Grantman's 3 lifts Pioneers to stunning win
February 19, 2007
Lisa Grantman's three-point play with 4.6 seconds remaining lifted visiting UW-Platteville to a stunning 75-74 win over second-seeded UW-Whitewater Monday night in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference quarterfinals.
The seventh-seeded Pioneers will now face third-seeded UW-Eau Claire Wednesday in UWEC's Zorn Arena at 7 p.m. The Blugolds dropped UW-La Crosse 67-62.
UWP became just the second seventh seed to ever win a game in the WIAC tournament. The 2001 Pioneers beat second-seeded UW-Oshkosh and third-seeded UW-Stevens Point before falling at the buzzer to top-seeded UW-Eau Claire.
The Warhawks took a 74-72 lead on Tiffany Morton's two free throws with 15.6 seconds left. With post players Liz Tesch and Liz Wisdom fouling out in the final 22 seconds, the Pioneers went for the victory. Megan Guernsey drove the ball down and found her former Lomira High School teammate Grantman on the left side, and Grantman buried the three. The Warhawks, out of timeouts, could only get off a desperation half-court shot that missed.
The last-second UWP heroics gave the Pioneers their first lead since 4-2. They trailed 42-30 at the half and by as many as 16 in the second half. Just like Saturday, when the Pioneers overcame a 16-point deficit to beat UW-Oshkosh 60-56and claim seventh place, UWP climbed back into the game.
Trailing 57-41, the Pioneers scored 13 straight points. Tesch, Grantman and Guernsey each had three-point baskets to spark the run, and Tesch's two free throws brought the Pioneers within 57-54.
UWP was within 67-66 on Lisa Wubben's layup with 4:06 to play, but Sarah Moran made a three-point shot for a 70-66 Warhawk advantage.
The Pioneers finally caught the second-place Warhawks when Tesch scored on a layup and was fouled with 35 seconds left. She converted the free throw, tying the contest at 72-72 and setting up the winning Pioneer ending.
Tesch led the Pioneers (11-15 overall) with 29 points, continuing her torrid streak. She has averaged 23.2 points per game over the last five contests, and her 387 points this season are the 11th most in Pioneer history.
Wisdom made 8-9 from the field and finished with 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Grantman had 12 points and Wubben 10.
Moran scored 16 points, while Morton had 15 and Nicole Bundy 10 for the Warhawks, who fell to 19-7.
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