Pioneers look to continue hot start
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville basketball teams are off to a combined 9-0 start and for the first time in the history of d3hoops.com rankings, both teams are simultaneously nationally ranked. The #15 ranked Pioneer women (5-0) will host Coe College on Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. on Bo Ryan Court. The #18 ranked men's team (4-0) will travel to Chicago, Illinois to take on Illinois Tech Nov. 26 at 7 p.m.
Nov. 25, 2019
Platteville, Wis.- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville basketball teams are off to a combined 9-0 start and for the first time in the history of d3hoops.com rankings, both teams are simultaneously nationally ranked. The #15 ranked Pioneer women (5-0) will host Coe College on Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. on Bo Ryan Court. The #18 ranked men's team (4-0) will travel to Chicago, Illinois to take on Illinois Tech Nov. 26 at 7 p.m.
Two days after knocking off d3hoops.com #18 ranked Chicago, the Pioneer women beat d3hoops.com #4 ranked Wartburg 75-65. Maiah Domask (Waupaun, Wisconsin) had 22 points, and Morgan Horstman (Bangor, Wisconsin) had 21 points, but it was Taylor Gilbert (Kingston, Illinois) and Jai Clemons (Chicago, Illinois) that helped spark the comeback in the third quarter. Gilbert scored four straight points, then Clemons scored the next four to erase an eight-point lead and tie the game at 48. Gilbert finished with a career-high 12 points; Clemons finished the night with 11 points. The Pioneers ramped up the defense and forced 25 Knight turnovers, Rachel Emendorfer (Platteville, Wisconsin) was credited with 5 steals and leads the team with 2.8 thefts a game. Domask leads the Pioneers in scoring with 18.4 per game shooting 51.4% from the field. Hortsman is second on the team with 18 points per game and shooting 52.9% from the field and 83.8 % from the free throw line.
Coe College enters the week with a 3-2 record, and will travel to Buena Vista University on Nov. 26 before visiting UW-Platteville on Nov. 30. Kayla Waskow is in her third year as head coach with a career record of 32-25. The Kohawks' leading scorer is Jamie Feldt with 10 points per game. The Kohawks and Pioneers last played Dec. 2, 2015 with Coe coming out on top 76-68.
The Pioneer men will take its first road trip of the year when they travel to face Illinois Tech. The Pioneers had five players who scored double figures in 89-72 victory over Chicago Concordia on Nov. 20. Quentin Shields (Chicago, Illinois) led the way with 24 points. The Pioneer bench outscored the Cougars bench 36-17, led by Blake McCann (Janesville, Wisconsin) and his 15, while Justin Jarensivu (Tomahawk, Wisconsin) scored 11 on 5-7 shooting. Shields led the team with 8 assists while Carter Voelker (Kiel, Wisconsin) pulled down a team-high 8 rebounds. Shields leads the Pioneers in scoring at 18.3 points a game, shooting 58.8 % from behind the three-point line. Justin Fox (Emington, Illinois) leads the team in rebounds with 6.8 a game.
Illinios Tech is in year three of their transition to NCAA III from The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). Todd Kelly is in his sixth season as Head Coach of the Scarlet Hawks and are coming off a third straight USCAA post season appearance. The Scarlet Hawks are currently 0-3 losing to Benedictine (Illinois) 55-51 on Nov. 23. Miles Curry leads the Scarlet Hawks with 15.7 points a game, and Max Hisatake leads the team with 13.7 boards a game. The Pioneers last played and defeated Illinois Tech 89-54 on Nov. 29, 2017.
On Tuesday, Maiah Domask was named WIAC Kwik Trip Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week.
Written by: Jason Piddington, Public Relations Writer-Athletics, Communications, 608-342-7645, piddingj@uwplatt.edu
Photo Courtesy of: Andy McNeill, UW-Platteville Campus Photography, Communications, 608-342-1195, mcneill@uwplatt.edu