The 24th-ranked UW-La Crosse women’s basketball team made program history Friday night, rallying from a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit to upset No. 5 UW-Oshkosh 52-49 and claim its first-ever WIAC Tournament Championship. The victory over the Titans — ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division III Na tional Power Index  — also gives the Eagles an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. With the win, UW-L coach Moran Lonning’s squad moves on to the NCAA Division III National Tournament, which begins March 6. The Eagles will learn their first-round opponent during the NCAA selection show at 1:30 p.m. Monday. The win also caps a historic week for UW-L (18-9), which broke a streak of eight consecutive WIAC semifinal losses to reach the title game. The Eagles spent a majority of the night trailing — at one point falling behind by as many as 12 in the third quarter. A Jenna Welsch 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer, though, cut the deficit to 44-36 and sparked a 16-5 run to close the game. The Eagles took their first lead of the night, 46-45, with four minutes remaining. With 48 seconds left and the game tied, UW-L’s Malia Nelson drilled a clutch 3-pointer from the wing to put her team up 51-48. After a Titans layup narrowed the gap, Grace Knupp hit a free throw with 13 seconds left to provide the final cushion. A contested 3-pointer by Oshkosh at the buzzer missed, sealing the upset. Molly Janke led the Eagles with 12 point, 12 rebounds, while Knupp added 11 points and four assists. Last season, UW-L earned an at-large bid to the tournament and beat Colorado College in the first round, which was its first NCAA tournament win since 1988.. They lost a 50-49 heartbreaker to UW-Whitewater in the second round. TOP PHOTO: The UW-L women’s basketball team celebrates after winning the WIAC tournament championship on Feb. 27, 2026 (PHOTO: UWL Athletics) ...read more read less