By Don Friday of the Stevens Point Journal

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men's basketball team was put to the test Saturday night and responded with one of its best performances of the season. The Pointers, facing perhaps their most formidable non-conference opponent, played superb defense down the stretch to overtake Elmhurst College, 68-56.

The victory improved the Pointers to 9-2 overall while the Bluejays, expected to be a top contender in the College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin, dropped to 6-4. The loss, its first in six home outings, also snapped Elmhurst's three-game winning streak.

With its big front line doing considerable damage inside, the Bluejays opened a 32-30 halftime lead despite a 20-point outburst by UWSP senior Dan Denniston. The Pointers, however, slowly but surely asserted themselves defensively and on the boards the rest of the way. That, along with a 14 of 25 display from the field and clutch free throw shooting in the final two minutes, was enough to pull away.

"This was a huge win," said UWSP coach Jack Bennett. "We didn't want to put too much on it because it was a non-conference game but Elmhurst was an excellent team which would rank in the upper echelon of our conference. They gave national champion Illinois Wesleyan a strong run for their money last season and expect to surpass them this year."

While Denniston was on fire and kept the Pointers in the game the first half, he had plenty of help the rest of the way from the other starters as well as several members of the quality UWSP bench who made key contributions.

Dave Grzesk's driving layup with 10:45 remaining put the Pointers ahead to stay, 37-36, but a key to the outcome took place several minutes later when the Bluejays, with four opportunities to score on the same possession, came away with nothing as the UWSP defense stepped up.

"That was the signature part of the game," Bennett said. "It proved that we were not going to wilt and also took some of the starch out of them."

Leading 56-51 with about four minutes left, the Pointers took advantage of two critical missed free throws by Elmhurst standout James Ford to go on an 8-0 run.

Grzesk scored on a drive, Brant Bailey hit two baskets in close, and Denniston's drive opened a 62-51 advantage with 1:30 remaining.

The Pointer defense limited the Bluejays to 24 points in the second half and forced Elmhurst into nine turnovers. Joe Warnke, the Jays' 6-9 center, managed just five points.

Denniston, who didn't score in the Pointers' last game against Viterbo, finished with 26 points.

"Dan was in a little scoring slump, mainly because he's been fatigued since the Platteville game, but I was really pleased with the gutsy way he played," Bennett said.

Russ Austin added 11 points, seven in the second half and 6-7 freshman Joe Zuiker 10, all but one after the break. The Pointers will return to WIAC action on Wednesday night at UW-La Crosse.