Oshkosh, Wis. -- The No. 10 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team fell to No. 4 UW-Oshkosh 71-63 on the road Saturday evening in the first conference game of the season. 

The game was tight until a late first quarter run for the Titans had UWO up six at the end of the first, 17-11. UWO's advantage swelled into double digits when the Warhawks began chipping away. UW-Whitewater ended the half on an 11-1 run to cut the margin to eight. Renee Rittmeyer (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) bolstered the run with five points while Mia Gillis (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel Catholic) knocked down a pair of free throws in the final second for the 33-25 score at the break. 

On the other side of the intermission, the offenses came out firing. UWW shot 54% from the floor while the Titans hit 67% from the field. By the end of the third, the home team held the lead 56-42. 

The Warhawks responded by opening the fourth with a 9-0 spurt that cut the gap to five, 56-51 at the 6:26 mark. However, the UWW comeback would fall short in the end despite a barrage of three's for the Warhawks late. 

The free throw line became the difference maker as the Titans hit 17-21 compared to UW-Whitewater's 9-10. Gillis led the way with 15 points. Rittmeyer knocked down three-of-five from long range to bolster an 11-point night. The senior made it a double-double with a game-high ten rebounds.