Averkamp Joins Elite Company
The Pointer women’s basketball team comes in for a huddle after their game this past week Photo by Jack McLaughlin​.

Averkamp Joins Elite Company

Senior center Ashley Averkamp scored her 1,000th point Saturday in an 85-67 victory over host University of Wisconsin – Superior. Averkamp joins 17 other Pointer women to reach the milestone in their career.

“We are playing with confidence trying to secure a 1 seed for the WIAC Tournament, which would give us home court advantage throughout the tourney,” said Head Coach Shirley Egner.

Just five minutes into the game the 12-ranked Pointers got out to an eight point lead. The Point lead rose as high as 17 in the first half.

“We were well prepared, had great focus and were able to make shots early. It is so important to get off to a good start when playing on the road,” said Egner. “We try to set the tone early for the game by playing well on both ends of the floor.”

The Pointers went into halftime with a 16 point lead against Superior and never allowed the Yellowjackets back in the game.

Point continued their first half momentum, sinking the first shot of the second half and gaining a 19 point lead in the first five minutes. The lead soared into the 20s throughout the remainder of the second half, but the Yellowjackets were able to bring it down to 18 before the end of the game.

“Our approach all season has been one game at a time. We can’t afford to overlook any opponent because in the WIAC any team can beat anyone on any given night,” said Egner.

Averkamp scored her 1000 point mid-way through the second half on a layup that put the Pointers up 17 points. Averkamp is second in scoring on the team with 204 points this season, averaging over 11 per game. Averkamp is shooting a team high 57 percent this season.

UWSP shot consistently all game, hitting 48 percent from the floor in both halves, while holding the Yellowjackets to 40 percent.

Point shot 71 percent from the three point line in the first half, followed with 50 percent from behind the arc in the second half. Junior guard Sam Barber sank six-of-seven three-pointers in the game.

“Superior was double teaming our low post which allowed us to get some great looks when we kicked the ball back out to the perimeter,” said Egner. “Superior was playing a match-up zone and by sending cutters through the zone and getting ball reversal we were able to get wide open shots.”

Barber led the way for Point with 25 points and seven rebounds. Junior guard Liz Althoff and senior guard Cassie Bandow also scored in double figures, adding 13 and 12, respectively.

Yellowjacket junior guard Connie Urmanski led her team in scoring with 13 points on the night.

“We have very versatile players who are willing to share the basketball,” said Egner. “One of our greatest strengths is our depth.”
Superior was also held to 25 percent from the three-point line in the game, just 15 percent in the second
half. Point also shot 14 percent better than Superior from the free throw line on 13 of 17 attempts.

The Pointers trailed only once in the game after an early basket and at one point extended their lead to 28. Point scored 21 points off of 17 Superior turnovers. Point also received 27 points from their bench.

“Platteville is a very “scrappy” team who will throw a lot of different things at us. We must get off to another good start by making solid decisions and getting inside touches,” Egner said.

 

Andy Hesse
ahess342@uwsp.edu

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