HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men's basketball team faced its first test of the season Friday in the semifinals of the Northern Kentucky Classic Tournament and passed it with a late surge. 

The Pointers, who led an early 10-point first half lead slip away, pulled away down the stretch in the second half to turn back St. Michael's (Ky.) 71-61.

"I think I am entirely pleased more with how we won the game than with the fact that we won it," said UW-SP coach Jack Bennett.

"There was a stretch there where I wasn't happy because we were playing undisciplined defensively. But then about the 10- or 11-minute mark, we tightened it up and took control."

Senior forward Brant Bailey led a balanced effort with 24 points and 13 rebounds as the Pointers moved to today's championship game against the host school, Northern Kentucky.

"Brant had a monster game," Bennett said. "Everyone knows he has great athletic ability, but now he is doing the other things that really help us win."

Bailey sparked the Pointers' final surge with a steal and slam dunk that gave UW-SP a three-point lead with about three minutes remaining. The Pointers also got a spark from sophomore Kalonji Kadima. Kadima, who was questionable for the game because of a knee injury, connected for 12 points. 

"I don't know if he just wanted to get out of practice or what, but Kadima looked like he was really ready to play tonight," Bennett said.

Point guard Brent Larsen added 11 points and junior forward Joe Zuiker had 10 points and 11 rebounds for UW-SP, which outrebounded the Purple Knights 40-30.  

"Between Brant, Joe and Travis (Kornowski), we have three big bodies out there that I think can do it (rebound) for us by committee," Bennett said.

The Pointers jumped a 23-13 advantage midway through the first half, but St. Michael's closed to within 35-33 at halftime.

The Purple Knights were led by center Todd Roberts with 17 points and Lonnie Bradley and Brian Miles with 10 points each.

UW-SP, which shot a blazing 63 percent in the first half (15-of-24) finished shooting 55 percent from the floor, while holding the Purple Knights to 37 percent. 

"This was a Division II team that won 25 games (last year) and had three starters back, but down the stretch we had the better team," Bennett said.   "I think it came down to two things - No. 1 our conditioning and No. 2 our depth.  "We wanted to come into this setting and test ourselves and we did." 

The Pointers will get another tough test tonight when they meet Northern Kentucky, which rolled over Thomas More (Ky.) 120-66, in the championship game tonight at 6:45 p.m. Northern Kentucky is ranked sixth in the NCAA Division II national poll. 

UW-SP/St. Michael's Summary

UW-SP 35 36 - 71

St. Michael's 33 28 - 61

UW-SP (71) - Zuiker 5-8 0-0 10, Frank 1-6 0-0, Bailey 10-17 4-8 24, Kind 2-4 1-2 6, Larsen 2-4 6-6 11, Vosters 1-1 0-0 3, Kadima 5-6 1-2 12, DeVos 1-1 0-0 3. Totals: 27-49 71.

ST. MICHAEL'S (61) - Bradley 4-9 0-0 10, Pater 4-13 0-4 9, Roberts 5-18 5-6 17, Miles 5-6 0-0 10, Adekola 4-12 0-0 8, Chandler 2-4 0-0- 5.

3-pointers: UW-SP 5-11 (Frank 0-3, Kind 1-1, Larsen 1-3, Vosters 1-1, Kadima 1-1, DeVos 1-1), St. Michael's 3-25 (Pater 0-4, Roberts 2-12, Adekola 0-2, Scott 0-5, Chandler 1-2).

Rebounds: UW-SP 40 (Bailey 13, Zuiker 11), St. Michael's 30 (Roberts 8).

Assists: UW-SP 14, St. Michael's 12.

Fouls: UW-SP, St. Michael's 16. Fouled out: Chandler.