La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team earned a 76-68 win over UW-Stevens Point Monday afternoon in Mitchell Hall in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship First Round.  The Eagles improve to 7-2 on the season while the Pointers finish 2-7. 

With the victory, UWL will host UW-Oshkosh in the WIAC Semifinals on Wednesday, March 3.  UW-Oshkosh picked up a 98-89 home win over UW-Stout in Monday's first round. 

It is UWL's first WIAC tournament win over UW-Stevens Point (1-4).  The Eagles advance to the conference semifinals for the fifth time in the last six years.  UWL is making its 18th appearance in the WIAC Tournament, which began in 1999. The Eagles have played in one championship game in school history, falling 83-68 at UW-Stevens Point in 2007.  UWL is 10-17 all-time in conference tournament play, advancing to the semifinals nine times in school history (2006, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021).  

UWL raced out to a 7-0 lead Monday afternoon with Wyatt Cook scoring five points. The Eagles took a 9-2 lead with 13:32 remaining in the first half and later led, 14-5.  UW-Stevens Point used a 13-4 run to tie the game at 18-18 with 5:19 remaining after Peter Timmerman hit a three-point field goal. Timmerman connected on another three-pointer with 2:35 remaining to force a 26-26 tie.  UWL went on a 6-2 run to end the half with Cook making a pair of free throws with :05 left to make it 32-28 at half.

The Eagles led by as many as six points early in the second half, including 42-36 with 15:34 remaining on Ethan Anderson's tip-in. The Pointers trailed, 47-42, when they went on a 8-0 run to take a 50-47 lead with 10:35 left on a Brady Wagner three-pointer. Anderson's five straight points gave UWL a 52-50 advantage with 9:14 remaining.  UW-Stevens Point later tied the contest, 60-60 with 5:56 remaining on another Wagner three-point basket. Will Fuhrmann's three-pointer with 4:28 left gave UWL a 63-60 lead and the Eagles would not trail the rest of the game.  UWL went on a 9-0 run to take a 69-60 lead with 2:17 left. UW-Stevens Point could get no closer than five points the rest of the game.  Anderson went eight-of-eight at the line in the final 2:17. 

UWL shot a season-high 55.8% from the field, including 60.0% (15-of-25) in the second half.  The Eagles shot 16.7% (three-of-18) from three-point range and 93.8% (15-of-16) at the free throw line. Anderson tied his career-high with 31 points, finishing 10-of-18 from the field, including one-of-seven from three-point range, and 10-of-10 at the free throw line.  He finished with 31 points against UW-Stout February 19.

Cook recorded a double-double Monday with 15 points and career-high 12 rebounds.  Seth Anderson totaled 12 points and six rebounds. 

UW-Stevens Point shot 37.3% from the field, including 44.4% (12-of-27) from three-point range, and 100.0% (12-of-12) at the line.  Timmerman and Wagner led the Pointers with 16 points each while Garrett Nelson and Philip Flory each finished with 14.  Nelson had a team-high four rebounds.