The No. 4 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team shot 58.3 percent from the field in the fourth quarter and made 7-of-10 free throws in the period Wednesday night at Kachel Gymnasium to close out a thrilling 75-71 victory over UW-Oshkosh to earn sole possession of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship, the ninth in school history.
 
After the game was tied at 52-52 through three quarters, neither team led by more than four points in a back-and-forth final period. The Warhawks (22-2 overall, 12-1 WIAC) grabbed a 62-58 lead with six minutes to play on a jumper by senior guard Becky Raeder (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls), but the Titans stormed back to take a 66-64 advantage at the 4:00 mark.
 
UW-Whitewater scored the next six points, including three each from junior forward Johanna Taylor (Wauwatosa, Wis./East) and freshman forward Aleah Grundahl (DeForest, Wis./DeForest), to take a 70-66 lead with 1:08 on the clock.
 
UW-Oshkosh (14-10, 7-6) scored five straight to take a 71-70 lead with 24 seconds left, but sophomore guard Veronica Kieres (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) drove hard to the basket for a layup, was fouled and hit the free throw to put UW-W ahead 73-71 with 19 seconds to go.
 
The Warhawks forced a turnover on the other end, and Grundahl was fouled, knocking down both free throws with four seconds remaining to give UW-Whitewater control of the contest.
 
Taylor registered a game-high 18 points to go along with four rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Grundahl tallied 17 points and seven rebounds, and Raeder finished with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
 
Kieres and junior guard Rebekah Schumacher (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) totaled nine points apiece, and sophomore guard Yssa Sto. Domingo (Streamwood, Ill./St. Edward) posted seven points and six rebounds.
 
The Warhawks shot 48.2 percent from the floor in the game and hit 16-of-20 from the free-throw line.
 
UW-Whitewater scored the first nine points of the game before UW-Oshkosh ran off 13 of the next 17 points for a 15-13 lead with 3:14 left in the first quarter. The Warhawks regained the advantage at 17-15, but the Titans scored the last five points of the frame for a 20-17 lead.
 
Neither team led by more than one possession over the first four minutes of the second quarter before UW-Whitewater scored six straight points to take a 33-26 advantage just past the midway point of the period. The Titans trimmed the margin to three by halftime.
 
UW-Oshkosh continued its momentum in the third quarter, taking the lead and increasing it to 48-41 by the 3:55 mark. The Warhawks responded with an 11-0 run for a 52-48 lead, but the Titans recorded the last four points of the frame to set up an exhilarating fourth quarter.
 
The Warhawks visit UW-Stout Saturday at 3 p.m. to close the regular season.