MEN AT WORK
Pointers dismantle Stout
Journal staff

Shooters' touch: UW-SP's Brant Bailey releases a shot over a UW-Stout defender during Wednesday's game at Quandt Fieldhouse. Bailey led the Pointers to an 80-66 victory with 25 points. (Journal photo by Doug Wojcik)

The members of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men's basketball team laced up their work boots, put on their hard hats, grabbed their lunch pails and went to work on UW-Stout Wednesday night at Quandt Fieldhouse.

The Pointers dismantled the Blue Devils 80-66 to raise their league record to 6-1 and their overall mark to 11-3.

"It was a very workman-like ballgame for our guys," said UW-SP coach Jack Bennett, whose team is ranked 21st in the latest Division III basketball poll.

"We built an 8-point lead at halftime and then came out quickly to expand it and make it comfortable right away in the second half."

Seniors Brant Bailey and Gabe Frank led the Pointers (11-3 overall, 6-1 WIAC) with 25 and 24 points, respectively.

Stout (6-9, 0-7) was paced by Jeremy Leibfried with 16 points, Aaron Vachowiak with 15 and Scott Klimek with 11.

The victory leaves the Pointers in a first-place tie with Eau Claire for the top spot in the WIAC. Platteville, which entered play on Wednesday tied with UW-SP and the Blugolds for the conference lead, was upset by UW-Superior 66-63.

Bennett admitted he feared a letdown from his team against Stout, following the Pointers' emotional 77-63 victory at Platteville on Saturday which put an end to the Pioneers' 96-game home winning streak.

The Pointer coach was also hoping the victory over the two-time defending national champion Pioneers would result in a packed-house as the Pointers returned to Quandt after a two-game road trip.

But Mother Nature had other ideas.

Wednesday's snowstorm may have limited the crowd, but the Pointers found their own way to inspire themselves, Bennett said.

"I was really concerned with a letdown, as much as because of the weather as anything else," Bennett said. "We had hoped for a big crowd. But with the snow and the students not being here and no band, we had to create our own enthusiasm and I think we did that at the beginning of the second half."

The Pointers, who led 37-29 at halftime, wasted little time in turning the game into a rout in the second half.

Frank, who scored 13 points after intermission, knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and a deuce as UW-SP outscored Stout 19-6 to open up a 21-point bulge - 56-35- over the first seven minutes of the second half. Frank finished the game 6-of-9 from behind the 3-point arc.