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Cold Shooting
Dooms Pointers in Loss to Yellowjackets
Box Score
The UW-Stevens Point men�s basketball team hasn�t
been able to figure out UW-Superior this season, but it won�t have to wait
long for another chance.
The Pointers used an ice cold second half on
Saturday at the Quandt Fieldhouse to fall to the Yellowjackets 61-52, ending
their streak of four consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference championships. However, UW-Stevens Point still earned the second
seed for the upcoming WIAC tournament and will host the Yellowjackets again
on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
UW-Superior also beat the ninth-ranked Pointers
57-54 on Jan. 17, marking the first time the Yellowjackets have swept
UW-Stevens Point since 1964-65. The defeat also snapped the Pointers�
15-game home regular season winning streak in February and was just their
loss in their last 30 regular season games during the month.
UW-Stevens Point shot just 21.9 percent in the
second half, missing 16 consecutive shots during a nearly nine-minute span.
The Pointers held a 39-35 lead with 14:18 left and couldn�t force the lid
off the hoop until finally scoring again with 5:38 remaining. During the
Pointers� cold spell, UW-Superior scored 12 straight points and took a 47-41
lead.
Jon Krull had two consecutive steals to help rally
the Pointers. He hit one free throw following the first steal and converted
a layup on the second to bring UW-Stevens Point to within 47-44 with 3:50
left.
UW-Superior�s Bob Riley made one free throw for a
four-point lead and then had a steal and dunk on the Pointers� next
possession to push the lead back to 50-44 with 3:13 left. After Nick Bennett
hit a basket to pull the Pointers back within four, UW-Superior missed its
next shot, but Riley got the rebound and Laron Reed drained a three-pointer
with the shot clock winding down to put the Yellowjackets ahead 53-46 with
2:16 left.
UW-Stevens Point finished the game making just one
of its last six attempts and ended the day 19-for-60 from the field for 31.7
percent. The Pointers entered the game ranked 12th in the NCAA Division III
in field goal percentage at 50.1 percent and had not been held below 41
percent all year.
Cody Kastern led all scorers with 19 points on
eight-for-nine shooting. Riley had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the
Yellowjackets, who won despite 24 turnovers. Krull had a career-high 12
points and Eric Maus added 12 points to lead the Pointers. UW-Stevens
Points� Jason Kalsow was three-for-15 from the floor and held to a
season-low 10 points. |
