Late run pushes Pioneers past Stevens Point

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The No. 2 nationally ranked University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team heated up late in the second half with a 15-3 run to defeat UW-Stevens Point 89-78 Saturday night. The win on Bo Ryan Court leaves the Pioneers 16-0 on the season and 5-0 in the WIAC while UW-Stevens Point falls to 3-8 overall and 0-4 in the league.

Both teams shot over 50 percent with UW-Platteville wrapping up 57.7 percent (30-of-52) from the field while the Pointers finished shooting 52.8 percent (28-of-53). The Pioneers drained 45 percent (9-of-20) of shots from behind the three-point arc and were 20-of-23 (87 percent) from the foul line. UW-Stevens Point hit 41.7 percent (10-of-24) of three-point shots and were a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line.

The Pointers tied the game 22-22 off a three-pointer by Peter Timmerman with 8:42 to go in the first half, but a three-point shot by Blake McCann (Sr./Janesville, Wis.) from Logan Pearson (So./Appleton, Wis.) four possessions later gave the Pioneers a 30-22 advantage with 6:43 on the clock. UW-Stevens Point answered back with another three to draw the Pointers in 33-29 with 3:47 to go in the half.

The four-point game held until a Kyle Tuma (Sr./Valders, Wis.) steal moved down the court for a fast break by McCann from Justin Stovall (Sr./Chicago, Ill). The duo paired up again to end the late run with a Stovall dunk from McCann to take a 37-29 lead into halftime.   

Hot shooting from UW-Stevens Point early in the second half surged the Pointers ahead of the Pioneers 54-50 with 12:06 left in the game. It remained a one possession game until a three-pointer by Pearson with 7:55 on the clock marked the start of a 15-3 Pioneer run over the next three and a half minutes. Tuma hit another shot from behind the arc to take an 80-68 lead with 3:44 on the board, depleting any Pointers' hopes of an upset.

Pearson led the pack with a game-high 20 points along three assists and blocks while Tuma dished out 17 points and added seven rebounds and five steals.

UW-Platteville will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 19 when they host No. 6 UW-Oshkosh at 7 p.m. on Bo Ryan Court.