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Pointers Drop
Another Heartbreaker to Pioneers
Box Score
For the second time this season, UW-Platteville
pulled out a late-second men�s basketball victory over UW-Stevens Point as
the Pioneers made two free throws with 15.6 seconds left to escape with a
66-65 victory on Wednesday in Platteville.
Earlier this season, the Pioneers rallied from a
one-point deficit in the final seconds by hitting a three-pointer with 13
seconds left to pull out a 70-66 victory. The loss dashes the Pointers�
conference championship hopes as they fell two games behind UW-Whitewater in
the league standings. It also sets up a possibility of a rematch with the
Pioneers in the opening round of next week�s conference tournament.
The second half was back
and forth with neither team holding larger than a three-point lead in the
final eight minutes. UW-Stevens Point took its first lead since midway
through the half with 28 seconds left on a basket by Jon Krull. However,
UW-Platteville missed a shot on the other end and Jeff Skemp was fouled on
the rebound. He made both free throws to put the Pioneers ahead.
UW-Stevens Point worked the
clock down and was forced to take a long shot at the buzzer that missed.
The Pointers held the early
lead, but UW-Platteville went ahead 19-12 and then led for the remainder of
the first half. UW-Stevens Point scored the final four points of the half to
cut the lead to 34-30 at halftime.
UW-Stevens Point used a 9-2
run to take a 44-38 lead with 16 minutes left, but Mike Jamerson and Charlie
Lohoff hit consecutive three-pointers to tie the game for UW-Platteville.
UW-Stevens Point took the lead back to five points and 53-48 with 11:33 left
before the Pioneers went on a 10-0 run to take a five-point lead of their
own with 8:06 remaining.
The Pointers closed back
within one point on baskets by Krull with 4:53 left and 3:17 left, however,
Skemp scored for the Pioneers with 2:28 left to push the lead back to 64-61.
Steve Hicklin hit two free throws for the Pointers with 1:51 remaining
before Krull gave the Pointers the lead in the final minute.
Hicklin and Pete Rortvedt
each had 14 points for the Pointers, while LeVon Crawford led the Pioneers
with 20 points. UW-Stevens Point shot 54.2 percent, but had an
uncharacteristic 14 turnovers, snapping a streak of 10 straight games of 10
turnovers or less. The Pointers also played without senior forward Brian
Bauer for the second straight game. |
