Pioneer Men's Basketball - 2000-2001 Season Recap
Buchs, Selk are all-WIAC
Posted 2/28/01
By Matt Stanek, WIAC Sports Information Director
Madison, Wis.--Ten players, including two from UW-Platteville, have been named to the 2000-01 WIAC All-Conference Men's Basketball First Team, selected by the conference coaches.
UW-Platteville's Beau Buchs (Sr., Belmont) and Tyler Selk (So., Randolph) were named to the first team. Buchs ranks third in the WIAC in rebounding (6.9), seventh in scoring (15.6) and ninth in field goal percentage (.510). Selk ranks second in the WIAC in rebounding (8.3), fourth in scoring (17.5), 10th in blocked shots (.46/g) and 14th in field goal percentage (.475). They led the Pioneers to a 15-11 record and the semifinals of the WIAC tournament. Both players also helped the Pioneers to the eight-team Clarke College Holiday Classic title and were named to the all-tournament team there.
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| Beau Buchs |
UW-Superior's Vince Thomas was named the WIAC Player of the Year, while Whitewater Head Coach Dave Vander Meulen was named the Coach of the Year.
Thomas becomes the first player in Yellowjacket history to receive the conference's Player of the Year honor. This season, he helped the Yellowjackets to their best record (16-9) since the 1978-79 campaign. He leads the WIAC in scoring (21.4) and rebounding (9.1), becoming only the third player in WIAC history to accomplish this feat. Whitewater's Mike Gutter (1979-80) and Eau Claire's Mike Ratliff (1971-72) also led the conference in scoring and rebounding. Thomas also leads the WIAC in blocked shots (41), ranks second in steals (2.08/g), fifth in free throw percentage (.820) and tenth in field goal percentage (.510). He scored in double figures in 23 of the 24 games he played this season and registered ten double-doubles. Thomas was an All-WIAC First Team selection last season and Honorable Mention honoree in the 1997-98 season.
Aubrey Lewis-Byers helped Whitewater to a share of the 2000-01 WIAC Championship. He ranks second in the WIAC in scoring (19.2), sixth in field goal percentage (.559) and 15th in steals (1.32/g). He scored in double figures in 23 of the 25 games he played this season, scoring 20 or more points in 11 of those games. Lewis-Byers was also an All-WIAC First Team selection last season.
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| Tyler Selk |
Eau Claire, which earned the WIAC's automatic NCAA tournament berth, is represented on the First Team by Sherm Carstensen. He is a three-time All-WIAC First Team honoree. Carstensen leads the WIAC in three-point field goals made (61), ranks third in scoring (17.9), 12th in blocked shots (.44/g) and 15th in three-point field goal percentage (.367).
Stevens Point, which claimed a share of the 2000-01 WIAC Championship after winning the title outright last season, landed two players on the First Team. Josh Iserloth ranks third in the WIAC in three-point field goal percentage (.437) and blocked shots (1.32/g), fifth in rebounding (6.7), eighth in scoring (15.0), 13th in field goal percentage (.498) and 15th in free throw percentage (.755).
Joe Zuiker leads the WIAC in field goal percentage (.652) and ranks fourth in the league in rebounding (6.9). He also was second on his team in scoring (11.8). Zuiker tied four other players in Stevens Point history by shooting a school-record nine-for-nine from field in the Pointer's 74-59 win over River Falls on Jan. 10.
Oshkosh's Justin Kamps helped the Titans to a berth in the WIAC Tournament Championship against Eau Claire. He ranks seventh in the WIAC in assists (3.22/g), eighth in steals (1.48/g) and free throw percentage (.797), ninth in scoring (14.7) and assist/turnover ratio (1.36) and 15th in field goal percentage (.457). Kamps earned All-WIAC Honorable Mention honors during the 1998-99 season.
River Falls' Kent Becker garnered All-WIAC First Team honors for the first time in his career. Becker leads the WIAC in steals (53) and ranks second in free throw percentage (.872) and three-point field goal percentage (.463), third in assists (4.00/g), fifth in scoring (16.4) and seventh in field goal percentage (.525). He was named All-WIAC Honorable Mention last season.
Stout's Aaron Vachowiak also garnered First Team honors for the first time in his career. Vachowiak ranks third in the league in free throw percentage (.871), fifth in field goal percentage (.560), ninth in rebounding (6.3) and 13th in scoring (13.5). On Jan. 20, he became the 21st Blue Devil to reach the 1,000 point mark. Vachowiak was named All-WIAC Honorable Mention last season.
Named to the Honorable Mention squad were: Eau Claire's Matt Fermanich, La Crosse's Eddie Hebert and Matt Schultz, Oshkosh's Tim Dworak and Aric Vaubel, River Falls' Rich Melzer, Stevens Point's Brent Larson, Stout's Pat Von Feldt and Whitewater's Robert Smith and Jake Wolter.
Whitewater Head Coach Dave Vander Meulen was selected the 2000-01 WIAC Coach of the Year by his peers, marking the fifth time in his career he has won the honor. Vander Meulen guided the Warhawks to a 17-8 overall record and a share of the 2000-01 WIAC Championship, their first championship since the 1993-94 season.
Titans eliminate Pioneers
Posted 2/22/01
By Paul Erickson, UWP Sports Information Director
OSHKOSH, Wis.-- UW-Oshkosh made 50 percent of its shots, including 55 percent from three-point range, enabling the Titans to beat UW-Platteville 94-68 in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference semifinal game Thursday night.
The sixth-seeded Titans will play at fourth-seeded UW-Eau Claire Saturday at 7 p.m. with a berth in the NCAA III tournament on the line. UW-Eau Claire will also be the site of the women's title game Saturday, as underdog UW-Platteville, who already beat the second and third seeds, face the top-seeded Blugolds at 3 p.m.
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| Frank McGettigan Ds up the Titans |
The Titans made sure the championship day would not be a Pioneer-Blugold doubleheader as they blistered the nets. The Titans scored their first five baskets in the paint for a quick 10-4 lead and held a lead until the Pioneers could tie them at 26-26. The Titans, however, rattled back nine straight points for a 35-26 lead with 5:09 left in the first half. The Titans settled for a 46-40 halftime lead in the highest-scoring first half of the year for the Pioneers.
UW-Oshkosh continued its hot hand in the second half and continually built upon its lead. Three straight three-point baskets by Nick Scherer turned a 64-53 contest into a 74-55 game, and the 19-point deficit was too much for the Pioneers to overcome. The largest margin was 94-66 in the final minute.
"One of the things Oshkosh was going to do was spread the floor," Pioneer Coach Todd Landrum said. "They knew we were going to try and keep the ball out of the post. They spread the floor. We knew we were going to give up some outside shots, and they hit those shots. Once they got going, it was very difficult to stop them. We had a chance to close it early in the second half and didn't. From there, it was very tough."
Tyler Selk led the Pioneers offensively with 16 points. Beau Buchs, who along with fellow senior Brad Stangel played in their final Pioneer games, scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Bryan Stangel added 13 points, and Will Carter had 12.
Scherer and Tim Dworak led the Titans (18-6) with 23 points apiece, while Aric Vaubel scored 22.
The Pioneers finished the year 15-11. After a 10-2 start, which included the Clarke College Holiday Tournament championship and three road WIAC wins, the Pioneers dropped seven straight games. They rebounded to knock UW-Whitewater, UW-Eau Claire and UW-River Falls out of first place in the last weeks of the season and bounced second-seed UW-Stevens Point from the WIAC playoffs Tuesday.
"The thing I'm most proud of was that when things were rough in January, this team never gave up," Landrum said. "They continued to work; they continued to learn; and they continued to believe they could win basketball games. At the end of the season, we proved that when we beat all the top teams in the league in a great league. I don't think tonight reflects what this team accomplished at the end of the season. We got better, and we showed that if you stick together through bad times, you can overcome them and have success. I think we did that this year."
BoxscorePioneers win at buzzer
Posted 2/20/01
By Paul Erickson, UWP Sports Information Director
STEVENS POINT - You can forgive Bryan Stangel for not sharing with his brother.
With UW-Platteville trailing UW-Stevens Point 56-54 with 5 seconds remaining, the Pioneers planned a play for Brad Stangel to attempt a game-winner. Things didn't quite go as planned.
After the Pointers missed a free throw, the ball was tipped right to younger brother Bryan.
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| Bryan Stangel uncorks the game-winner |
"Our plan was to get the rebound, get the ball to Brad and have him go up the court," Bryan said, "but the rebound bounced to me, and my first instinct was to take the ball up and shoot the three."
Bryan's instincts proved perfect, as he unleashed a 24-foot bomb at the buzzer that found nothing but net and lifted UW-Platteville to a stunning 57-56 victory over the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference co-champions during the post-season tournament quarterfinals. The Pioneers, 15-10, will play at UW-Oshkosh Thursday night, thanks to Stangel's shot.
"I thought it might go in, and when I saw it, boy, I got excited," Stangel said.
Coach Todd Landrum said, "All you're trying to do in that situation is get it where they may help and throw it by someone to the open man. Bryan had the presence of mind that because no on got up on him, he took the shot. If someone comes in front of him, he throws it to the open guy. What can you say? He made a miraculous shot."
The Pioneers overcame a 51-40 deficit in the final 5:36, and more impressively a four-point lead with 11 seconds to go. After the Pointers' Brent Larson hit two free throws with 11 seconds remaining, the Pioneers called time out. Rather than take the three, Landrum and his staff took a strategic masterpiece that paid off handsomely. With the Pointers guarding for the three-point attempt, Bryan Stangel drove straight down the lane for a layup with six seconds remaining.
"Our plan was to take it to the hole and take it strong," Stangel said. "I was able to take it right down the middle."
The Pioneers fouled on the inbounds pass, and Kalonji Kadima missed the front end of the bonus. The last five seconds will go down in the Pioneers' rich basketball history.
UWP looked like it might make history early, hitting the first five shots for an 11-2 lead. The Pioneers, behind 56 percent shooting, took a 32-27 halftime lead. But just as the temperatures fell outside, the Pioneers' shooting percentage dropped in the second half. UWP managed just 6 points in the first 14:24 of the second half, as the Pointers built the 51-40 lead.
Tyler Selk, who turned in a 25-point, 7-rebound game, started the comeback with a three-point shot and a jumper. Brad Stangel's two free throws made it a four-point game with 2:06 remaining. Selk and the Pointers' Jay Bennett traded 3-point baskets, and Beau Buchs' layup brought the score to 54-50.
Selk, who hit 9-12 from the field, led all scorers with his 25 points. Bryan Stangel added 13. Bennett led the Pointers (18-7) with 22 points.
BoxscoreHighshaw's basket lifts surging UWP to win
Posted 2/17/01
Freshman George Highshaw scored with 13 seconds remaining, giving surging UW-Platteville a 65-64 victory over UW-River Falls, depriving the hosts their first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship in 51 years.
Instead, UW-Whitewater and UW-Stevens Point share the title with 10-6 marks. The Warhawks earned the top-seed in the WIAC tournament on the basis of their two wins over the other co-champion. The Pointers are seeded second and will play host to the seventh-seeded Pioneers Tuesday at 7 p.m.
UW-Stevens Point beat the Pioneers in two almost strangely identical games, scoring the game's final 10 points each time to break open a one- or two-point game. UWSP won 71-59 in Platteville Jan. 6 and 72-61 in Quandt Fieldhouse Feb. 3.
The loss in Quandt was the only setback in the last five games for the Pioneers, who have won three in a row and four of their last five. UWP still went into Saturday's game with the possibility of anywhere from a sixth-place finish to ninth place and out of the WIAC tournament.
The Pioneers took care of business by overcoming an 11-point deficit in the final 4:32. Three-point shots by Brad Stangel and Frank McGettigan started the comeback. Two baskets by Tyler Selk and four free throws by Brad Stangel brought the Pioneers within 64-61. Beau Bunks dunked home the ball with 1:15 remaining, cutting the deficit to 64-63 and setting the stage for Highshaw's game-winner.
Brad Stangel and Buchs, who was a perfect 7-7 from the field, led the Pioneers with 15 points apiece, while Selk had 12 and Bryan Stangel eight. Highshaw made all three of his shots and finished with six points.
The Pioneers finish the regular season 14-10 overall and 7-9 in the WIAC. The Falcons are 14-10, 9-7.
UW-River Falls play host to UW-Oshkosh Tuesday. The other first-round pairings are UW-Stout at UW-Whitewater and UW-Superior at UW-Eau Claire.
BoxscorePioneers bounce Blugolds into four-way tie
Posted 2/14/01
On Valentine's Day, UW-Platteville turned back to an old love--defense--and smothered UW-Eau Claire 73-55, creating a four-way tie atop the leaderboard in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Leading 30-24 at the half, the Pioneers began the second period with a 17-4 run, extending the margin to 47-28. Beau Buchs scored nine points during that run, including a pair of dunks that ignited the Williams Fieldhouse crowd.. The Pioneers repeatedly forced the Blugolds outside for their attempts, as they shut down the interior game. The Pioneers' largest lead was 64-43 with 6:02 remaining. The closest the Blugolds came was within 13 at 66-53 with 2:54 remaining. The Pioneers scored the next six points, capped by Buchs' monster jam on a breakaway with 2:04 remaining.
In the wackiest WIAC race in some time, the Blugolds are now in a four-way tie for the league lead with UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater at 9-6 with one game to play. UWEC, now 15-8 overall, was held to 34.5 percent from the field and 19 points below its scoring average.
The Pioneers, who improved to 13-10 overall and 6-9 in the WIAC, shot 56 percent from the field, including 62 percent in the second half. Buchs and Tyler Selk tied for scoring honors with 21 points apiece and combined for 16 rebounds. Bryan Stangel was 6-8 from the field and scored 14 points. Brad Stangel, who was saluted before the game with Buchs on Senior Night, added 9 points and four assists.
UWP will attempt to clinch a WIAC playoff berth at UW-River Falls Saturday at 7 p.m. The conference post-season tournament begins Tuesday, with eight teams battling for the league's automatic berth into the NCAA III tournament. Pairings will be determined after Saturday's regular-season ending games.
BoxscorePioneers win overtime thriller
Posted 2/7/01
UW-Platteville made four of five shots in overtime, including all three of its three-point shots, to beat UW-La Crosse 73-70 in a thriller Wednesday in Williams Fieldhouse.
Brad Stangel drained consecutive three-point baskets to give the Pioneers a 61-57 advantage in the extra session. Selk scored on a three-point shot and a basket and foul shot, making the score 67-61.
The Eagles came back within 72-70 on Eddie Hebert's three-point shot with 18.2 seconds remaining. Will Carter made one of two free throws with 16 seconds remaining. The Eagles worked for a last shot, but Matt Schultz misfired on a three-point attempt.
The Pioneers improved to 12-10 overall and 5-8 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Eagles fell to 10-11, 4-8.
Selk led the Pioneers with 22 points, all in the second half and overtime. He had two big three-point shots with just under 10 minutes remaining, turning a 39-37 deficit into a 43-39 lead. The Pioneers held the advantage until Hebert's two free throws tied the score at 53-53. Selk scored on a jumper with 35 seconds remaining, but Ben Bemis's driving layup tied the score at 55-55, sending the contest into overtime.
Selk added a game-high 10 rebounds to go with his 22 points. Brad Stangel, Beau Buchs and Frank McGettigan each scored 12 points, while Bryan Stangel added 10 points and six assists.
The Pioneers are off until Wednesday, when they play host to UW-Eau Claire. Before the contest, UWP will salute its two seniors, Buchs and Brad Stangel.
BoxscorePointers pull away from Pioneers
Posted 2/3/01
UW-Stevens Point scored the final 10 points of the game to rally for a 72-61 victory over UW-Platteville Saturday in Quandt Fieldhouse.
The Pioneers came within 62-61 on three free throws by Brad Stangel with 5:29 remaining. However, that was the last time the Pioneer scored, as the Pointers pulled away at the end for their 15th victory of the season. The Pointers, who honored former UWSP and Badger coach Dick Bennett Saturday, improved to 15-5 overall and 7-5 in the WIAC. The Pioneers fell to 11-10, 4-9.
Brad Stangel led the Pioneers with 19 points, hitting 5 of 7 shots from the field and 5 of 5 from the line. He was also 4 of 5 from three-point territory. Beau Buchs added 14 points, and Bryan Stangel scored 9. Tyler Selk collected 10 rebounds, and Will Carter made 6 assists.
The Pioneers play in Williams Fieldhouse Wednesday vs. UW-La Crosse at 7 p.m.
BoxscorePioneers break streak vs. rivals
Posted 1/31/01
UW-Platteville hit 71.4 percent of its second-half shots and snapped its seven-game losing streak in a big way, beating rival UW-Whitewater 79-70 Wednesday night in Williams Fieldhouse.
The Pioneers improved to 11-9 overall and 4-8 in the WIAC, while the Warhawks were prevented from taking over first in the league, falling to 14-6, 7-5.
UWP made eight of its first 11 shots of the second half, stretching a 35-31 halftime lead to 52-42 with 13:05 remaining. Tyler Selk played like a man possessed all night, especially during those opening 7 minutes. He scored 10 points during that run and had an assist on another hoop. The Pioneers eventually extended the advantage to 58-43 on a dunk by Beau Buchs, who was fouled on the slam and converted the three-point play with 10:09 remaining.
The Warhawks scored the next seven points, narrowing the margin to 58-50. They eventually closed within 62-56, but Buchs nailed a baseline jumper, and Brad Stangel scored on a layup for a 10-point advantage at the 3:47 mark. UWW came no closer than nine the rest of the way.
All five Pioneer starters scored in double figures, led by Selk's 28 points. The sophomore forward also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, recorded two assists and two steals. Buchs and Will Carter each missed just one shot and finished with 14 points. Carter also had two steals and two assists and just one turnover in 33 minutes. Buchs jammed in three powerful dunks during the game. Brad and Bryan Stangel added 10 points apiece for the Pioneers, who made 15 of 21 shots in the second half.
Ernest Williams kept the Warhawks in the game with 18 of his 24 points in the second half, including 3-4 three-point shots. Aubrey Lewis-Byers added 19 points.
The Pioneers play at UW-Stevens Point Saturday at 7 p.m., then return to Williams Fieldhouse for a Wednesday matchup with UW-La Crosse, beginning at 7 p.m.
BoxscoreFast-starting Devils beat Pioneers
Posted 1/27/01
UW-Stout started the game on a 12-2 run and never looked back as the host Blue Devils beat UW-Platteville 79-64 Saturday night in Menomonie.
UW-Stout led 45-24 at the half and went on to its 10th victory. The Blue Devils are 10-8 overall, 4-7 in the WIAC. The Pioneers fell to 10-9, 3-8 with their seventh straight loss.
Tyler Selk paced the Pioners with 14 points, while Brad Stangel added 10.
UW-Platteville returns to Williams Fieldhouse Wednesday to face UW-Whitewater at 7 p.m.
BoxscoreTitans tip Pioneers at buzzer
Posted 1/24/01
UW-Oshkosh Aric Vaubel tipped in a missed shot at the buzzer, sending UW-Platteville to yet another heart-breaking men's basketball loss Wednesday in Williams Fieldhouse.
Vaubel's one-handed tip from the left side just beat the clock and lifted the Titans to a 61-59 victory.
UW-Oshkosh improved to 14-4 overall and 6-4 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Pioneers dropped their sixth straight game and fell to 10-8, 3-7.
As has been the case in 2001, the contest was a nip-and-tuck affair with 14 ties. The Pioneers broke a 48-48 tie with a 7-0 run, capped by Beau Buchs's steal and thunderous slam dunk with 4:40 remaining. The Titans, however, came back to tie the score at 57-57 with 1:53 remaining. UWP's Brad Stangel, at 1:27, and the Titans' Nate Miller, at 1:10, traded free throws for a 59-59 tie. The Pioneers missed a three-point shot with 9.1 seconds remaining. After a timeout, the Titans came down the floor, Nate Miller missed from the right side, and Vaubel knocked home the game-winner.
Tyler Selk led the Pioneers with 16 points; Buchs scored 14, and Brad Stangel added 10 for the Pioneers, who hit 50 percent of their shots. Vaubel's 20 led all scorers.
BoxscorePioneers, 'Jackets threaten three-point record
Posted 1/20/01
By Paul Erickson, UWP Sports Information Director
The NCAA picked the perfect day to send its productions crew to Williams Fieldhouse to film a Virtual Tour, as a national record was threatened for much of the afternoon.
UW-Platteville and UW-Superior fell one three-point shot shy of breaking the NCAA Division III record for shooting percentage Saturday in the Yellowjackets' 79-69 victory before 1,351 Williams Fieldhouse fans.
The two teams combined to hit 19 of 29 three-point shots, 65.5 percent. That mark is even deceiving because the Pioneers' threw up two desperation shots in the waning seconds. The NCAA record for three-point percentage by two teams is 75 percent for a minimum of 15 made. However, the record for a minimum of 20 made is 62.2 percent. One more made basket by either team would have broke the mark.
The Yellowjackets scored the last eight points of the game to improve to 12-4 overall and 5-4 in the WIAC. The Pioneers fell to 10-7, 3-6.
Two free throws by the Pioneers' Beau Buchs narrowed the Yellowjacket lead to 71-69 with 2:45 remaining. UW-Superior's Vince Thomas made two free throws with 2:34 left for a 73-69 advantage. After two scoreless minutes, Thomas unleashed an absolute bomb of a three-point shot, nailing a 25-foot shot with seconds ticking down on the shot clock. That made the score 76-69 with 32 seconds remaining and sealed the deal.
Buchs led the Pioneers with 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Tyler Selk scored 19 points, and Will Carter added 12. George Highshaw, with 5, and Bryan Stangel, with 4, led the team in assists.
Thomas's 27 points paced UW-Superior, which nailed 13 of 17 three-point shots.
BoxscoreHot-shooting Falcons down UWP
Posted 1/17/01
League-leading UW-River Falls made its first seven shots from the field and continued with a hot hand all night, beating UW-Platteville 82-67 Wednesday in Williams Fieldhouse.
The Pioneers led 38-37 at the half, but the Falcons pulled ahead 58-50 with 12:42 remaining. Thanks to three free throws by Bryan Stangel, and three-point and two-point baskets by Tyler Selk, the Pioneers tied the scored at 58-58. The Falcons responded with their own run, scoring 12 straight to take a 70-58 lead with 6:55 remaining. The Pioneers never recovered and fell to 10-6 overall, 3-5 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Falcons, who shot 64 percent in the first half and 57 percent overall, improved to 11-5, 6-2.
Both Beau Buchs and Selk had double-doubles for UWP. Buchs recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Selk added 15 points and 10 boards. Frank McGettigan netted 14 points, 12 via the three-point shot, and Bryan Stangel scored 11.
The Pioneers return to Williams Fieldhouse Saturday at 4 p.m. vs. UW-Superior. That game will feature NCAA Productions making a Virtual Tour of Williams Fieldhouse. Chancellor David Markee has proclaimed the day "Orange and Blue Day" and encourages fans to show their school colors at the contest.
BoxscoreBlugolds tip Pioneers
Posted 1/10/01
UW-Eau Claire scored eight straight points late in the game to pull away from UW-Platteville and post a 74-64 victory Wednesday in the UWEC Zorn Arena.
The Blugolds led 53-52 when they went on their run, and the Pioneers never got closer than four points after that.
The Blugolds improved to 10-4 overall and 4-2 in the WIAC, while the visiting Pioneers fell to 10-5, 3-4.
Beau Buchs led the Pioneers with 15 points, and Tyler Selk added 14 points and 8 rebounds. Freshman Frank McGettigan came off the bench to hit 4 of 5 shots, including 3 of 4 three-point attempts, to finish with 11 points.
Sherm Carstensen led UWEC with 25 points, including 17 in the first half.
BoxscorePointers pull away from Pioneers
Posted 1/6/01
UW-Stevens Point scored the final 10 points to defeat UW-Platteville 71-59 in a battle of two ranked men's basketball teams Saturday in UWP's Williams Fieldhouse..
The Pointers, third in the d3hoops.com poll, improved to 11-3 overall and 3-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The 16th-ranked Pioneers fell to 10-4, 3-3.
The Pioneers, who trailed by as many as nine in the second half, sliced the lead to 61-59 on a pair of free throws by Beau Buchs with 5:01 to play. The Pointers' Brent Larson responded 15 seconds later with a long three-point shot in front of the UWSP bench, taking the momentum away from the Pioneers and the crowd of 1,422. Larson also made 4 of 4 free throws in the final minute to help seal the win. After a sizzling beginning to the game, the Pioneers only made 7 of 29 shots (24.1 percent) in the second period.
Both teams came out on fire in a well-played first half, hitting better than 60 percent of their shots in the first 10 minutes. The Pointers' Derek Kind nailed a three to give his team a 40-38 lead at the half, in which the teams combined to commit just 10 turnovers.
UW-Platteville's Tyler Selk scored 15 of his game-high 24 points in the opening 20 minutes. Buchs added 11 points and 13 rebounds during the contest. Joe Zuiker led the Pointers with 16 points, while Larson had 13 and Kalonji Kadima 10.
BoxscoreEagles gun down Pioneers
Posted 1/3/01
UW-La Crosse came out firing from long-range and hit 10 three-point shots Wednesday, a key to the Eagles' 80-64 victory over UW-Platteville in Mitchell Hall.
The Eagles made 6 of 11 three-point attempts in the first half for a 36-29 lead, then continually stretched the lead in the second period.
The Pioneers fell to 10-3 overall and 3-2 in the WIAC. The Eagles improved to 7-4, 2-2.
Tyler Selk led the Pioneers with 18 points and 9 rebounds, while Beau Buchs scored 12 and Will Carter had 11.
The Pioneers, who played 11 of their first 13 games away from Williams Fieldhouse, finally play another home game Saturday when third-ranked UW-Stevens Point comes to town for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The Pioneers are ranked 16th.
One-thousand team pictures will be distributed before the contest, courtesy of First National Bank.
BoxscorePosted 12/31/00
Pioneers' victory is a Classic
The Clarke College Holiday Classic lived up to its name, as UW-Platteville outlasted Tri-State (Ind.) and one of the most awesome shooting displays by a center to win the championship game 73-69 Saturday night.
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| Tyler Selk, here playing defense against Viterbo, was an all-torunament pick. |
The Pioneers beat Viterbo 74-56 in the opening round and host Clarke 77-71 to advance to the title contest, where they faced the NAIA power and its two-time all-America center Chad LaCross.
The 6-8 LaCross began by playing his own version of "can you top this?" moving further and further past the three-point line until he was pretty close to the city of La Crosse. Despite having 6-6 center Beau Buchs and his long arms right in his face, LaCross nailed his first four ultra-long-distance shots and scored 23 of the Thunder's 32 first-half points. The Pioneers hung together as a team and matched the Thunder point for point, making the score 32-32 at the half.
Tri-State (10-7) grabbed a 43-34 second-half lead, but the Pioneers, behind three-point baskets by Brad Stangel and Mike Burkholder and a basket and foul shot by Beau Buchs, tied the game immediately at 43. The game remained tight until the very end.
Tyler Selk, who played just a few minutes in the first half because of two fouls, gave the Pioneers the lead for good with a power move inside, making it 65-63 with 2:50 remaining. Will Carter then stole the ball from LaCross, which led to another Selk basket and a 67-63 lead. LaCross answered with a three-point shot, and after Brad Stangel nailed a three, LaCross again responded with his eighth and final trey, making the score 70-69 with 1:03 remaining.
Brothers Brad and Bryan Stangel came up with huge plays down the stretch. Brad dove for a loose ball of his own missed shot and fed his brother, who was fouled. Bryan Stangel made one of two free shots with 22 ticks remaining.
When Tri-State called timeout, Pioneer Coach Todd Landrum, voted the Coach of the Tournament, and his staff made a strategic move that earned the Pioneers the win. Bryan Stangel guarded LaCross on the inbounds pass, and the Thunder tried to lob the ball over the 6-5 guard/forward. Stangel intercepted the pass and hit two free throws after being fouled with 8 seconds left to seal the win.
The victory was the Pioneers' third in four tries in the tournament. They improved to 10-2 overall.
Selk, who had 21 points in the title game, and Buchs, who had 20, each were named to the all-tournament team. Brad Stangel added 12 points, all on three-point shots, and Byran Stangel and Carter combined for 16 points and 10 assists.
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| Beau Buchs, who scored 16 in this game vs. Viterbo, earned all-tournament honors. |
LaCross, who made 15 of 22 shots, including 8 of 14 three-point shots, was the MVP.
Brad Stangel and Selk each scored 18 points in the win over Clarke. Bryan Stangel led the scoring parade against Viterbo with 20, while Buchs had 16, Selk 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Carter 7 assists.
The Pioneers return to action Wednesday at UW-La Crosse. Their next home game is Saturday, Jan. 6 against UW-Stevens Point at 7 p.m. One thousand team pictures will be given out that night, courtesy of First National Bank.
Tri-State BoxscoreClarke Boxscore
Viterbo Boxscore