STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men's basketball team kept pace in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) as it improved its conference record to 10-2 with a 70-54 victory over UW-Platteville Wednesday evening at Bennett Court.
The Pointers and Pioneers both came out of the opening tip cold with just seven points scored in the first four and a half minutes as UWP held a 5-2 advantage.
Down one with 6:46 remaining in the first, freshman Austin Ryf (Winneconne, WI/Winneconne) put the Pointers up two with a three-pointer which sparked a 12-2 run to end the half.
Both teams battled back and forth in the first as the lead changed six times and two ties. UWSP gained a nine-point advantage going into halftime at 29-20, its largest lead of the half.
The Pioneers began to attempt a comeback in the second but senior Dan Tillema (Randolph, WI/Randolph/Minnesota-Duluth) tallied UWSP's first eight points holding its lead at nine, 37-28, with 16:39 remaining.
At the 10:18 mark, two free throws by UWP's Matt Weik capped off a 10-4 run by the Pioneers to cut the UWSP advantage to four but the Pointers regained momentum shortly after.
Over the next 52 seconds, UWSP tallied nine points, including five on one possession, to increase its lead from four to 13 with just over nine minutes to play.
UWP was unable to bring the score any closer than eight the rest of the way out as the Pointers defense stepped up down the stretch by holding the Pioneers to zero points over the last 3:26.
D. Tillema led all scorers with 25 points on 11-of-21 shooting while adding seven rebounds. Jordan Brezinski (Muskego, WI/Muskego) recorded his fourth double-double in the past five games with 15 points and 12 rebounds. The senior was also a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. Off the bench, Ryf recorded a career-high 11 points on 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Tyler Tillema (Randolph, WI/Randolph) also scored in double figures with 11 and dished out a game high four assists.
Jake Manning recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds while Weik tallied a team-high 14 points off the bench.
For the game, the Pointers shot 50 percent from the field and 92.9 percent from the free-throw line compared to the Pioneers who only connected on 35 percent from the field and 58.3 from the line.
UW-Stevens Point (17-4, 10-2 WIAC) returns to action on Saturday as it hosts UW-La Crosse in Stevens Point. Game time is set for 30 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game which begins at 3 p.m.
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Sam Barber (Schofield, WI/D.C. Everest/Winona St.) recorded her fourth double-double of the season as the UW-Stevens Point women's basketball team extended its win-streak to five games with a 84-53 win over UW-Platteville Wednesday on Bo Ryan Court.
Barber scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the winning effort while Cassie Bandow (Plover, WI/Pacelli) and Taylor Bahr (Caledonia, WI/Shoreland Lutheran) led all scorers with 15 apiece.
Bandow shot 3-for-7 from behind the arc as Bahr shot 7-for-10 from the free-throw line to go along with seven rebounds.
The Pointers shot 53.6 percent from the field and held the Pioneers to just 26.1 percent shooting.
Kim Wellnitz led the Pioneers in scoring with 12 points.
Barber's previous double-double came during the 80-58 win at home against UW-Whitewater on Jan. 25 when she scored 18 points and pulled down 11 boards.
In her last five contests, Barber is averaging 18.2 points and 9 rebounds.
The women's basketball team plays host to UW-La Crosse Saturday in Berg Gym at 3:00 p.m. on Senior Day.
COURTESY UW-STEVENS POINT
