For the second straight season, the UW-Oshkosh men’s basketball tam has advanced to the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship following a 108-86 win in the second round over University of Northwestern-St. Paul (Minn.) in Collegeville, Minn. on Saturday.
The Titans (25-3) will host the NCAA Sectional Semifinals and meet Loras College (Iowa) (23-6) on Friday at Kolf Sports Center in Oshkosh. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. The other matchup will feature University of St. Thomas (Minn.) (24-4) and Guilford College (N.C.) (23-7).
The Titans, who tied the program record for wins in a season, got 25 points and seven assists from Ben Boots, 24 points and four rebounds by Brett Wittchow; 19 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks from Adam Fravert; 19 points and a career-high 11 rebounds by Connor Duax; and 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists from Jack Flynn.
Flynn became the 35th Titan to score 1,000 career points, the third on this years roster. UW-Oshkosh seniors Boots and Wittchow also surpassed the 1,000-point mark this season.
The Titans are in the Sweet 16 for the third time. The meeting with Loras College will be the first since a 73-72 Oshkosh win in overtime on Dec. 30, 2012.
Oshkosh women advance
For the second time in the last three seasons, the UW-Oshkosh women secured a spot in the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship after a 54-52 second round win over DePauw University (Ind.) at Kolf Sports Center on Saturday.
The Titans beat Pomona-Pitzer College (California) in the opening round. Oshkosh (26-3) will face Wartburg College (Iowa) (26-3) in a sectional semifinal game in St. Paul, Minnesota on Friday. The other semifinal will feature University of St. Thomas (Minn.) (28-1) and Amherst College (Mass.) (25-3).
UW-Oshkosh never trailed in the game and led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter before DePauw University cut its deficit to 49-47 with 3:20 left in the four quarter. But the Titans were able to withstand the charge and pull out the win.
Leah Porath led UW-Oshkosh with 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field.
With Saturday’s regional championship, Titans seventh-year head coach Brad Fischer moves into 11th in WIAC history with 165 wins. Fischer (165-36 record) surpasses former UW-River Falls coach Dennis Bloom, who compiled a 164-93 mark from 1982-91.
Wartburg College has won its past three meetings with UW-Oshkosh, including a 66-56 decision in the most recent matchup during the second round of the 2016 Division III Championship.