Pioneers Advance To WIAC Championship Game With 83-73 Win
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Senior Logan Pearson and junior Joey Fuhremann led a second half scoring outburst as the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men’s basketball team (24-2) outdueled UW-Stevens Point (18-9) to advance to the WIAC Tournament Championship game by a score of 83-73 on Wednesday night inside Williams Fieldhouse.
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Senior Logan Pearson and junior Joey Fuhremann led a second half scoring outburst as the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team (24-2) outdueled UW-Stevens Point (18-9) to advance to the WIAC Tournament Championship game by a score of 83-73 on Wednesday night inside Williams Fieldhouse.
Pearson finished with a game-high 22 points, 14 of which came in the second half when he shot 6-of-7 from the floor, while securing nine rebounds. Fuhremann posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting, with 11 points and eight boards coming in the final half.
Senior Brady Olson joined the duo in double figures with 16 points, while junior Miles Hettinger pitched in with 11 points off the bench. Junior Max Love finished just shy of a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds while going 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
UW-Stevens Point led by one at the break in a half that featured eight lead changes. The Pioneers struggled with offensive efficiency in the first half, shooting just 35.7 percent (10-of-28) from the floor and 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from three-point range. The Pointers shot 50.0 percent (14-of-28) from the floor with 24 of their 30 points coming inside the paint.
Pearson immediately gave UW-Platteville the lead to open the second half with a three-point make, and the Pioneers featured him and Fuhremann to build a 40-33 lead three minutes into the half. The Pointers brought the game back within one less than two minutes later, but seven straight UW-Platteville points brought it back to 49-41 with 13 minutes remaining.
The Pioneers continued to hold off UW-Stevens Point for the next several minutes until a three-point make by Love and a free throw by Fuhremann made it 75-66 in favor of UW-Platteville with 2:20 left. The Pointers were unable to get any closer than seven and UW-Platteville wrapped it up at the line to win by 10.
UW-Platteville shot 50.0 percent (28-of-56) for the game after posting a 64.3 percent (18-of-28) mark in the second half. The Pioneers finished with nine made threes at 37.5 percent (9-of-24) and shot 62.1 percent (18-of-29) from the free throw line.
UW-Stevens Point was led by 18 points from Josiah Butler and 16 points from Darrius Bolden. The Pointers shot 46.2 percent (24-of-52) from the floor but were shut down from deep, shooting just 17.4 percent (4-of-23). From the line, the Pointers shot an effective 80.8 percent (21-of-26).
The Pioneers will host UW-La Crosse on Friday night at 7 p.m. for the WIAC Tournament Championship game. The winner will earn the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
*As with every UW-Platteville win this year, the Platteville A&W will be offering a $3 Pioneer burger the day after the win and the Platteville Taco John's will be offering 10 tacos for $10 the day after each Pioneer win.