February 9, 2002
Pointers nip Titans

By Chuck Carlson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers

OSHKOSH - They stood there afterward in disbelief, hands on hips and eyes wide, waiting perhaps to be told that what they'd just witnessed hadn't really occurred.

But as the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh men's basketball team learned all too quickly, real life is often stranger than fiction.

In a wild conclusion to a superbly played game, Oshkosh lost control of the WIAC race it had worked so hard to claim with a last-second 74-73 loss to Stevens Point Saturday night at Kolf Sports Center.

"This was a great college basketball game," Stevens Point coach Jack Bennett said. "This was a classic."

But the final score barely tells the story of this one.

The Titans fought back from five points down in the final 35 seconds, tying the game when Nick Scherer heaved up a 30-footer with 3 seconds to play.

On the inbounds pass, though, Titan guard Dain Christensen, who didn't know that bucket tied the game, fouled Neal Krajnik.

After missing the first free throw, Krajnik hit the second with 1.5 seconds left.

Only after Scherer's 3-pointer from the corner spun out at the buzzer could the Pointers breathe easier.

The loss throws the league back into jumble just three days after Oshkosh had taken the lead with a last-second one-point at Whitewater.

Now La Crosse is back in front with a 10-4 conference mark followed by Whitewater at 10-5. Stevens Point and Oshkosh are perched just behind with 9-5 records and the Titans travel to La Crosse Wednesday.

"It doesn't seem to matter where we play anybody in this league," Oshkosh coach Ted Van Dellen said. "It's a real equal league and when you don't bring your 'A' game, you're going to be in trouble."

Bennett, whose Pointers won the league the past two seasons, echoed the sentiment.  "This league right now is the strongest I've ever seen it from top to bottom," he said. "I really think this is the best NCAA Division III league in the country, bar none."

And Saturday's battle, the final regular season home game for the Titans, was no exception.

Oshkosh's biggest lead was seven points barely two minutes into the game. Stevens Point never led by more than five and there were six ties.

The Titans led 33-32 at the half but both teams came out scalding in the second half as the Titans hit eight of their first nine shots and the Pointers connected on six of their first seven.

But the tide finally turned with 4:13 to play when Oshkosh's leading scorer and rebounder Tim Dworak fouled out.
Van Dellen said he didn't even think of benching Dworak, who made all seven of his field goals, scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds, when he received his fourth foul barely a minute before.

Stevens Points seemed to take control, building a 70-65 lead with 35 seconds left.

But Scott Sowinski hit a 3-pointer and added two free throws with 16 seconds left to pull UWO within 72-70.

Josh Iserloth, who scored 28 points for Point, hit another free throw with 15 seconds left, setting up the final drama.

Stevens Point  32 42 - 74
Oshkosh         33 40 - 73

Stevens Point (18-5, 9-5) - Josh Iserloth 10 3-6 28, Jason Kalsow 4 1-4 9, Neal Krajnik 3 1-2 8, Ron Nolting 2 0-0 6, Kalonji Kadima 5 4-4 16, Tamaris Relerford 0 0-0 0, Nick Bennett 0 2-2 2, Justin Mallett 0 0-0 0, Nick DeVos 0 1-2 1, Eric Maus 0 4-4 4. Team totals: 24 16-24 74.

Oshkosh (17-5, 9-5) - Tim Dworak 7 5-8 21, Cameron Zuege 1 2-2 4, Josh Board 0 0-0 0, Nate Miller 2 0-0 5, Nick Scherer 7 2-3 22, Andy Fernholz 1 2-2 4, Scott Sowinski 4 2-5 14, Dain Christensen 1 0-0 3, Shaun Nommensen 0 0-0 0. Team totals: 23 13-20 73.

Fouled out - Oshkosh (Dworak); Stevens Point (Kalsow). 3-point goals - Stevens Points 10 (Iserloth 5, Nolting 2, Kadima 2, Krajnik 1); Oshkosh 14 (Scherer 6, Sowinski 4, Dworak 2, Miller 1, Christensen 1). Total fouls - Stevens Point 17; Oshkosh 19. Rebounds - Stevens Point 29 (Kalsow 6); Oshkosh 27 (Dworak 9).