Stevens Point, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team fell 66-64 at UW-Stevens Point Wednesday night in Quandt Fieldhouse.  The Eagles drop to 9-5 overall and 1-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) while the Pointers improve to 9-5 overall and 3-0 in the conference. It is UW-Stevens Point's 24th straight home win over UWL.

The game also marked the return of UWL head coach Kent Dernbach to Stevens Point.  Dernbach was the Pointers' interim head coach for the last 13 games of the 2016-17 season, leading the team to an 8-5 record, including two wins over UWL.  Dernbach served as the associate head coach for the Pointers from 2011-17. 
UW-Stevens Point scored the first six points of the game Wednesday night before a Milton Cummings three-pointer put UWL on the board, making it 6-3 with 2:05 into the first half. The three-point field goal started a 7-0 run for the Eagles, who took their first lead at the 15:37 mark on a Terek Nesheim layup. 

The game remained close the remainder of the half.  The Pointers led by five at 27-22 with 5:54 remaining, but the Eagles ended the period on a 10-4 run capped with a Cummings jumper with :04 left to give the Eagles a 32-31 lead at halftime.
 
UW-Stevens Point led by as many as six at 40-34 with 15:37 to play in the game, but UWL fought back and took the lead 48-47 on a Sam Skoyen three-pointer with 10:47 left.  A three-point play from Tanner Bruchs gave the Eagles their biggest lead of the half at 51-47 with 9:38 remaining, but a Pointers' 6-0 run put them back ahead by two at 53-51 with 8:20 left on a pair of Mark Nelson free throws.

The Eagles got to within one point on three occasions down the stretch, and trailed 65-64 after a Ben Meinholz three-point field goal with 2:17 remaining.  After a Pointers' free throw made it 66-64 with 1:06 remaining, Meinholz missed a jumper with :10 left that was rebounded by Manning.  After a UWL timeout, Meinholz had a chance to win the game with a three-pointer with :03 to go, but it was no good, and UW-Stevens Point held on for the win. 

UWL shot 49.0% from the field Wednesday, including 41.2% (seven-of-17) from three-point range, and 50.0% (nine-of-18) at the free throw line. Meinholz led all scorers with 24 points, with Bruchs adding 11 and Skoyen 10.  Manning led UWL with 10 rebounds, while Taulvish McCray and Meinholz had four assists each. 

UW-Stevens Point shot 53.7% from the field, including 30.8% (four-of-13) from three-point range, and 75.0% (18-of-24) at the line. Canon O'Heren, Brett Tauber, and Nelson led four players in double-figures with 13 points each.  MJ Delmore added 11 points. 

UWL returns to action Saturday, January 13 at UW-Platteville at 7 p.m.