The future most definitely is not now for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men's basketball team.

But the youthful Pointers, who are trying this season to lay a sound foundation for the future of the program, discovered Saturday night that good things can happen when effort matches performance.

Firing away at a blazing 65.9 percent from the field, the Pointers held off UW-:La Crosse, 65-57, before an Alumni Night audience of 1,475 fans at Quandt Fieldhouse.

The victory, which snapped a two-game losing streak and atoned for an earlier heartbreaking, last-second defeat at La Crosse, improved UW-SP to 5-7 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic conference and 11-9 overall.

"We had great intensity and played with emotion and some fire," said UW-SP coach Jack Bennett. "We beat a team which shoots the ball as well as any team in the conference. La Crosse has so many weapons."

"It was just a great night with a big, vocal crowd. The kids wanted to play well in front of so many of the former great players who made this program what it has been for many years.

" What we are trying to do this season with so many young players is to sow the seeds for the future quality of this program. "

Until a lapse in the final four minutes, the Pointers’ second half performance had to rank with their best of the season.

Hitting 9 of their first 11 shots while limiting the Eagles to few open looks, the Pointers used an 18-7 run to open a 15-point lead, 52-37, with about five minutes left.

La Crosse, which had connected on just 4 of it first 15 shots in the second half, suddenly got hot from the outside.

Getting two 3-point baskets from senior Ryan Eklund and one each from freshman Brian Czarniak and junior Paul Manchester, the Eagles needed only about two minutes to trim their 15-point deficit to three.

Eklund’s second 3-pointer with 1:13 left closed the gap to 58-55.

Pointer freshman Kalonji Kadima, who sank six straight shots while scoring all 12 of his points after the break, then sank a 15-foot jumper from the left angle to make it 60-55 with a minute to go.

Manchester made one of two free throws with 42.8 seconds left but Derek Westrum sank two free throws with 23.5 to go and Nate Vosters and Gabe Frank combined to make three of four charity tosses in the final 13 seconds to seal the win.

Bennett, using terms like " throwing caution to the wind " and " rolling the dice," switched to a 1-3-1 zone defense in the last few minutes despite the Eagles’ proficiency from the outside.

" It was all about trying to change their rhythm and giving them a different look," Bennett explained. " Thank God it worked."

While UW-L struggled from the floor most of the night, connecting on just 19 of 49 shots for 38.8 percent, the Pointers sizzled, hitting 27 of 41 for .659. UWSP also had a 30-20 rebounding advantage.

The 6-5 Frank, whose 11 first half points helped UWSP gain a 26-26 stalemate, buried 8 of 10 shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, on the way to a 19-point night which also included four assists.

Brant Bailey, who made 7 of 11 shots, contributed 17 points, 11 of which came in second half.

" For his spectacular dunks and plays on offense, I am most proud of the mental toughness and defensive intensity Brant displayed against Tracy," Bennett said.

Bennett also was pleased with the play of the 6-3 Kadima, a redshirt freshman swingman from Milwaukee ( King ).

" Kalonji hit some big shots at the end when they were coming back at us," Bennett said. " The key for him was that he slowed down a bit, squared up and handled the ball before using his explosiveness, instead of trying to do everything at once. "

The 6-5 Westrum, who had eight points, was his usual dominating self on the boards, coming down with a game high 12. He also had four assists and two momentum building steals which he took nearly the length of the court and climaxed with thunderous dunks.

" Derek made some big plays," Bennett said. " When he does those things, he excites not only the crowd but the rest of his teammates."

Eklund led La Crosse with 15 points. Tracy and Czarniak added 11 each but Manchester, who had 21 of his 24 points in the second half of the first meeting, including the winning 3-pointer with time running out, was limited to 10 points and 3 of 9 from the field.

Tracy, who came in averaging 16.8, also pulled down eight rebounds.

The Pointers face a difficult week on the road with games at UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday and at first place UW-Platteville on Saturday.