The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team gave itself a chance to take a lead late in the game Wednesday night but fell just shy in a 59-58 setback at No. 11 UW-Oshkosh in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown.
 
The Warhawks (19-5 overall, 9-4 WIAC) now enter their final regular season game Saturday in a tie for second place with UW-Stevens Point, which holds the tiebreaker based on head-to-head results.
 
With a win Saturday at UW-Eau Claire and a UW-Stevens Point loss Saturday against fourth-place UW-La Crosse, UW-Whitewater would earn the No. 2 seed in the WIAC Championship and a bye to the tournament semifinals.
 
In all other scenarios, the Warhawks would be the No. 3 seed and host a first-round game Wednesday against the No. 6 seed.
 
Four players finished in double figures Wednesday to lead UW-Whitewater, including junior guard Malia Smith (Bolingbrook, Ill./Neuqua Valley), who tallied 14 points, six rebounds and three steals.
 
Senior guard Reilly Stewart (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) finished with 13 points, sophomore forward Olivia Freckmann (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) registered 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks and sophomore center Becky Deichl (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) collected 10 points and six rebounds.
 
The Warhawks held the Titans (22-2, 12-1 WIAC) to 34.0 percent shooting from the floor but committed 18 turnovers on the offensive end. UW-Whitewater also outscored UW-Oshkosh 30-14 on points in the paint, but the Titans held a 21-12 advantage in made free throws.
 
The Warhawks grabbed a 14-8 lead in the first and led for a majority of the quarter before UW-Oshkosh took an 18-17 advantage on a pair of free throws in the waning moments of the period.
 
UW-Whitewater started the second quarter on an 11-3 run, forcing three Titan turnovers on defense and hitting 5-of-6 shots over a three-minute span to take a 28-21 lead at the 4:00 mark. The Warhawks took a 30-25 lead into the half.
 
UW-Oshkosh took the lead midway through the third quarter and led by as many as six in the frame. Smith hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 42-42 in the final minute of the period, but the Titans converted a free throw with 26 seconds remaining to take a one-point lead heading into the fourth.
 
Smith hit a 3-pointer with 9:29 left to give UW-Whitewater a 45-43 lead, but UW-Oshkosh grabbed the lead back with 8:30 on the clock and never trailed again despite the Warhawks staying within five points.
 
UW-Whitewater had a chance to take the lead with the ball and trailing by one, but was unable to convert.
 
The Warhawks' game Saturday at UW-Eau Claire is scheduled for 5 p.m.