Pioneers surprise DI Bradley

Prior to Sunday's exhibition game, Coach Paul Combs surprised his University of Wisconsin-Platteville team with new uniforms in the locker room. Then he watched his Pioneers surprise NCAA Division I Bradley with an 84-79 win.

The Pioneers, clad in royal blue uniforms with orange and white trim, led the Braves 46-37 at the half and never trailed again before a stunned Peoria Civic Center crowd of 8,294.

"We talked about this since the end of last year when we got beat by Eau Claire in the conference playoffs," All-American center Jeff Skemp said. "It started then. Charlie (Lohoff) kept the newspaper clipping in his locker, and we've used that as motivation all year. We talked this morning about do you want to play in big games or do you want to win them. That was a big thing."

UWP, ranked seventh in the D3hoops.com preseason poll, took its first lead at 14-13 when Nick Allen made a three-pointer from the top of the key on an in-bounds play.

Skemp, named an NCAA III All-American Friday by D3hoops.com, made his first four shots and had nine points, but sat out the final eight minutes of the first half with two fouls and the game tied 25-25. Allen and Eric Wall scored inside hoops for a 29-25 lead, and Charlie Lohoff's three-pointer made it 32-27. Two more Wall free throws gave the Pioneers a 34-27. Curt Hanson's three-pointer and two Lohoff free shots put the Pioneers up 39-29 and put a shock in the Civic Center crowd. The Braves went on a 7-0 run, but the Pioneers took a 46-37 halftime lead on Hanson's two free throws with 1.2 left.

The Pioneers made 12-23 from the field and all 17 of their free throws in the first half.

The Braves cut the deficit to 55-52 but Hanson hit a three-point shot from way past the new line when Bradley went to a zone, Skemp scored inside, and Hanson made another three-pointer from the left corner for a 66-55 lead. UWP's largest lead came at 76-63, but eight straight Braves' points cut the lead to five with under four minutes to play. Skemp's layin stopped the run, as UWP went up 78-71 with 3:01 remaining. Allen drew a huge charge in the lane with 1:37 remaining, and the Pioneers up 78-73, and Lohoff drew another with 1:11 left. Mike Shaw's three-point basket at 39 seconds left gave the Pioneers an 81-73 advantage.

Bradley's David Collins made a rebound shot with 35 ticks left, making the count 81-75, but Shaw answered with one of two free throws at 29.1. Sam Moniscalo made an inside shot but missed the free throw, and Lohoff hit a pair of free shots for an 84-77 lead with 9.6 seconds left. Bradley's Dodie Dunson scored in the final seconds for the 84-79 final.

Hanson led the Pioneers with 24 points, Skemp had 20, Shaw 15 and Lohoff 10 for the Pioneers, who shot 53.5 percent from the field.

Collins had 21 points for the Braves, who lost an exhibition game against a college team for the first time in 19 tries.

The Pioneers open the regular season Saturday by hosting Viterbo at 7 p.m. The Braves, after hosting Illinois-Chicago Friday, play at Florida Sunday.

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