Blugolds shoot out Pioneers
February 25, 2008
By Paul Erickson, Sports Information Director
UW-Eau Claire broke a rim on UW-Platteville's Bo Ryan Court during pre-game shootarounds Monday night. Once the rim was replaced, the Blugolds broke the Pioneers' heart.
The seventh-seeded Blugolds bolted out to leads of 11-0 and 23-5 and stunned second-seed and 19th-ranked UW-Platteville 84-80 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference post-season tournament.
The delayed start had no ill effects on the Blugolds, who shot 63.3 percent and commited just one turnover in the first half while bolting to a 46-36 advantage at the break. The Pioneers closed the gap to within one point four times, including three times in the final 2:04, but the Blugolds answered each time with a score.
Geoff Probst answered three of those calls, making a three-point shot when it was 55-54, a back-door laup when it was 74-73 and another three-point bomb when it was 76-75. After Probst's final trey, the Pioneers' Mike Shaw hit a three-point basket with 1:29 remaining. UWP's Jeff Skemp stole a pass on the next UWEC possession, but the Pioneers could not convert on their end. Dan Beyer made two free throws with 26 seconds left for an 81-78 lead. After a Pioneer miss, Probst scored on a break-away layup and converted a free-throw with 4.8 seconds remaining for an 84-78 lead. Nick Allen scored on a tip-in at the buzzer for the final 84-80 score.
The Blugolds will take a 12-14 record into the WIAC semifinals at UW-Stevens Point Wednesday. UW-Whitewater plays host to UW-Superior in the other contest.
Probst scored 28 points, while Ryan Shea and Dan Beyer each had 17 for UWEC, who shot 58.9 percent (33-56) for the game and finished with just four turnovers.
Skemp, a 6-10 junior center, led the Pioneers with 21 points and a WIAC post-season record 17 rebounds. Shaw scored 14, Allen 12 and Charlie Lohoff 11 for the Pioneers, who are 19-7 and have to hold out hopes the NCAA III committee takes three WIAC teams into its tournament.
Skemp made 8-14 from the field, blocked four shots, made three assists and had two steals. He is shooting 64.7 percent from the field, ahead of current UW-Milwaukee Coach Rob Jeter's Pioneer record of 62.5 percent, set in 1988-89.
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