Clutch Pioneers hold off Loras, 67-62

PLATTEVILLE -- Four Pioneers scored in double digits as the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team led wire-to-wire in a 67-62 non-conference victory over visiting Loras College Tuesday night on Bo Ryan Court.

The Pioneers led by as many as nine points early in the second half, but needed to make 13 of 14 free throws in the final 3:09 to preserve the victory.

Sophomore guard Matt Oestreich (Marshfield) buried a three-pointer 1:15 into the game to begin the scoring and UW-Platteville never looked back. Oestreich finished with a game-high 17 points, three rebounds and two steals.

Senior guard Boston Johnson (Oshkosh) added 13 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Junior forward Cory Vaassen (Cuba City) contributed 12 points and nine boards, while sophomore guard Trey Sigel (Rock Island, Ill.) chipped in 12 points, including four key free throws in the final 1:43.

Ryan Dicanio scored a team-high 16 points to lead the Duhawks, but was held to just 5 of 14 shooting from the field. Danny Quinn added 14 points off the bench.

The UW-Platteville defense held Loras to just 37.9 percent shooting (22-of-58) for the game. Meanwhile, the Pioneers shot 41.2 percent (21-of-51) from the floor, including 50 percent (10-of-20) in the second half. UWP also converted 19 of 23 free throw attempts (82.6 percent).

UW-Platteville improved to 5-3 with the victory, while Loras fell to 3-4.

The Pioneers led by as many as eight twice in the first half, the last time at 27-19 with 2:39 to play, but the Duhawks rattled off six straight points to trim the lead to two before Oestreich made a pair of free throws to send the home team to the locker room with a 29-25 edge.

UWP scored the first five points of the second half to push the led to nine at 34-25 on a Blake Derickson (Oshkosh) free throw at the 16:56 mark.

Loras got as close as three points on three separate occasions in the final nine minutes, but never did tie or take the lead.

Dicanio buried a three-pointer with 1:35 left to pull the Duhawks within four at 60-56 and Justin Vanwambeke made a pair of free throws with 58 seconds remaining to make it 61-58.

Freshman Colin Connelly (Guttenberg, Iowa), Vaassen and Sigel each made a pair of free throws in the final 47 seconds after Loras pulled within three.

The Pioneers return to action Saturday when they travel to Hope, Mich. to face the fifth-ranked Flying Dutchman (5-1). Hope College is coming off a 93-83 victory over Carthage College on Saturday.