WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
The Blue Devils (5-3, 1-2 WIAC) will hit the road for a series of non-conference games as they will attempt to break a three-game losing streak. The Blue Devils will travel to New Ulm, Minn., to do battle with Martin Luther College (2-4), Monday, Dec. 15. Stout defeated Martin Luther, 83-64, last season in the team's only meeting. The Knights' head coach, Gene Pfeifer, is a former principal at St. Paul's Elementary School in Menomonie. Stout will head south to Phoenix, Ariz., after Christmas, where they will face Keene, NH, State (4-2), Dec. 29, and Southern Maine (6-1), Dec. 30, at Grand Canyon University. Southern Maine is currently ranked seventh in the latest D3hoops.com poll. Conference play resumes Saturday, Jan. 3 when the Blue Devils travel to UW-Oshkosh. Last week: The Blue Devils lost two conference games, coming up just short, 76-75, to UW-Stevens Point, Dec. 9, and losing to NCAA Division II St. Cloud State, 88-83, Dec. 13. Player of the week: Erin Churchill, Jr, Plum City, Wis.

MEN'S BASKETBALL
The Blue Devils (6-4, 1-2 WIAC) will go the non-conference route to close up first semester play, hosting Viterbo University (5-5) Saturday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils defeated Viterbo last year, 59-51, in La Crosse. Stout will play an exhibition game, Sunday, Dec. 28 when they host the KMK Hoopers at 3 p.m. Conference play resumes Saturday, Jan. 3 when the Blue Devils travel to UW-Oshkosh. Last week: Stout's comebacks came up just short in two contests last week as they lost to No. 2 ranked UW-Stevens Point, 73-64, Dec. 10, and to Elmhurst College, 97-96, Dec. 13. Player of the week: Jeff Vandenberghe, Sr, Coon Rapids, Minn.

HOCKEY
The Blue Devils (10-5-0, 1-2-0 NCHA, 1-2-0 WIAC) are off until Jan. 16 when they travel to St. Norbert College and to Lake Forest College, Jan. 17. Stout will play a junior varsity contest, Friday, Jan. 9 when they host Finlandia. Last week: The Blue Devils lost twice last week by identical 3-0 scores to UW-River Falls. Player of the week: Bryan Cummings, Sr, Austin, Minn.

GYMNASTICS
The Blue Devils (0-0) will get their season underway, Jan. 9 when they are at UW-Oshkosh.

Women's Basketball

December 13, 2003

ST. CLOUD, Minn - UW-Stout's Jenny Dermid (Fr, Oconto Falls) scored a career-high 15 points and Steffanie Nemitz (So, Bloomington) snared her first career double-double, but it wouldn't be enough as the Blue Devils lost, 88-83, to NCAA Division II opponent St. Cloud State, Saturday, Dec. 13 in St. Cloud.

Stout hung tough the entire game and, with less than 30 seconds remaining, had a chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer, however it was St. Cloud's  Katie Huschle that sealed the victory by making two free-throws in the last second of the game.

Stout (5-3) had four players in double figures, led by freshman forward McDermid, with 15 points and four rebounds. She was a dominate force down low and shot a perfect 7-of-7 from the field. Nemitz tossed in 12 points and posted her double-double with 13 rebounds.

Sara Kahl (Sr, Menomonie) added 13 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Erin Churchill (Jr, Plum City) added 12 points. 

The Huskies' (6-3) Erika Quigley led all scorers with 29 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocked shots. Jessica Abraham contributed 20 points to the Huskies' efforts.

Stout will attempt to halt a three-game losing streak when they travel to New Ulm, Minn., to face Martin Luther College, Monday, Dec. 15.

December 9, 2003

The Pointers (7-0, 2-0 WIAC) had not won at Johnson Fieldhouse since Dec. 9, 1989, and the Blue Devils (5-2, 1-2) almost showed Stevens Point the door again, rallying back from as much as a 14-point deficit five minutes into the second half.

After jumping out to a five-point lead early in the first half, Stout began having trouble finding the basket as Stevens Point ran out to a 12-point, 43-31, halftime lead, despite seeing the conference's leading scorer, Amanda Nechuta, on the bench in foul trouble much of the half.

The Blue Devils began to chip away at the lead midway through the second half, then tied the score at 62-62 on a jumper by Erin Churchill (Jr, Plum City) with six minutes left in the game.

Both teams were in the double-bonus by that time, but the Pointers took advantage at the line by making 7-of-10 free throws in the final three minutes.

The Blue Devils could not get over the hump after taking a 63-62 lead, never getting more than a three point lead as Stout committed four turnovers in the final three minutes. The Pointers three times tied the score from the line.

Stevens Point tied the score at 73-73 with a minute left on a Cassandra Schultz jumper, then took the lead on two free throws by Schultz 20 seconds later. Schultz cleared a rebound and was promptly fouled, draining a throw for the final three-point margin.

Stout still had opportunity to tie after calling a timeout with eight seconds remaining, but could only work a two-point basket.

Stevens Point drained 30-of-40 free throws, while Stout knocked down 18-of-27.

The Pointers' Amy Scott led all scorers with 27 points. Schultz finished with 19 points and Cassandra Heuer finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Nechuta, who was averaging 22 points, scored four points. In their previous six wins, the Pointers had been averaging a 33-point scoring margin.

Churchill and Sara Kahl (Sr, Menomonie) each scored 15 points to lead Stout. Laura Verdegan (Sr, Tony) finished with 10 points.

Men's Basketball

December 13, 2003

Vandenberghe, whose previous career best was 19 points, which he had hit five times, knocked down 10-of-18 shots from the floor and an astounding 9-of-14 from 3-point range. Vandenberghe was nearly perfect from the line, hitting 7-of-8 free throws.

The fast paced game had nearly as many turnovers as field goals made. Elmhurst (4-1) turned the ball over 25 times, while Stout (6-4) finished with 20 turnovers.

After the game was tied 12 times in the first half, Stout held a 48-45 halftime lead. The Blue Jays built up as much as a 17 point lead with seven minutes left in the game, but Vandenberghe scored 12 points and had three steals in the final six minutes to pare down the lead.

Nate Templer (Sr, Beaver Dam), who finished with 17 points, hit two free throws with 37 seconds remaining to tie the score at 96-96. Vandenberghe snagged a steal with 20 seconds on the clock, but Stout failed to convert, then fouled Curtis Martin, who dropped in one free throw with two seconds left. Stout lost the ball on the inbound pass to bring down the curtain.

Greg Chaisson (So, Minneapolis, Minn) added 12 points for Stout.

Elmhurst had five players in double digits. Wayne Bosworth led the way with 21, while Martin tossed in 19, Nick Michael 18, Evan Patchett 14 and Gabe Kirstein 11.

Stout returns to action Saturday, Dec. 20 when they host Viterbo University at 7 p.m.

December 10, 2003

The Pointers (7-0, 2-0 WIAC) used a solid shooting first half to jump out to a 43-23 halftime lead. The Pointers hit 55 percent of the their first half shots, including 8-of-15 3-pointers, to bury the Blue Devils (6-3, 1-2). Jason Kalsow led the way for the Pointers with 14 of his game-high 20 points in the first stanza.

Stout could manage to hit only 8-of-25 shots from the floor (32 percent) and struggled at the line where they knocked down 8-of-15 (42 percent).

The Blue Devils chisled away at the lead as Jeff Vandenberghe (Sr, Coon Rapids, Minn) scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half. Nate Templer (Sr, Beaver Dam) added 10 second half points (he finished with 11) and Andy Bray (Sr, Menominee, Mich) scored half of his team-high 18 points in each half.

Stout cut the Pointer lead into single digits with 1:13 left in the game as Templer produced a monster block on the defensive end then, seconds later, drained a 3-pointer for a 67-59 Stevens Point lead.

Vandenberghe cut the lead to six points, 70-64, with five points in the final minute, but the Pointers got three free throws followed by a layup from Brett Hirsch to wrap up their seventh straight win.

For the night, Stevens Point made 50 percent of their shots, and 48 percent of their 3-pointers (11-of-23) as Neal Krajnik scored 14 points, hitting 4-of-6 treys. Nick Bennett added 16 points for Stevens Point. The Pointers connected on 14-of-18 free throws.

Stout shot 37 percent (24-of-65) from the floor, 33 percent (8-of-24) from 3-point range and 40 percent (8-of-20) from the line.

Men's Ice Hockey

December 13, 2003

RIVER FALLS - The site may have changed, but the result was exactly the same as UW-River Falls handed UW-Stout a 3-0 loss for the second consecutive night, this time at River Falls, Saturday, Dec. 13.

The Falcons, who tripped up Stout 3-0 last night in Menomonie, scored two power play goals in the first period, then tacked on another goal in the second period. Tyler Kostiuk scored at 12:04 and Jess Johnson at 15:56 in the first and Aaron Venasky scored five minutes into the second.

The Falcons outshot Stout by a 41-37 margin with Blue Devil goalie Jeff Dotson (Sr, Chanhassen, Minn) recording 38 saves. Dan Meneghin picked up the win by turning back all 37 shots.

The first period was a penalty-loaded affair with the Falcons getting whistled for seven fouls, while Stout racked up five. Stout finished the game with nine penalties and River Falls, eight.

Stout is off until Friday, Jan. 16 when they travel to St. Norbert. The Blue Devils play a junior varsity game, Friday, Jan. 9, when they host Finlandia.

December 12, 2003

MENOMONIE - UW-River Falls scored a goal in each period and went on to post a 3-0 shutout over UW-Stout, Friday, Dec. 12 at the Dunn County Ice Arena.

The Falcons' Aaron Venasky scored three minutes into the first period, Rod Novak punched a goal through three minutes into the second and Steve Moe topped off the night with a goal five minutes into the third period.

The Falcons (10-1-1, 2-1-0 NCHA) came at the Blue Devils (10-4-0, 1-2-0) hard in the first two periods, pelting Stout goalie Jeff Dotson (Sr, Chanhassen, Minn) with 17 shots in the first period and 11 in the second. Dotson finished the night with 35 saves. River Falls put 38 shots on goal, compared to 28 for Stout. The Blue Devils outshot the Falcons, 12-10, in the third period.

December 13, 2003

For the first time in the annual game's existence, the Mexican team defeated the USA team, coming back from a 31-13 deficit for a 34-31 win, Saturday, Dec. 13 in Cancun, Mexico.

Bundgaard, who was the USA team's leading rusher with 56 yards on eight carries, sparked a 21-point third quarter spurt by the USA.

But the Mexican team returned the favor with 21 unanswered fourth quarter points.

Stout offensive lineman Ben Knepper (Sr, Rice Lake) also participated in the game that saw the USA team rush for 179 yards and throw for 212 yards for a total of 391 yards.

Updated: December 15, 2003