Men’s Basketball has Record Setting Night Versus Illinois Tech

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team had a record breaking night in a 105-20 victory over Illinois Tech Tuesday night on Bo Ryan Court.

The Pioneers nailed a single-game record 14 three-pointers and tallied a record setting 24 steals.  UW-Platteville previous three-pointer record of 10 came against Chicago in 1998 and its steals record of 21 came versus Christopher Newport in its 1991 National Championship season. The Pioneers forced 41 turnovers to help set their fewest points allowed in a game (20 points) in school history.

For the second time this season, the Pioneers had 10 or more different players score as sophomore Jim Stocki netted a game-high 12 points. Senior Rob Stallion and sophomore Wes Nemitz each tallied 10 points. Junior Eric Gerber registered a game-high six steals and four assists. Illinois Tech were led by Richard Wade, who recorded nine points and two steals.

Illinois Tech scored four of its 10 first-half points in the first four minutes of the game before the Pioneers went on a four-minute 22-0 run, 30-4, with 8:41 left in the half. UW-Platteville shot 6-15 from three-point land to take a 49-10 lead at halftime.

The Pioneers' suffocating defense didn't allow IIT to score its first points of the second-half till the 8:26 mark when Wade made a layup to cut the Pioneer lead to 75 points, 87-12.  UW-Platteville scored 39 points of Illinois Tech's turnovers in the second frame to take the 105-20 win.

The Pioneers go to 3-0 for the first time since head coach Jeff Gard's first season in 2010-11, while Illinois Tech fell to 1-4.

UW-Platteville hosts its own Thanksgiving Tournament on Saturday and Sunday as the Pioneers take on Lancaster Bible at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Wartburg and MacMurray open the tournament at 5 p.m. on Saturday. On Sunday, the consolation game will tip-off at 1 p.m. followed by the championship game at 3 p.m. on Bo Ryan Court.