Box Score La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team snapped a five-game home losing streak as it defeated UW-Stevens Point. 81-58, Saturday evening in Mitchell Hall. The Eagles, receiving votes in this week's Top-25 poll, improve to 17-5 overall and 8-3 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). The Pointers fall to 10-12 overall and 3-8 in WIAC action.

JJ Paider gave the Eagles an early 2-0 lead on a layup as UWL never trailed in the contest. Paider scored on the Eagles' first three possessions to make it 6-2 . A Craig Steele three-pointer would extend the Eagles lead to 11-4 with 15:06 left in the first half. UW-Stevens Point chipped away at its deficit and cut it to 15-11 on a jumper by Josiah Gillie with 12:46 remaining. UWL scored 13 of the next 14 points to take a 28-12 lead with 8:31 remaining in the opening period. Landon VanCalster hit a jumper to cut the Pointers deficit to 33-21 with 5:32 left; however, the Eagles scored the final 15 points of the first half to lead 48-21 at halftime.
 

In the first half, the UWL shot 19-of-27 (70.4%) from the floor, including four-for-eight (50%) from the three-point line. UW-Stevens Point shot nine-of-30 (30.0%) from the floor and two-of-nine (22.2%) from the three-point line.   

The Eagles scored six of the first eight points in the second half to take their largest lead of the game at 54-23 with 18:02 remaining. After a UW-Stevens Point timeout, the Pointers went on a 13-2 run to cut the deficit to 56-36 with 13:45 remaining. The Eagles ended the Pointers run by Will Fuhrmann hitting a jumper and Henry Noone a three-pointer and the Pointers would not get any closer than 19 points the rest of the game. 

UWL had 11 players score in the game, including eight players scoring more than eight points. Paider led the way for the Eagles as he finished with 14 points while Steele had 10. Jake Gross came off the bench to score nine points. Austin Westra finished the game with eight points, seven rebounds and three assists. Mack Sebert addded seven points and three rebounds off the bench.

As a team, the Eagles finished 32-of-59 (54.2%) from the floor and seven-of-19 (36.8%) from the three-point line. UWL was also 10-of-14 (71.4%) at the free throw line. 

UW-Stevens Point shot 22-for-53 (41.5%) from the floor, including six-of-17 (35.3%) from the three-point line. The Pointers were eight-of-11 (72.7%) at the line. UW-Stevens Point finished with four players in double figures, including Zach Mootz with 11 points while Gillie, Jake Buchanan and Van Calster adding 10 each. VanCalster finished with a team -igh seven rebounds for the Pointers. 

UWL returns to action Wednesday, February 8 hosting UW-Stout at 7 p.m.