Wheaton hands UW–Platteville men first loss, 73–67

WHEATON, Ill. — The host Wheaton Thunder handed the University of Wisconsin–Platteville men's basketball team its first loss of the season Tuesday night, 73–67.

Wheaton (3–1) took a 68–59 lead with just over a minute to play on a layup by Trevor Gunter, then made 5 of 8 from the free throw line in the final 47 seconds to put the game away.

Junior guards Trey Sigel (Rock Island, Ill.) and Matt Oestreich (Marshfield) each scored 14 points to lead the Pioneers, who fell to 3–1 with the loss. Oestreich also passed out a team-high five assists and had two steals. Sigel made a team-best four 3-pointers on 10 attempts.

Senior forward Cory Vaassen (Dickeyville/Cuba City) was limited to just 20 minutes due to early foul trouble, but finished with 12 points and six rebounds.

UW–Platteville leading scorer sophomore guard Robert Duax (Dubuque, Iowa/Hempstead) was held to a season-low four points on 2 of 12 shooting, but did grab a team-high seven boards to go along with four assists and two steals. Sophomore center Clay Gerds (Fort Atkinson) chipped in seven points and six rebounds.

Ricky Samuelson scored a game-high 16 points to lead the Thunder. Luke Peters added 15 points, a game-high eight assists and seven rebounds, and Kobe Eichelberger posted a double–double with 11 points and 10 rebounds for the winners.

Wheaton controlled most of the first half, building its biggest lead at 34–25 on a Jimmy Spencer jump shot with 4:12 left before halftime, but the Pioneers closed the half on a 9–2 run and pulled within two at 36–34 on a Sigel 3-pointer in the final minute of the half.

The Pioneers regained the lead at 38–36 on a Sigel layup and again at 40–38 on a Vaassen jumper, but the lead changed hands a dozen times over the next 16 minutes.

Gunter's layup with 4:32 gave the Thunder a 58–57 and ignited a game-changing 9–0 run. Wheaton never trailed again.

UW–Platteville got as close at 70–67 on a triple by junior Jake Showalter (Germantown) with 27 seconds left, but Aston Francis made a free throw to make it a four-point game and Peters drained a pair from the line with 15 seconds left to provide the final margin.

Coach Jeff Gard's Pioneers return to action Saturday at Bo Ryan Court when Lake Forest (Ill.) comes to town for a 6 p.m. non-conference tip-off. The Foresters are 1–2 after a 66–63 win over Beloit College Tuesday night.

By Jason Nihles, UW–Platteville Athletics