Box Score Stevens Point, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team fell 69-67 at UW-Stevens Point Saturday night on Bennett Court. The Eagles drop to 10-7 overall and 4-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) while the Pointers improve to 9-8 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
UWL took a 2-1 lead on a
Ben Meinholz jumper with 18:29 left in the first half, its only lead of the first 20 minutes. UW-Stevens Point led 12-10 with 15:21 remaining when it went on a 8-0 run to lead 20-10 with 12:40 left. The Eagles cut the lead to 20-12 on a pair of
Devin Yurk free throws, but the Pointers used a 13-5 run to take a 33-17 advantage with 7:08 remaining. UW-Stevens Point took its largest lead at 36-19 with 5:40 left on a Mark Nelson three-point field goal. The Pointers made eight of their first 10 three-point attempts.
The Eagles used a 12-4 run to cut the lead to 40-31 with 1:40 left in the opening half on a
Kenny Finco three-pointer. The Pointers came back to finish the half on a 5-1 run to lead 45-32.
UW-Stevens Point led 51-38 with 15:53 left after a Ethan Bublitz layup before UWL went on a 14-3 run to cut the lead to 54-52 with 8:15 remaining on a
Ryan Kruser three-point field goal. The Eagles trailed 57-52 when a Yurk layup and three-pointer tied the contest with 6:31 left. UWL took a 60-58 advantage with 5:43 remaining on a Yurk three-pointer before UW-Stevens Point scored the next five points to lead 63-60 with 3:19 remaining. Brad Freeborn hit one-of-two free throws for the Pointers with 2:36 remaining to give UW-Stevens Point a 64-63 lead, but Finco's three-point field goal with 1:20 left gave UWL a 66-64 lead.
Nelson converted a three-pointer with :59 left to give the Pointers a one-point lead. Yurk hit one-of-two at the line with :34 left to force a 67-67 tie. Sean McGann's two free throws with :15 remaining for a 69-67 lead. After a UWL timeout,
Jared Staege missed a jumper with :05 left and Meinholz missed a jumper with :01 remaining.
UWL shot 49.0% from the field Saturday, including 42.1% (eight-of-19) from three-point range, and 73.3% (11-of-15) at the free throw line. Yurk led four players in double figures for the Eagles with 17 points while Kruser finished with 13 points. Staege and Finco each had 10 points with Staege recording a game-high 12 rebounds.
UW-Stevens Point 46.8% from the field, including 40.9% (nine-of-22) from three-point range, and 72.7% (16-of-22) at the line. McGann led four players in double figures for the Pointers with 16 points while Bublitz and Stephen Pelkofer each finished with 14. Nelson had 10 points and team-high eight rebounds.
UWL returns to action Wedneday, January 27 hosting UW-River Falls at 7 p.m.
