Pioneers Win Fourth Straight With 61-57 Victory Over Hope

HOLLAND, Mich. – Senior Logan Pearson scored 27 points as the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team (7-1) outlasted Hope (4-2) for a 61-57 win on Saturday afternoon inside DeVos Fieldhouse in Holland, Michigan.

The Pioneers led by as many as 10 points in the first 20 minutes but carried a 34-32 advantage into the break after the Flying Dutchmen scored the final seven points of the half. Senior Logan Pearson led the way with 10 points in the half, while senior Ben Probst added eight with two made threes.

Hope took the lead early in the second half and led by as many as eight at 48-40 at the midway points. Six straight points by Pearson got the Pioneers back within one with 8:11 remaining, but the Flying Dutchmen kept UW-Platteville from pulling ahead. With two and half minutes on the clock, junior Brady Olson tied the game at 56 with a long jumper as the shot clock ran down and Pearson gave the Pioneers the lead with 1:36 left with a triple that banked home. Hope got back within two on a free throw make, but Pearson sealed the deal with a steal and a layup with four seconds left to put UW-Platteville up 61-57.

Pearson scored a game-high 27 points on 11-of-22 shooting while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out three assists. Probst joined him in double figures with 10 points, while freshman Bristol Lewis scored 10 points off the bench.

The Pioneers shot just 35.7 percent (25-of-70) from the floor and 27.3 percent (6-of-22) from beyond the arc in the win but made the most of turnovers and second chance points. UW-Platteville forced Hope into 11 turnovers and held a 14-6 advantage in points off turnovers. The Pioneers finished with 16 offensive rebounds, good for a 16-8 advantage in second chance points.

Sophomore Joey Fuhremann grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds, five of which were on the offensive glass. Sophomore Max Love had four of the team's six steals.

UW-Platteville remains on the road and will head to North Central (Ill.) for a Wednesday night contest. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.