Pioneers Claim Second Straight WIAC Tournament Championship

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – For the second consecutive season, and fifth time in program history, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team (25-2) were crowned WIAC Tournament Champions after putting together a dominant 89-68 home win over UW-La Crosse (22-5) on Friday night inside Williams Fieldhouse.

After a pair of close wins over the Eagles in the regular season, the Pioneers got out to a 19-point advantage in the opening half and never let UW-La Crosse recover. A 14-point run fueled the strong start, highlighted by seven points from senior Brady Olson and capped by a three-pointer by senior Logan Pearson. UW-Platteville's defense limited the Eagles to just 8-of-28 (28.6%) shooting in the first 20 minutes, forcing five turnovers and blocking three shots.

UW-La Crosse got back within 11 in the closing minutes of the first half but a strong finish at the rim by sophomore Bristol Lewis made it 41-28 at the break. Pearson and Olson contributed to the Pioneers increasing the lead up to 22 just four minutes into the second half, and a three-point make by junior Aiden Wieczorek pushed the gap to a game-high 25 at 62-37 with 14:34 remaining.

The Pioneers continued to find success from beyond the arc, as Pearson, Olson, and senior Ben Probst each connected on triples over the next several minutes to keep the lead hovering around 20. The Eagles couldn't find any momentum down the stretch and the Pioneers scored seven more points in the final minute and a half to win 89-68.

Five Pioneers finished in double figures, led by Pearson's 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Olson added 12 points with a team-high five assists, while Probst (16), junior Joey Fuhremann (12), and Lewis (11) joined them in double digits. Fuhremann also grabbed a team-leading nine rebounds while contributing three assists of his own.

UW-Platteville shot 52.4 percent (33-of-63) for the game and 48.0 percent (12-of-25) from beyond the arc. The Pioneers were also strong from the free throw line, shooting 84.6 percent (11-of-13).

JJ Paider posted a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double to pace the Eagles, while Dustin Derousseau added 14 points. UW-La Crosse finished at 41.1 percent (23-of-56) for the game and 28.6 percent (6-of-21) from three-point range.

The Pioneers earn the automatic qualifier to the upcoming NCAA DIII Tournament. The NCAA selection show will take place on Monday to determine UW-Platteville's next opponent.