Pioneers Season Ends In Overtime Loss To Trine

ANGOLA, Ind. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team (26-5) led for much of the game, but Trine (27-4) rallied to win 88-86 in the Elite Eight matchup inside the MTI Center in Angola, Indiana.

The Pioneers got out to an early 10-point lead behind strong three-point shooting by sophomore Max Love and senior Logan Pearson. Trine answered with 10 straight points to take a 21-20 lead with 9:57 left in the half until Pearson knocked down a deep three to put UW-Platteville back in front. The lead reached a half-high 11 behind a seven-point Pioneers run, but the Thunder quickly cut it to five. Three-point makes by Pearson and junior Brady Olson in the final three minutes helped UW-Platteville go into the break with a 42-34 lead.

UW-Platteville led by as many as 14 in the early stages of the second half, but Trine chipped away and got within four at 61-57 with 8:30 to play. Olson helped weather the rally with a couple of jumpers until six straight Thunder points cut the lead down to two. Sophomore Miles Hettinger made a tough layup and senior Ben Probst buried a long triple to make it 70-63 Pioneers with just over four minutes left. Love converted a transition three to make the lead 10, but Trine scored the next eight points to make it 77-75 with 17 seconds left. The Thunder drew a late foul and made three free throws to send the game to overtime tied at 78.

Pearson gave the Pioneers a one-point lead with a three in the overtime period, but Trine answered with one of their own to take a two-point lead. After the Thunder went up 86-83 with a free throw make, Pearson made three free throws of his own to tie the game at 86 with eight seconds left. Trine went the length of the floor and knocked down a jumper at the buzzer to win 88-86.

"That was an unbelievable game," Head Coach Jeff Gard said following the game. "We knew if we were going to get beat it would take at least 40 minutes and it was more. The experience showed, they kept their composure down the stretch as well as our guys. Again a great environment for our student-athletes and both programs. I could not be prouder of our guys, not only what they did on the floor this year, but for what they've done for our community as well."

Pearson paced the Pioneers with 25 points and seven rebounds, while Love added 21 points with five made threes. Hettinger posted 13 points off the bench, while Olson also reached double figures with 10. Probst finished with a game-high eight assists.

UW-Platteville shot 44.2 percent (34-of-77) from the floor and 35.1 percent (13-of-37) from three-point range. Trine finished the game at 51.6 percent (32-of-62) from the floor.

"We always talk about being a family," Olson said postgame. "Everybody that has a jersey on, everybody on our sideline, and everyone that followed us in the tournament all season long, that is a family."

The Pioneers finish the year with a 26-5 record and the first Elite Eight appearance since 1999.