By Don Friday of the Stevens Point Journal

 Milwaukee - Grace College may have had a six game head start, but it was the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point men's basketball team which appeared to be in midseason form.

 The Pointers, who went on a 27-6 run during the first 12 minutes and 30 seconds of the second half, opened their season with an impressive 80-52 victory in the first game of the Milwaukee Lutheran College Tip-off Tournament at the Rec Center complex Friday.

 The win advanced UW-SP into the championship game against the host Wisconsin Lutheran, which beat Concordia College of Ann Arbor, Mich., in the second game.

 Pointer coach Jack Bennett liked what he saw from his team during the final 20 minutes after an inconsistent first half.

 "We played solid Pointer basketball," he said. "We attacked their halfcourt trap and played much better on the defensive end. It looked like we were in our third or fourth game.

 "I was a bit concerned in the first half because we were rushing on offense and playing too soft on defense."

 After surging to a 10-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game and building a 13 point lead at 19-6 with about seven minutes elapsed, the Pointers struggled, although still managing to leave the court with a 39-29 advantage.

 Leading 47-33 early in the second half, UW-SP then delivered the knockout punch in the form of a 13-0 run which opened a 60-33 lead. Moments later, the margin grew to 31 points at 66-35.

 The Pointers' ball pressure and help defense took the Lancers right out of their offense. Grace turned the ball over 20 times, including 13 in the second half and repeatedly misfired from the out side.

 The big lead also gave Bennett the luxury of using his quality depth. Replacements played the last seven minutes and acquitted themselves well with 11 players breaking into the scoring column.

 "It was just a great opportunity to play all 12 guys and gave us the added benefit of being able to rest our starters for the championship game," Bennett said.

 The balanced scoring attack was led by Port Edwards freshman Joe Zuiker, whose collegiate debut was an auspicious one, and veterans Dan Denniston and Derek Westrum.

 Zuiker, who sank 8 of 11 shots while also pulling down eight rebounds, scored 11 of his game-high 17 points in the first half while lead guard Denniston, who drilled 6 of 10 attempts, including three treys, tallied 13 of his 15 in the opening half. He also had four assists and just one turnover.

 Grace, which dropped to 2-5, got only 21 points from its starting lineup.