WIAC Tournament Website

La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team hosts UW-Eau Claire Wednesday, February 26 in the semifinals of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship (Presented by Culver's).  Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Mitchell Hall. 
 
UWL, ranked fourth on this week's D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll, and UW-Eau Claire are meeting for the second time in WIAC Tournament history. The Eagles earned a 76-66 victory over the Blugolds in the 2017 first round in a game played in Eau Claire.
 
UWL, 21-4 overall, is this year's tournament's second-seed while UW-Eau Claire is the third-seed. The Blugolds improved to 17-9 on the season with a 66-56 first round victory over sixth-seeded UW-Oshkosh on February 24 in Eau Claire. The 21 wins for UWL ties the single-season school record also set in 1975-76 (21-6), 2019-20 (21-6) and 2021-22 (21-7). 
 
Top-seeded UW-Platteville (23-2) hosts fourth-seeded UW-Stevens Point (18-8) in the other WIAC Semifinal on February 26. UW-Stevens Point advanced with an 81-79 victory over fifth-seeded UW-Whitewater in the first round. 
The WIAC Championship is set for Friday, February 28 at the highest-remaining seed. The winner of the WIAC Championship earns an automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships. 
 
UWL swept the two regular-season meetings this year with UW-Eau Claire, earning a 69-55 victory on January 4 in La Crosse to open WIAC play and a 60-55 win at UW-Eau Claire on February 8. The Eagles went 12-2 in WIAC play this year, recording their most league wins since finishing 12-4 in 2006-07.
 
Making its 22nd appearance in the WIAC Tournament, which began in 1999, UWL has played in two championship games in school history. The Eagles lost by games, falling 83-68 at UW-Stevens Point in 2007 and 74-47 to UW-Platteville in 2021.  
 
UWL is 12-21 all-time in conference tournament play and making its 12th appearance in the semifinals (2006-07, 2012, 2014, 2016-17, 2019-23, 2025).  

UWL, 9-2 at home this season under second-year head coach JT Gritzmacher, is averaging 78. 6 points this year while allowing 69.2. The Eagles are shooting 45.9% from the field, including 33.2% from three-point range, and 69.4% at the free throw line.
 
Four players average in double figures with Sam Grieger leading at 15.6 points per game. He is shooting 52.1% from the field, including 36.2% (21-of-58) from three-point range, and 77.8% (77-of-99) at the line. Grieger has scored in double figures in 21 games, including the last nine. He is second for UWL in rebounding (5.4), assists (2.6), steals (1.2) and blocks (0.8) per game. Grieger has three double-doubles in 2024-25.
 
Dustin Derousseau is second in scoring (13.6) and (1.3) while leading in blocks (1.1) and third in rebounding (5.2). He is shooting 45.8% from the field and has scored in double figures in 18 contests. Derousseau has three double-doubles this year.
 
JJ Paider leads UWL in rebounding (7.5) and assists (2.7) while ranking third in scoring (12.5) and tied for second in blocks (0.8). He is shooting 52.7% from the field and leads the Eagles in free throws made (101) and attempted (147). Paider has double figures in 16 contests with five double-doubles.
 
UWL's Karter Thomas is fourth in scoring (11.9) this year while shooting 45.8% from the field. He has 17 games with at least 10 points.
 
Will Fuhrmann is averaging 8.7 points.
 
Grieger, Derousseau, Paider and Fuhrmann have all started all 25 games this year while Thomas has started 18 contests. Khris Green has appeared in all 25 games.