to take over Dubuque program

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DUBUQUE, Iowa (May 1, 2007) - Mark Noll hopes to be taking some of that Blue Devil magic with him when he assumes the role as head women's basketball coach at the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa.

Mark NollNoll, an assistant women's basketball coach at UW-Stout for the past five years, begins his appointment with the Spartans May 1. Noll was an assistant coach for head coach Mark Thomas for seven total seasons, coaching with the Blue Devils from 1996-98 when Stout won their first conference title. Noll was an assistant men's basketball coach at Stout for one season, before pursuing other interests. He returned to the fold for the 2002-03 season.

Over the past three seasons, the Blue Devils have captured the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) season and tournament title and have advanced to the NCAA tournament, twice going as far as the Sweet 16. Since Noll returned, the Blue Devils have gone 107-39.

The Dubuque program has posted a 53-75 record over the last five years, and Noll relishes the challenge of putting his stamp on the Spartan program.

"Dubuque has got things going in the right direction," Noll said. "I have certainly enjoyed my time at Stout with the women's and men's basketball teams and the tennis team, but I am in a position in my career for a change. I look forward to the opportunity to make the program mine and look forward to coaching in that tough (IIAC) conference."

Noll, a Colfax, Wis., native and an Eau Claire Regis High School graduate, played his collegiate ball at Mt. Senario and was a part of the Saints' 1991 national championship team. Noll has been a fixture in the area, coaching AAU basketball teams for more than 16 years and has been a tournament supervisor for the Great Lakes Shootout, which is held during the summer at Stout.

In addition to his duties as a physical education instructor and assistant basketball coach, Noll has been the Stout head women's tennis coach the past four years. During his first season as head coach, Noll took an average program and led them to their first conference dual win in seven seasons. The team has inched its way up in the conference tournament standings, finishing fifth in the 2006 tournament and fourth in the dual standings, the team's best finishes in more than 10 years.

Duoss, Oeltjen, Geissler pick up top awards

MENOMONIE (April 4, 2007) - Kelsey Duoss (Sr, Janesville/Clinton) was recently named the most valuable player of the UW-Stout women's basketball team, while guard Savanah Oeltjen (Sr, Spring Valley, Minn) was named the most valuable offensive player and Lindsey Geissler (Jr, Thorp) was named the most valuable defensive player.

Duoss is a two-time WIAC player of the year and a two-time first team All-American. Duoss led the conference with a .593 field goal percentage and 80 blocked shots, while ranking second with 8.4 rebounds per contest and third with 15.8 points per game.

Oeltjen was a first team all-WIAC pick this season, coming off the bench for the first 23 games of the season. Oeltjen was second on the team in points scored with 8.8 per game. Geissler led the team in steals, averaging 1.6 per game. She was also second on the team in assists with 2.2.

Freshman Julia Hirssig (Rochester, Minn) received the rookie of the year award and shared the sixth player award with Jenny McDermid (Sr, Oconto Falls). Char Edwards (So, Danbury) was named most improved. Amanda Geissler (Sr, Thorp) received the hustle award and the spirit award.

Lindsey Gerber (So, Exeland/Bruce), Joanna Bird (Jr, Boyceville), Megan Maslowski (Fr, Marshfield) and Kim Stokke (Fr, Menomonie) received the coaches' award.

First year letters were given to: Hirssig, Gerber, Maslowski, Stokke, Megan Zemke (Fr, Clayton), Sam Mayer (Fr, Bloomer), Danielle DeWitt (Fr, Green Bay/Bayport), Marie Gordon (Fr, Goose Lake, Iowa/Northeast), Stephanie Stawski (Fr, Brooklyn Park, Minn/Park Center) and Alyssa Meyer (Fr, Mercer).

Repeat letters were given to: Duoss, Oeltjen, Lindsey Geissler, Amanda Geissler, Edwards, McDermid, Mary Schaefer (Jr, Madison/Lakeside Lutheran), Nikki Wyngaard (So, Kimberly) and Dani Boese (Alma).

2006-07 UW-Stout Women's Basketball Team Awards

Statistical Awards

Kelsey Duoss repeats as first team All-American, twice

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MENOMONIE (March 16, 2007) - UW-Stout center Kelsey Duoss (Sr, Janesville/Clinton) was named to the NCAA Division III Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball team and to the first team of the D3hoops.com All-American team. Both selections are for the second consecutive year.

Duoss, a two-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) player of the year and three-time all-conference selection, was placed on the prestigious 10-member team Thursday night. This year's team marks the 25th year Kodak has partnered with the WBCA in honoring the top 10 women's basketball players in Division III.

Kelsey Duoss

Duoss is the first Blue Devil to win the award twice and becomes only the third conference player to win the Kodak award twice. Sonja Sorensen of UW-Stevens Point (1987, 1988) and Jayme Anderson of UW-Eau Claire (1999, 2000) won the Kodak award twice. The Blue Devils' all-time leading scorer, Julie Maki, won the award in 1993.

Duoss, also a WIAC all-defensive team pick for the third straight year, led the Blue Devils to their third straight WIAC regular season and tournament titles and third consecutive NCAA playoff appearance this year. Duoss led the conference with a .593 field goal percentage and 80 blocked shots, while ranking second with 8.4 rebounds per contest and third with 15.8 points per game. Duoss has posted a league-best eight double-doubles (points-rebounds) and led the team in rebounding in 23 of 29 games and scoring in 22 contests. Her 10 blocked shots against UW-Whitewater on January 27 is the second-highest single-game total in WIAC history. Her 2.8 blocked shots per contest ranks her 17th nationally.

Stout finished the season at 23-6 overall, their third consecutive season with 20-plus wins. They also compiled a 13-3 conference record and 12-1 home record. In Duoss's final game, a 91-86 loss to Simpson College in the NCAA first round, Duoss scored a season-best 27 points.

The Blue Devils have compiled a 69-21 record in Duoss’ three seasons and her 258 career blocked shots rank second on the WIAC all-time list. She has registered 1,413 career points and 750 career rebounds – both totals place her second on UW-Stout’s all-time chart. Her 457 points this season places her third on the Stout single season scoring list - Duoss's 552 points last season is second - and her 244 rebounds this year places her tied for ninth on the single season rebounding list.

Also named to the first team were: Liz Bondi (DePauw); Deborah Bruen (University of Mary Washington); Eileen Flaherty (Bowdoin); Nikki Lobach (Messiah); Ashley Marble (Southern Maine); Jessica McEntee (New York University); Taryn Mellody (Scranton); Jess Vadnais (Gustavus Adolphus); Lisa Winkle (Calvin). Flaherty and Mellody were members of the 2006 team, along with Duoss. Thirty received honorable mention.

Named to the first team of the D3hoops.com squad along with Duoss are Mellody, Marble, Crystal Hoewisch (Carroll) and Lindsay Ippel (Millikin). The D3hoops.com team is selected by sports information directors from across the country.

Simpson puts early end to Stout season

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MENOMONIE (March 2, 2007) - In a turnaround from last season, Simpson College defeated UW-Stout, 91-86, in the NCAA Division III regionals on the host team's court.

Last season, Stout (23-6) defeated Simpson (22-6) in the regional finals in Indianola, Iowa, the Storm was just that as Whitney Franker and Katelyn Whiton combined for 49 points to provide a very potent one-two punch, especially in the second half when Whiton exploded for 18 points and Franker tossed in 14. Simpson will face Wheaton College, Saturday, March 3 at 7 p.m.

Stout held the lead for much of the first half, but the Storm tied the score at 32-32 with six minutes left after trailing by as much as 10 points four minutes earlier. Simpson took as much as a four point lead with three minutes left, but Stout cut the lead and went ahead after Savanah Oeltjen (Sr, Spring Valley, Minn) racked up a couple of buckets and Stout held a 47-43 halftime lead.

Stout worked their way to a seven point, 52-45, lead as Kelsey Duoss (Sr, Janesville) - who would finish with a game-high 27 points - scored five points in the run. Whiton would match and surpass Duoss over the next couple of minutes, scoring six points in a three minute span. Whiton put the Storm ahead for good with two free throws and Stout played catch-up the rest of the way.

Simpson built up as much as a 10 point lead, but Duoss scored 14 points in the final six minutes of the game to gnaw away at the lead. A 3-pointer by Lindsey Geissler (Jr, Thorp) pulled Stout to within three points, 87-84, with 48 seconds left, but that would be as close as Stout would get.

Simpson shot 61.5 percent from the floor in the second half and finished the game hitting 52.5 percent. The Storms' Franker had 25 points and Whiton finished with 24. Carlie Beals added 11 points.

Stout shot 46.5 percent for the game. Duoss was perfect from the floor, hitting all 10 of her shots. She added seven free throws. Oeltjen finished with 18 points, Geissler had 13 points and Julia Hirssig (Fr, Rochester, Minn) had a double double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Stout held a 48-31 advantage in rebounds.

Duoss, Thomas repeat honors; Oeltjen to first team

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MENOMONIE (March 1, 2007) - Even though she didn't have the gaudy numbers she had last year, UW-Stout post player Kesley Duoss (Sr, Janesville/Clinton) was named the player of the year in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) for the second consecutive year as she led the Blue Devils to their third straight WIAC regular season and tournament titles.

Duoss was joined on the 2007 All-WIAC first team by guard Savanah Oeltjen (Sr, Spring Valley, Minn/Kingsland), who came off the bench for the first 23 games of the season. Coach Mark Thomas was named the WIAC coach of the year for the sixth time in his career.

Duoss was also named a finalist for the NCAA Division III Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball team when she was named as an all-region selection. The 10-team All-America team will be announced at the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball banquet, Thursday, March 15. Duoss was a first team Kodak/WBCA pick last season.

Duoss becomes just the second individual in conference history to win the award in back-to-back seasons, joining UW-Stevens Point’s Amanda Nechuta (2004-05), and is the third Blue Devil to claim the honor. Julie Maki won the prize in 1993, while Cindy Hovet secured the trophy in 1994.

Duoss, a senior forward who was also named to the all-defensive team for the third straight year, led the Blue Devils to their third straight WIAC regular season and tournament titles this year. She secured first team honors for the third consecutive season after leading the conference with a .578 field goal percentage and 77 blocked shots, while ranking second with 8.4 rebounds per contest and third with 15.4 points per game. Duoss has posted a league-best eight double-doubles (points-rebounds) and led the team in rebounding in 22 of 28 games and scoring in 21 contests. Her 10 blocked shots against UW-Whitewater on January 27 is the second-highest single-game total in WIAC history. Her 2.8 blocked shots per contest ranks her 17th nationally.

The Blue Devils have compiled a 69-20 record in Duoss’ three seasons and her 255 career blocked shots rank second on the WIAC all-time list. She has registered 1,386 career points and 742 career rebounds – both totals place her second on UW-Stout’s all-time chart.

Oeltjen is second on the team in scoring with 8.5 points and has made a career of coming off the bench, starting only the last five games of this season. Oeltjen has caught fire since the beginning of January, scoring in double digits nine times and has led the team in scoring four times in that span.

Oeltjen is 87-183 from the floor, 11-24 from 3-point range, 52-68 from the line, has 81 rebounds, 45 assists, 11 blocked shots - tops among guards - and 34 steals. For her career, she has tallied 680 points for a four-year, per-game average of 5.9 points.

Thomas was voted the Coach of the Year for the third straight season and sixth time in his career. He becomes the first coach in league history to secure the honor three consecutive years. Thomas is in his 20th season leading the Blue Devils and owns an all-time record of 355-179 (.665 winning percentage). His 355 victories are the most in WIAC history.

The Blue Devils (23-5) are host to a four-team NCAA Regional tournament, March 2-3 at Johnson Fieldhouse. Stout will face Simpson College, Friday, March 2 at 7 p.m.

Blue Devils control Eau Claire, take third straight title

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MENOMONIE (February 24, 2007) - UW-Stout made history Saturday by becoming the first team to win the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) tournament three years in a row when they defeated UW-Eau Claire, 73-61, in the tournament championship game at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Stout (23-5) led this game from the opening tipoff, jumping out to a 42-27 halftime lead after shooting 60.7 percent (17-28) before the break. Stout held a 25-13 lead with 6:10 left in the first half after Lindsey Geissler (Jr, Thorp) hit a lay-up, and then stretched that out to a 19 point lead after post players Kelsey Duoss (Sr, Janesville) scored five points and Dani Boese (So, Alma) added four points during a 9-2 run.

Stout had as much as a 20 point lead in the second half, but Eau Claire (19-9) made the last few minutes interesting, cutting the lead to as little as nine points with 40 seconds left in the game.

Duoss led all scorers with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Savanah Oeltjen (Sr, Spring Valley, Minn) finished with 13 points, nine in the second half.

Michelle Burns led the Blugolds with 15 points. Heather Witt added 10 points and Ashley Anderson had 10 rebounds. Eau Claire shot 32.8 percent for the game.

Stout earns the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. Teams advancing to the tournament will be announced Sunday, Feb. 25. The pairings will be announced Monday, Feb. 26.

The Stout/Eau Claire game will be broadcast on FSN North, Sunday, March 25 at 1 p.m.