Late trey sinks Pioneers

Bryan Beamish's three-point basket with three-seconds remaining lifted UW-Stevens Point to a 70-67 victory over UW-Platteville in a battle of Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference heavyweights Saturday night.

The Pioneers went the length of the floor in the final seconds in an attempt to tie. Charlie Lohoff threw to 6-10 Jeff Skemp at halfcourt, who passed to Mike Shaw, but Shaw's three-point attempt just missed at the buzzer.

The host Pointers, ranked 14th in NCAA III, improved to 11-3 overall and 3-2 in the WIAC, while the Pioneers, who won at 12th-ranked UW-Oshkosh Wednesday, fell to 10-4, 4-2.

The tense battle featured eight ties and four lead changes. The Pioneers' last lead came with 1:18 to play on Lohoff's layup, giving UWP a 67-65 advantage. The Pointers' Steve Hicklin tied the contest 21 seconds later on a layup. The Pioneers did not score on their next possession, and the Pointers held the ball until Beamish's game-winner.

Lohoff and Curt Hanson each had 14 points, with Lohoff adding 10 rebounds and six assists, and Hanson three assists and two steals. Skemp and Shaw each added 11 points for the Pioneers, who came within one missed shot of shooting 50 percent or better for the seventh straight game.

Beamish led all scorers with 22 points while Khalifa El-Amin and Hicklin each had 12 for the Pointers, who had just five turnovers.

After playing five straight road games, the Pioneers play on Bo Ryan Court Wednesday vs. UW-La Crosse at 7 p.m.