Probst Leads Pioneers To Fifth Straight Win

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The 24^th-ranked University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team (8-1) picked up a fifth-straight win with an 80-65 win over North Central (Ill.) (3-7) on Wednesday night inside Gregory Arena from Naperville, Illinois.

Senior Ben Probst highlighted a first half which saw the Pioneers make nine threes and shoot 57.1 percent (16-of-28) from the floor. Probst scored 17 points on just six shots, including a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the arc as UW-Platteville led 43-22 at the break. The Pioneers scored the final 10 points of the half to increase the lead to over 20 points, with Probst and sophomore Max Love combining for all 10 points.

North Central outscored the Pioneers 43-37 in the second half but were unable to get any closer than 13 points. Love paced UW-Platteville with nine points in the half, while junior Brady Olson netted eight points with a pair of made threes. The Pioneers led by over 20 points for much of the half until the Cardinals slowly chipped away at the late in the closing minutes.

UW-Platteville shot 48.1 percent (26-of-54) from the floor in the game and 52.0 percent (13-of-25) from three-point range. The Pioneers went 15-of-22 (68.2 percent) from the free throw line, with Love leading the way with five made free throws.

Probst scored a team-high 22 points to lead three players in double figures. He finished 7-of-8 from the floor and was a perfect 6-of-6 from deep. Love was second on the team with 17 points, while Olson scored 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting and four made threes.

Love grabbed nine rebounds to pace the team, while sophomore Joey Fuhremann added six off the bench. Olson and Probst tied for the team lead in assists with three apiece.

The Pioneers will have a couple weeks off before competing at the St. Andrews Products Classic in Angola, Indiana in late December. UW-Platteville will take on second-ranked Calvin on Friday, December 29 at 2 p.m.