Men's Basketball | 2/23/2026 4:02:00 PM

WIAC Tournament Website

La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team hosts UW-Stout Tuesday, February 24 in the first round 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 21st on last week's D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll, and UW-Stout are meeting for the third time in WIAC Tournament history. The Eagles earned a 63-58 victory over the Blue Devils in the 2007 quarterfinals while UW-Stout picked up a 93-91 overtime win in the 2024 first round. Both games were played in La Crosse. 

UWL, 19-6 overall, is this year's tournament's third-seed while UW-Stout, 9-16 on the season, is the sixth-seed.

Fourth-seeded UW-Platteville hosts fifth-seeded UW-Oshkosh in the other first round match-up on February 24. UW-Whitewater, the tournament's top-seed, will host the lowest remaining seed in the semifinals on Thursday, February 26 while second-seeded UW-Stevens Point hosts the highest remaining seed in the semifinals.

The WIAC Championship is set for Saturday, 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-Stout, earning a 72-50 victory at UW-Stout on January 21 and a 86-78 win in La Crosse on February 11. The Eagles went 9-5 in WIAC play this season while the Blue Devils finished 5-9.

Making its 23rd appearance in the WIAC Tournament, which began in 1999, UWL has played in three championship games in school history. The Eagles are seeking their first WIAC Tournament title after losing championship games to UW-Stevens Point (83-68 in 2007) and UW-Platteville (74-47 in 2021; 89-68 in 2025).  
 
UWL is 13-22 all-time in conference tournament play while making 12 appearances in the semifinals (2006-07, 2012, 2014, 2016-17, 2019-23, 2025).  
UW-Stout is 8-17 all-time in the WIAC Tournament with two trips to the championship. The Blue Devils fell to UW-Platteville in 1999 (90-88 in overtime) and to UW-Whitewater in 2006 (78-60) in the title game.
 
UWL, 7-1 at home this season under third-year head coach JT Gritzmacher, is averaging 81.0 points this year while allowing 73.3. The Eagles are shooting 47.4% from the field, including 30.7% from three-point range, and 71.2% at the free throw line.

Sam Grieger, Dustin Derousseau and JJ Paider are each averaging in double figures for scoring this season with Grieger leading at 25.7 points per game. He has scored in double figures in all 25 games with a school record 46 versus UW-Oshkosh on January 7. Grieger has scored at least 25 points in 14 contests. Shooting 51.6% from the field, Grieger is second for UWL in three-point field goals made (31) and attempted (100) while leading in free throws made (169) and attempted (197). He leads the Eagles in assists (3.6 per game).

Derousseau averages 15.8 points with 20 games in double figures, including a career-high 34 against UW-Stout on February 11. He leads UWL in steals (1.8) and blocks (1.6), three-point field goals made (38) and attempted (120). Derousseau is second in assists (2.4).

Paider is third in scoring at 14.4 points per game while leading the team in rebounding with 8.2. He also leads the Eagles in field goal shooting at 59.4% (130-of-219) while being second in free throws made (100) and attempted (181). Paider is third in assists (2.1). Registering eight double-doubles this year, Paider had a career-high 29 points versus UW-Ea Claire on January 17. He finished with a season-high 14 rebounds against Wheaton College (Ill.) on November 22.

Grieger, Derousseau and Paider have each started all 25 contests this season.

UW-Stout, 4-8 on the road, is led by first-year head coach Tom Webb. The Blue Devils are averaging 69.0 points while allowing 70.0. The team is shooting 41.3% from the field, including 31.5% from three-point range, and 67.1% at the line.

Tyrel Creger was averaging 16.8 points in the first eight games before missing the final 17. Domanyck Schwarzenberger has played all 25 games, including 21 starts, while averaging 12.1 points per game. AJ Uttech averages 11.2 points with Wesley Mboga at 9.1. Collin Vick averages a team-leading 8.1 rebounds per game.