Defensive Effort Leads Pioneers To Sixth Straight Win

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – A second consecutive strong defensive effort led the third-ranked University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team (21-2, 11-1 WIAC) to a 76-58 win over UW-Stout (8-15, 4-8 WIAC) on Saturday afternoon inside Williams Fieldhouse.

The Pioneers held the Blue Devils to a sub-40 percent field goal percentage, the second straight game the team has limited an opponent to below that mark. UW-Platteville defended the perimeter especially well, as UW-Stout shot just 18.5 percent (5-of-27) from beyond the arc.

The first half saw the Pioneers build a double-digit lead and take a 41-30 lead into the break. UW-Platteville put together an efficient half, shooting 51.7 percent (15-of-29) from the floor, while senior Logan Pearson and junior Miles Hettinger each scored 10 points to lead the team. Junior Aiden Wieczorek helped UW-Platteville navigate a couple of Blue Devils runs, knocking down a pair of threes that extended the Pioneers lead.

UW-Platteville led by double figures for the entirety of the second half, with the gap growing to a game-high 21 points at 56-35 with 9:58 remaining. Sophomore Bristol Lewis led the offense with nine points in the second half, while junior Joey Fuhremann added eight points. The Blue Devils got as close as 11 in the closing minutes, but four points from senior Ben Probst and a couple of free throws by Pearson increased the lead back to 18 to secure the win.

The Pioneers shot 46.6 percent (27-of-58) from the floor, but struggled from deep, shooting just 25.0 percent (4-of-16). UW-Platteville got to the free throw line consistently and finished at 66.7 percent (18-of-27).

Pearson recorded a team-high 16 points, while Fuhremann and Hettinger put together strong performances on the interior, scoring 14 points apiece. Lewis finished with 11 points off the bench. Junior Max Love grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, and senior Brady Olson dished out five assists to pace the team.

UW-Platteville forced 19 UW-Stout turnovers, turning them into a 19-2 advantage in points off turnovers. The Pioneers also dominated in the paint, outscoring the Blue Devils 38-24 in that category.

For the Blue Devils, Mason Stoick scored 17 points of 5-of-9 shooting to lead the team. On the boards, Collin Vick came away with a game-high 15 rebounds.

With just two regular season games remaining, the Pioneers will travel to UW-Whitewater on Wednesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.