Men's Basketball Advances to WIAC Semifinals

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Double-doubles from junior Chas Cross and sophomore Jim Stocki led the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team to a 60-58 victory over UW-La Crosse in the first round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship on Tuesday in Mitchell Hall.

Cross scored a game-high 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. The Winnebago, Ill. native, hauled in nine offensive and five defensive boards. Stocki went 5-7 from the floor for 15 points and recorded 10 rebounds. Senior Marcus Jackson rounded out the Pioneers' top scorers with 10 points.

Lucas Morrissey led the Eagles with 16 rebounds and 10 points. Trent Schmidt was the only other Eagle to score in double figures with 13 points.

In a very tightly played first-half, the Pioneers managed to their largest lead of the half, 20-17, at the 7:40 mark. The Eagles responded with an 8-2, taking a 25-22 lead with just over a minute and a half left in the half. Cross made four straight free throws giving the Pioneers the lead back, 26-25 with 35 seconds till halftime.  UWL's Braden Tice converted a last second layup giving the Eagles a 27-26 advantage going into intermission.

Stocki nailed a three-pointer in the Pioneers' first possession of the second-half giving UW-Platteville a 29-27 lead. The Pioneers used a 8-2 run earning a 51-46 lead with 6:13 left to play. With a six-point UW-Platteville advantage with 43 seconds left, the Eagles scored five unanswered in 20 seconds cutting their deficit to one, 59-58. After a free throw from Jackson, UWL's Luke Tweed missed a contested 18-foot jumper and Morrissey grabbed the offensive rebound and missed the game-tying layup as the Pioneers took home the 60-58 victory.

UW-Platteville advances to the semifinals of the WIAC Championship and travels to top-seeded UW-Stevens Point on Thursday. Tip is set for 7 p.m. in Quandt Fieldhouse.