Yellowjackets report: UWS men's hoops tipped by St. Norbert

Dec. 8—A second-half push from the visiting St. Norbert Green Knights was a little too much for Wisconsin-Superior men's basketball to handle on Saturday, Dec. 6 as the Yellowjackets took a 64-56 defeat at Mertz Mortorelli Gym in Superior.

UWS didn't have a great day offensively in either half, going 10-for-26 (38%) from the floor before the break, but the 'Jackets found themselves only down a point, 28-27.

The Green Knights took the lead for good around the median point of the second half and pushed their lead to eight over the next five minutes, and no UWS rally was forthcoming.

UWS finished 21-for-55 (38%) from the floor for the game and just 4-for-22 (18%) from 3-point land. Rocco Paulson and Evan Bennett co-led the offense with 10 points apiece, while Landen Thomer was one point from a double-double off the bench, finishing with nine points and 10 rebounds.

UWS (1-7) is scheduled to play at St. Scholastica on Wednesday night, Dec. 10.

Wisconsin-Superior couldn't get a good handle on the ball on Saturday, committing 30 turnovers in a 65-40 nonconference home loss to Wisconsin-Stout at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.

Despite the lopsided score, UWS was only down 37-36 after three quarters. However, UWS's first six possessions of the fourth frame ended in miscues, allowing the Blue Devils to quickly build a double-digit advantage, which they only grew with help from eight more turnovers.

Megan Schafer scored nine points to lead the Yellowjackets (2-6), who will host Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Neither side of a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's hockey weekend went Wisconsin-Superior's way after a lengthy stalemate tipped 2-0 in Wisconsin-Stout's favor on Saturday night in Menonomie, Wisconsin.

The night before, the Yellowjackets dropped a 4-3 decision at home to Wisconsin-River Falls.

Saturday's game was scoreless for more than 55 minutes before Maksis Brimanis broke the deadlock for the host Blue Devils with just 3:53 to play. UW-Stout added a late empty-netter.

Kobe Grant took the hard-luck loss with 22 saves, while Stout goalie Sebastian Monaco earned a 20-save shutout.

Friday's game at Wessman Arena was almost as close. UWS took an early lead on a Daniel Roszival power play goal, but the Falcons scored three times in a row, all with the man advantage, en route to finishing 3-for-6 on the night with the power play.

UWS pulled a goal back late in the second period from Logan Nickerson but the hosts' quest for an equalizer went unrewarded. Blake Setter did score for the Yellowjackets late, but only a shift after a UWRF empty-netter.

Jan Skorpik made 26 saves in defeat for UWS (5-5-1, 1-3-0 WIAC), which closes out the 2025 portion of its schedule with a pair of games at Beloit on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12-13.

Wisconsin-Superior had two leads in the first period but couldn't turn those into a win in a 4-2 WIAC women's hockey defeat to Wisconsin-Eau Claire at Wessman Arena in Superior on Saturday, Dec. 7.

Kendal Gustavsson and Avery Olenik scored for UWS, but both goals were canceled out by Blugolds goals. UWEC took the lead with a goal in the second period and added to it with one more in the third.

Jayda Moyer made 45 saves for UWS, which was outshot 49-16.