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Pointers Survive
UW-La Crosse in Overtime Win
Box Score
Having hit numerous big shots over the past four
years, Jason Kalsow and Nick Bennett delivered again for the UW-Stevens
Point men�s basketball team.
The senior duo both knocked down three-pointers in
the final minute of overtime to rally the Pointers from a five-point deficit
and pull out a heartstopping 63-62 victory at UW-La Crosse on Saturday at
Mitchell Hall.
Bennett drained a three-pointer with one-minute
left and, after an Eagles� turnover with 25 seconds left, the Pointers found
Kalsow in the right corner for a game-winning three-pointer with six seconds
left. Both players played all 45 minutes in the hard-fought contest. UW-La
Crosse had a shot fall short at the buzzer as the nation�s top-ranked
Division III team hung on for the win.
UW-Stevens Point is now 16-1 overall and 8-1 in
the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while UW-La Crosse fell
to 5-13 overall and 2-7 in the league.
Both teams hit big shots throughout the game as
UW-Stevens Point�s Eric Maus drained a pair of clutch free throws with 30
seconds left in regulation to give the Pointers a 55-52 lead. UW-La Crosse
tied the game when Josh Hall drove the baseline and was fouled, throwing up
a shot that bounced high off the backboard and in before sinking the tying
free throw with six seconds left. Kalsow missed a three-pointer at the other
end, but Bennett had a successful rebound putback at the buzzer that was
ruled late and the game went to overtime.
In overtime, Hall hit a three-pointer to give the
Eagles a 60-57 lead with 2:15 left and Chris Ask drained a jumper that put
UW-La Crosse ahead 62-57 with 1:19 left before Bennett and Kalsow�s heroics.
UW-La Crosse opened up a nine-point lead in the
first half on the strength of six first half three-pointers. However, the
Pointers crawled to within one at 30-29 at halftime. UW-Stevens Point had a
9-0 run in the second half to build a 40-34 advantage with 13:54 remaining,
but the Eagles hung tough, scoring seven straight points as Chris Fehrenbach
hit back-to-back three-pointers for a 41-40 lead.
Bennett answered with a three-pointer and a
three-point play for a 46-41 UW-Stevens Point lead with 7:44 left, but hung
within five points as Fehrenbach hit three-pointers with 4:45 left and 2:05
remaining to pull the Eagles within 53-52.
Kalsow finished with a career-high five
three-pointers and totaled 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Bennett led all scorers with 23 points and Fehrenbach had six three-pointers
and 20 points for the Eagles, who had 16 offensive rebounds. |
