2002-03 UW-Oshkosh Men's Basketball News

Dworak Has Tryout With Green Bay Packers

He hasn't played competitive football since high school, but the Green Bay Packers believe that former UW-Oshkosh men's basketball standout Tim Dworak can apply his imposing height in the National Football League (NFL).

The 6-foot-7 Dworak, who hasn't played football since playing quarterback at Kewaunee High School and recently participated in the Milwaukee Bucks' free-agent camp, has a tryout Tuesday (July 15) afternoon at the Packers' Don Hutson Center.

"They want to see what kind of hands and agility I have," Dworak said Monday, less than a week after the Packers contacted him. "I never thought in this lifetime (an NFL team) would be calling me, but it's an opportunity I have to take a look at."

Dworak is mulling offers to play pro basketball in Mexico and Finland. He was among 18 non-drafted players invited to the Bucks' minicamp earlier this month.

The All-America forward completed a decorated four-year career at UW-Oshkosh in March after averaging 22.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and helping the Titans reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III tournament. He ranks second in school history with 1,999 points and third with 784 rebounds.

Dworak Misses Cut Following Appearance at Milwaukee Bucks Free Agent Minicamp

His time in a professional uniform lasted only three days, but it was an experience that former UW-Oshkosh men's basketball standout Tim Dworak will remember for some time.

Dworak was one of 18 players invited to a free agent minicamp that the Milwaukee Bucks hosted July 1-3 in St. Francis. Following the auditions, however, the National Basketball Association (NBA) team announced that only guard Desmond Ferguson and forward Jamahl Mosley from the camp will be added to a squad that will play for the Bucks in an 11-game summer league in Orlando, Fla., and Boston, Mass.

Dworak completed his four-year basketball career at UW-Oshkosh this past winter by earning National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III All-America first team honors by D3hoops.com and All-America second team accolades by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). In 2002, the Kewaunee native was an All-America first team choice by the NABC and an All-America third team selection by D3hoops.com.

The two-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year started all 32 games for UW-Oshkosh this past season to lead the Titans to a 25-7 record, a third-place finish in the WIAC and a quarterfinal round appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship. Dworak averaged a team-high 22.7 points per contest this past season as he shot 63.5 percent (283-446) from the field, 53.3 (24-45) behind the three-point line and 77.6 (135-174) from the free throw line. Among his NCAA Division III counterparts, Dworak ranked 17th in scoring and seventh in field goal percentage.

Dworak had eight double-doubles for UW-Oshkosh during the 2002-03 campaign, including a 37-point, 10-rebound performance in an 87-63 win over UW-Superior and a 30-point, 11-rebound outing in a 71-70 loss to UW-Whitewater. He also scored 36 points and grabbed eight rebounds in an 84-77 win over Hope College (Mich.) in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship and scored 27 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 53-47 victory over top-ranked Randolph-Macon College (Va.) in the third round of the NCAA Division III Championship.

Last year, Dworak led UW-Oshkosh to a 24-6 record, a share of the WIAC championship and a third round appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship by averaging 23.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Dworak concluded his UW-Oshkosh career with 1,999 points and 784 rebounds, the second and third-highest totals in school history, respectively. He also finished his 112-game (92 starts) career by scoring in double figures in 69 consecutive games and in 87 of his last 89. In all, Dworak helped the Titans to a four-year record of 82-33, the best four-year run in the 105-year history of the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball program.

Dworak Invited To Bucks Free Agent Minicamp

Former UW-Oshkosh men's basketball standout Tim Dworak will audition for the Milwaukee Bucks in a free agent minicamp that will be held July 1-3 at the Cousins Center in Milwaukee. The Bucks will invite about 18 players to their training facility for five workouts, including a pair of sessions on July 1 and 2.

Dworak completed his four-year basketball career at UW-Oshkosh this past winter by earning National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III All-America first team honors by D3hoops.com and All-America second team accolades by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). In 2002, the Kewaunee native was an All-America first team choice by the NABC and an All-America third team selection by D3hoops.com.

The two-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year started all 32 games for UW-Oshkosh this past season to lead the Titans to a 25-7 record, a third-place finish in the WIAC and a quarterfinal round appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship. Dworak averaged a team-high 22.7 points per contest this past season as he shot 63.5 percent (283-446) from the field, 53.3 (24-45) behind the three-point line and 77.6 (135-174) from the free throw line. Among his NCAA Division III counterparts, Dworak ranked 17th in scoring and seventh in field goal percentage.

Dworak had eight double-doubles for UW-Oshkosh during the 2002-03 campaign, including a 37-point, 10-rebound performance in an 87-63 win over UW-Superior and a 30-point, 11-rebound outing in a 71-70 loss to UW-Whitewater. He also scored 36 points and grabbed eight rebounds in an 84-77 win over Hope College (Mich.) in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship and scored 27 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 53-47 victory over top-ranked Randolph-Macon College (Va.) in the third round of the NCAA Division III Championship.

Last year, Dworak led UW-Oshkosh to a 24-6 record, a share of the WIAC championship and a third round appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship by averaging 23.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Dworak concluded his UW-Oshkosh career with 1,999 points and 784 rebounds, the second and third-highest totals in school history, respectively. He also finished his 112-game (92 starts) career by scoring in double figures in 69 consecutive games and in 87 of his last 89. In all, Dworak helped the Titans to a four-year record of 82-33, the best four-year run in the 105-year history of the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball program.

Dworak Chosen To All-America Teams

The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and D3hoops.com have both named UW-Oshkosh forward Tim Dworak to their 2003 NCAA Division III All-America Men's Basketball Teams.

Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) was an All-America first team selection by D3hoops.com and an All-America second team pick by the NABC after repeating as a first team choice on both organization's All-West Region squad. Last year, Dworak was an All-America first team choice by the NABC and an All-America third team selection by D3hoops.com.

Dworak was joined on this year's D3hoops.com All-America first team by Drew Carstens of Augustana College (Ill.), Willie Chandler of College Misericordia (Pa.), Joel Kolmodin of Wheaton College (Ill.) and Derek Reich of the University of Chicago (Ill.). Dworak, Chandler and Reich were all first team selections on the internet site's 2003 Pre-season All-America squad, with Chandler also being a post-season first team pick in 2002.

The only other WIAC player tabbed as a 2003 All-American by D3hoops.com was Rich Melzer of UW-River Falls, a second team selection. Dworak and Melzer shared the 2003 WIAC Player of the Year award after Dworak won the prize outright in 2002.

Named to the 2003 NABC All-America second team along with Dworak were Sean Fleming of Clark College (Mass.), Matt Hilleary of Catholic University (Washington D.C.), Shaun McCormick of Baldwin-Wallace College (Ohio), Mike Medbury of State University of New York-Brockport, Jeff Monroe of Hampden-Sydney College (Va.), Matt Moore of Hanover College (Ind.) and Tylee Thomas of Rowan University (N.J.).

All-America first team selections on the NABC squad were Chandler, Joe Finley of Hamilton College (N.Y.), Melzer, Jared Mills of Randolph-Macon College (Va.), Bryan Nelson of The College of Wooster (Ohio), Charles Ransom of Ramapo College (N.J.), Reich and Steve Zieja of Amherst College (Mass.).

Dworak started all 32 games for UW-Oshkosh this past season as he led the Titans to a 25-7 record, a third-place finish in the WIAC and a quarterfinal round appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship. Dworak averaged a team-high 22.7 points per contest this past year as he shot 63.5 percent (283-446) from the field, 53.3 (24-45) behind the three-point line and 77.6 (135-174) from the free throw line. Among his WIAC counterparts, Dworak ranked first in field goal percentage, second in scoring, fourth in blocked shots with an average of 1.41 per game, fifth in rebounding with an average of 7.6 per contest and eighth in steals with an average of 1.47 per outing. He entered post-season play ranked 21st in the NCAA Division III in scoring and eighth in field goal percentage.

Dworak had eight double-doubles for UW-Oshkosh during the 2002-03 campaign, including a 37-point, 10-rebound performance in an 87-63 win over UW-Superior and a 30-point, 11-rebound outing in a 71-70 loss to UW-Whitewater. He also scored 36 points and grabbed eight rebounds in an 84-77 win over Hope College (Mich.) in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship and scored 27 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 53-47 victory over top-ranked Randolph-Macon College (Va.) in the third round of the NCAA Division III Championship.

Earlier, Dworak was named to NCAA Division III All-West Region first team by D3hoops.com and the NABC. Dworak was joined on the D3hoops.com All-West Region first team by Melzer, Jason Larson of UW-Eau Claire, Kristofer Speier of Lewis & Clark College (Ore.) and Eric Wiebers of Buena Vista University (Iowa). Mentioned with Dworak on the NABC All-West Region first team were Aubrey Lewis-Byers of UW-Whitewater, Andy Gilbert of Bethel College (Minn.), Josh Iserloth of UW-Stevens Point, Melzer and Wiebers.

Last year, Dworak led UW-Oshkosh to a 24-6 record, a share of the WIAC championship and a third round appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship by averaging 23.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Dworak concluded his UW-Oshkosh career with 1,999 points and 784 rebounds, the second and third-highest totals in school history, respectively. He also finished his 112-game (92 starts) career by scoring in double figures in 69 consecutive games and in 87 of his last 89. In all, Dworak helped the Titans to a four-year record of 82-33, the best four-year run in the 105-year history of the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball program.

Fourth-Ranked Tigers Rally To Edge Titans In NCAA Tourney

Scoring the last nine points of the game, Hampden-Sydney College (Va.) defeated UW-Oshkosh, 68-63, on Saturday (March 15) in Ashland, Va., to advance to the Final Four of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship.

After Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) hit a three-pointer to put UW-Oshkosh (25-7) up 63-59 with 2:48 remaining, Jeff Monroe turned a disjointed Hampden-Sydney College (28-2) offensive possession into two points when he converted a pair of free throws. After a turnover, Jay Patrick tied the game for the Tigers with a jumper in the lane with two minutes left.

UW-Oshkosh missed a three-point shot on its next possession and then fouled Hampden-Sydney College's David Willson with 1:08 left. Willson converted one of two free throws, but Patrick rebounded the second attempt, forcing UW-Oshkosh to foul. Monroe then hit both free throws, setting up the Titans’ final possession, which ended with Patrick blocking Sowinski’s three-point shot at the top of the key. Brandon Randall rebounded Sowinski's miss, evaded UW-Oshkosh’s foul attempt and then hit Willson at midcourt, who found Lane Brooks underneath for a game-ending slam dunk.

UW-Oshkosh appeared to have its first meeting with Hampden-Sydney College in hand early, pushing leads to nine points at three stages of the first half. The Titans led 16-7 with 14:28 left in the first period, 18-9 with 13:06 remaining and 21-12 with 12:17 left. UW-Oshkosh held a 26-18 advantage with 8:03 left in the first half before Hampden-Sydney College ended the opening period with an 11-4 scoring run to trail 30-29 at intermission.

Hampden-Sydney College, ranked fourth in the NCAA Division III by D3Hoops.com, took the lead early in the second half and led by as many as five points on four occasions, with the latest being 46-41 with 13:47 left in the game. But, 15th-ranked UW-Oshkosh failed to quit and tied the contest at 48-48 on a Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) jumper with 10:09 remaining in the contest, 54-54 on a pair of free throws by Dworak with 5:05 left and 57-57 on a three-point basket by Sowinski with 4:24 remaining.

Dworak, who was named the "Most Outstanding Player" in the South Sectional, scored a game-high 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 shooting from the free throw line. He also grabbed six rebounds, recorded three steals and dished off two assists. Sowinski, who joined Dworak as a member of the All-South Sectional Team, tallied 17 points against the Tigers while grabbing four rebounds and dishing off two assists.

Monroe led Hampden-Sydney College in scoring with 18 points, while Randall and Matt McKeag added 10 each

UW-Oshkosh shot 51.1 percent (23-45) from the field, 42.1 (8-19) behind the three-point line and 81.8 (9-11) from the free throw line. Hampden-Sydney College shot 50 percent (26-52) from the field, 47.4 (9-19) behind the three-point arc and 63.6 (7-11) from the charity stripe.

UW-Oshkosh concludes its fifth appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship with its first quarterfinal round visit. The Titans finished the year with a school-record 25 wins, a school-record 49 wins (49-16) over two seasons and a school-record 82 wins (82-33) over four campaigns.

Individually, Dworak concluded his career with 1,999 points and Sowinski 1,344, the second and ninth-best totals in school history. Dworak's scoring output is also the sixth-highest mark in WIAC history, aided by double-digit scoring totals in each of his last 69 games played.

In addition, Dworak ended his career by playing in 112 games (92 starts), while Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson) played in 113 (96 starts), Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc) all 114 (61 starts) and Sowinski 109 (83 starts). The quartet combined to play in 448 games for the Titans, including 332 starts.

Titans Swat Top-Ranked Yellow Jackets In NCAA Tourney

Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) scored a game-high 27 points as the 15th-ranked UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team defeated top-ranked Randolph-Macon College (Va.), 53-47, in a third round contest of the NCAA Division III Championship held Friday (March 14) in Ashland, Va.

Dworak hit nine of 12 shots from the field and was 9-of-13 from the charity stripe to lead the Titans. He also pulled down a team-high six rebounds. Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) tallied nine points and grabbed six caroms for UW-Oshkosh. Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc) and Kyle Pederson (Fr. • Waukesha) each recorded six points on the evening.

“Dworak is a very good player. He’s quick and he beat me a lot in the first half,” stated Jared Mills of Randolph-Macon College. “I tried to adjust in the second half, but it just wasn’t enough.”

Jamal Brunt and Mills each recorded a team-high 12 points for the Yellow Jackets. Mills also pulled down eight rebounds. Kurt Bergmann posted nine points and five rebounds in 30 minutes of play.

The Yellow Jackets never led in the first half, but managed to tie the game at nine with 14:20 left in the first stanza. Brunt made a three-pointer with 17 seconds left in the first half to pull within seven, 31-24. Dworak led UW-Oshkosh in scoring in the first period with 15 points.

In the second half, Randolph-Macon College came out of the locker room on fire, and went on a 14-4 scoring run to go up 40-35 with 11:10 remaining in the contest. A layup by Sowinski tied the game at 40 at the 7:56 mark and UW-Oshkosh never looked back after that.

UW-Oshkosh went to the free throw line 27 times to Randolph-Macon College's eight. The Titans made 20 of their free shots while the Yellow Jackets (28-2) connected on six.

UW-Oshkosh shot 48.5 percent (16-33) from the floor on the evening, while Randolph-Macon College shot just 37.5 (18-48). The Titans' 16 field goals were their fewest in any game this season.

The Titans (25-6) now advance to the "Elite Eight" of the NCAA Division III Championship for the first time in school history. UW-Oshkosh will meet fourth-ranked Hampden-Sydney College (Va.) on Saturday (March 15) at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. CST) in Ashland, Va., for the right to advance to the national semifinals. The Tigers (27-2) advanced to their game with UW-Oshkosh by defeating Illinois Wesleyan University, 76-68, on Friday in Ashland.

Titans To Meet Top-Ranked Yellow Jackets In Virginia

The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team will play its "Sweet Sixteen" contest of the NCAA Division III Championship against top-ranked Randolph-Macon College (Va.) on Friday (March 14) at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CST) in Ashland, Va.

UW-Oshkosh (24-6), fresh off post-season wins of 78-56 over the Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) on Thursday (March 6) and 84-77 over Hope College (Mich.) on Saturday (March 8), enters Friday's contest against the Yellow Jackets ranked 15th in the NCAA Division III by D3Hoops.com. Despite its top-ranking, Randolph-Macon College (28-1) had to rally in overtime on Saturday to defeat Alvernia College (Pa.), 72-69, in its lone post-season debate.

Also on Friday in Randolph-Macon College's Crenshaw Gymnasium (1,680), fourth-ranked Hampden-Sydney College (Va.) meets 14th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University at 6 p.m. (5 p.m. CST). Hampden-Sydney College owns a 26-2 record this season, while Illinois Wesleyan University is 22-5. The two Friday winners battle on Saturday (March 15) at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. CST) on the Crenshaw Gymnasium hardwood for the right to advance to the NCAA Division III Final Four on March 21-22 in Salem, Va.

Attention To Fans Attending Friday's Game!!

Following the game, fans will be able to celebrate with the Titan men's basketball team, UW Oshkosh alumni, staff, families and friends. The post-game reception will be held in the Trustees Room of the Estes Dining Hall at Randolph-Macon College.

Titans Return To "Sweet Sixteen"

The Hope College men's basketball team ran into a red-hot shooting UW-Oshkosh squad in its opening game of the NCAA Division III Championship on Saturday (March 8), bowing to the visiting Titans, 84-77, in front of a jam-packed crowd of 1,500 at the Dow Center in Holland, Mich.

UW-Oshkosh shot a blistering 70 percent (14-20) from the field in the second half and were 61 percent (28-46) for the entire game. The Titans (24-6) road on the back of Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) who scored 36 points on 12-for-17 shooting. He compiled 23 points in the second period as the Titans enlarged to their 37-32 halftime lead to as much as 14 points.

Every time Hope College made a run at the Titans it was Dworak who answered with a key basket, including four important three-pointers.

After trailing most of the first half, including 37-32 at intermission, the Flying Dutchmen (23-5) rallied to gain a 47-46 lead five minutes into the second half. Free throws by Andy Phillips gave Hope College its last lead of the game, 51-50 with 12:10 to play. UW-Oshkosh answered with a seven-point run and never looked back, leading by as many as 14 points down the stretch over its first-time opponent.

Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) aided Dworak's effort by counting 19 points, while Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson) tossed in 13. Chad Carlson led the Flying Dutchmen with 18 points.

Each team made 28 baskets and Hope College held a 10-8 advantage in three-pointers, but UW-Oshkosh connected on 20-of-26 (76.9 percent) free throw attempts compared to 11-of-16 (68.8 percent) by Hope College.

With the win over Hope College, UW-Oshkosh returns to the "Sweet Sixteen" of the NCAA Division III Championship for the second straight season. The 15th-ranked Titans are back in action on Friday (March 14) when they play at top-ranked Randolph-Macon College (28-1) of Ashland, Va.

Titans Win NCAA Post-Season Opener

The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team moved to the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship following its 78-56 victory over the Milwaukee School of Engineering on Thursday (March 6) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (23-6) returns to the hardwood on Saturday (March 8) by playing at first-time opponent Hope College (23-4). The opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Holland, Mich.

UW-Oshkosh, now 4-1 in first round games of the NCAA Division III Championship, took control of its first-time opponent early as the Titans built a 12-point lead midway through the first half and expanded it to 44-25 at intermission.

Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) scored 13 of his team-high 22 points in the first half to pace the Titans, who shot 55.6 percent (15-27) from the field and posted a 23-10 rebounding advantage in the opening period.

Like the first half, UW-Oshkosh came out strong in the second half, maintaining a 19-point lead for the final 13 minutes of the game. The Titans' biggest lead of the contest was 24 points, counts of 67-43 and 78-54. With the largest crowd of the season (1,326 fans) in Kolf Sports Center looking on, the final moments of the game turned into an opportunity for UW-Oshkosh fans to pay their tribute to Titan seniors Dworak, Nate Miller (Hudson), Nick Scherer (Manitowoc) and Scott Sowinski (Appleton) who were likely playing their last home game.

In addition to his 22 points, Dworak also grabbed seven rebounds and dished off two assists. Three other UW-Oshkosh players scored in double figures as Dain Christensen (So. • Waupaca) tallied 12, Sowinski 11 and Andy Fernholz (So. • West Salem ) 10. Fernholz also grabbed seven rebounds, while Sowinski collected five.

Adam Lewis led the Milwaukee School of Engineering (13-16) in scoring with 25 points.

The Titans concluded the debate shooting 49 percent (25-51) from the field and 87.5 percent (21-24) from the free throw line. The Raiders finished shooting 40 percent (22-55) from the field and 57.1 (8-14) from the charity stripe.

Titans Open NCAA Postseason Play At Home

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh men's basketball team begins play in the NCAA Division III Championship on its home hardwood for the fourth time in five opening round contests when it hosts the Milwaukee School of Engineering on Thursday (March 6) at 7 p.m. in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (22-6) and the Milwaukee School of Engineering (13-15) both received automatic bids to the 48-team NCAA Division III Championship on Sunday (March 2) after winning their respective league tournaments on Saturday (March 1).

UW-Oshkosh gained entry to the NCAA's post-season gala after defeating UW-Whitewater, 68-63, in the title game of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament held in Whitewater. The Milwaukee School of Engineering advanced to the national spectacle after defeating Lakeland College, 91-87, in the championship game of the Lake Michigan Conference (LMC) Tournament held in Sheboygan.

During the regular season, UW-Oshkosh finished third in the nine-team WIAC with a 10-6 league record, while the Milwaukee School of Engineering placed sixth in the seven-team LMC with a 5-7 league mark. Overall, UW-Oshkosh has won 12 of its last 15 games, while the Milwaukee School of Engineering has won nine of its last 10.

UW-Oshkosh enters its inaugural matchup with the Milwaukee School of Engineering unbeaten in three first round contests of the NCAA Division III Championship played in Kolf Sports Center. The Titans own home court wins of 79-74 over Simpson College (Iowa) in 1996, 93-71 over Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (Calif.) in 1998 and 71-56 over Ripon College in 2002. UW-Oshkosh's lone post-season road debut was a 51-43 loss to UW-Platteville in 1997.

UW-Oshkosh is appearing in its fifth NCAA Division III Championship after advancing to the “Sweet Sixteen” a year ago. The Titans are the only WIAC team to make five NCAA Division III post-season appearances since 1996. The Raiders of the Milwaukee School of Engineering are making their first appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship.

The winner of UW-Oshkosh/Milwaukee School of Engineering contest faces Hope College (23-4) on Saturday (March 8) in Holland, Mich. The Flying Dutchmen received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship are defeating Albion College, 61-48, in the championship game of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament held Saturday in Albion, Mich. Hope College, making its 16th appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship, compiled a 10-2 league record to share the MIAA title with Albion College. If UW-Oshkosh defeats the Milwaukee School of Engineering, Hope College would also be a first-time opponent of the Titans.

If the latest poll of NCAA Division III teams by D3Hoops.com means anything, UW-Oshkosh's bracket may be the strongest of the four, 12-team groupings. Included in 18th-ranked UW-Oshkosh's immediate vision are top-ranked Randolph-Macon College (Va.), second-ranked Washington University (Mo.), fourth-ranked Hampden-Sydney College (Va.), 11th-ranked Hope College, 14th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University, 23rd-ranked Christopher Newport University (Va.) and 25th-ranked Mary Washington College (Va.).

Also in the NCAA Division III Championship is fifth-ranked UW-Stevens Point, the regular season champion of the WIAC. The Pointers, who received one of the seven at-large bids to the tournament, are in a completely separate bracket than UW-Oshkosh. The only chance for the two teams to meet would be if they advance to the Final Four, an event that will be held March 21-22 in Salem, Va.

WIAC Names Dworak Co-Player Of The Year

UW-Oshkosh senior forward Tim Dworak and UW-River Falls junior forward Rich Melzer were voted Co-Players of the Year by the league coaches, headlining the 10 individuals selected to the 2002-03 WIAC Men's Basketball Team.

This marks the fourth time in conference history that two individuals have shared the league's top honor. The award was split between UW-Stevens Point's Terry Porter and UW-Whitewater's Andre McKoy in 1984, UW-Eau Claire's Gib Hinz and UW-Whitewater's Mike Gutter in 1980 and UW-Eau Claire's Frank Schade and Mike Ratliff in 1972.

Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) led the Titans to the WIAC Tournament title and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second straight season. He leads the league in field goal percentage (.626), while ranking third in scoring (21.8), fourth in rebounding (7.8) and blocked shots (1.39) and eighth in steals (1.46).

Dworak has recorded eight double-doubles (points-rebounds) this season and has scored in double figures in 65 straight contests and 83 of the last 85 games. He ranks second on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,885 points and sixth with 757 rebounds. Dworak was a National Association of Basketball Coaches All-America First Team selection last season.

Dworak becomes the fifth player in league history to win the player of the year honor in back-to-back seasons, joining UW-Stevens Point's Terry Porter (1984-85), UW-Eau Claire's Gib Hinz (1979-80), UW-Oshkosh's Ralph Sims (1977-78) and UW-Eau Claire's Mike Ratliff (1970-72).

Melzer becomes the second Falcon to win the conference's player of the year honor, joining Jeff Payton who won the award during the 1982-83 campaign. Melzer leads the league in scoring (28.1), rebounding (9.7) and blocked shots (2.08), while ranking fifth in field goal percentage (.559). He also has a league-leading 15 double-doubles (points-rebounds) to his credit this season and has scored in double figures in 51 straight games and 71 of 75 contests. Melzer posted a NCAA Division III single-game high of 54 points this season against UW-La Crosse on January 29. His mark was the fourth highest total in league history. Melzer averaged 29.0 points per conference game this year, setting a new league mark.

UW-Oshkosh's Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) also garnered All-WIAC first team honors. He ranks third in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.458), sixth in field goal percentage (.538), free throw percentage (.833) and three-point field goals made (1.81), ninth in scoring (15.0) and 10th in blocked shots (.70).

UW-Stevens Point's Josh Iserloth and Jason Kalsow helped the Pointers to their fourth straight conference title and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Iserloth, a three-time All-WIAC selection, is one of just 14 players in league history to participate on four men's basketball championship teams. He ranks second in the conference in blocked shots (1.74), eighth in scoring (16.9) and three-point field goal percentage (.430) and ninth in field goal percentage (.473). Iserloth ranks fifth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,537 points. Kalsow ranks third in the association in field goal percentage (.603) and is sixth in rebounding (7.4), assists (3.59) and blocked shots (1.11).

UW-Eau Claire's Jason Larson ranks second in the league in scoring (22.1) and assists (3.81), third in three-point field goals made (2.59), fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.440), seventh in steals (1.56) and eighth in rebounding (6.0). He surpassed the 30-point plateau on six occasions this year and was a honorable mention pick last season.

UW-Whitewater's Aubrey Lewis-Byers helped the Warhawks to their second straight 21-win campaign and earned All-WIAC first team honors for the fourth straight year, becoming the first player in league history to earned first team accolades all four seasons. He is fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.579), while ranking seventh in scoring (17.1) and ninth in blocked shots (.75). Lewis-Byers ranks second on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,958 points, a mark that also puts him seventh on league's career list. He also holds the conference record with 598 free throws made in his career.

UW-Platteville's Tyler Selk is a three-time All-WIAC first team selection and ranks second in the conference in rebounding (8.9), third in assists (3.81), sixth in scoring (17.4), seventh in free throw percentage (.830) and eighth in field goal percentage (.488). He also recorded 10 double-doubles (points-rebounds) during the 2002-03 campaign and finished his career second on the Pioneer all-time list with 1,621 points and 818 rebounds.

UW-La Crosse's Casey Taggatz is second in the league in three-point field goals made (2.62), fourth in scoring (19.4), fifth in free throw percentage (.851) and 10th in assists (2.85) and three-point field goal percentage (.417). He led the Eagles in scoring in 20 of 26 contests this year.

UW-Superior's Cody Kastern ranks fifth in the conference in scoring (18.2) and rebounding (7.7), sixth in steals (1.56) and seventh in field goal percentage (.501) and blocked shots (.96).

Named to the honorable mention team were UW-Oshkosh's Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson), UW-Platteville's Bryan Stangel, UW-Stout's Andy Bray, Casey Chapman and Nate Templer and UW-Whitewater's Londen Donlow.

UW-Stevens Point head coach Jack Bennett was voted the 2002-03 WIAC Coach of the Year.

Titans Top Warhawks In WIAC Tournament Final

Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) scored 21 points, blocked six shots and grabbed five rebounds as the fourth-seed UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team surprised second seed UW-Whitewater, 68-63, in the championship game of the WIAC Tournament held Saturday (March 1) in Whitewater.

With the victory, UW-Oshkosh (22-6) received the WIAC's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Championship field for the second consecutive season and achieved two firsts in the five-year history of the WIAC Tournament. The Titans became the first team to win consecutive titles and also the first team to win the championship game on the road. Last year, the Titans defeated the Warhawks, 70-69, in the title game played in Oshkosh.

"We're just happy to be in the situation we're in, especially for the seniors" said UW-Oshkosh head coach Ted Van Dellen. "It's a fitting way for a class group and talented group to go out."

UW-Oshkosh, which trailed 30-27 at halftime, took command of the contest midway through the second half thanks to a 22-7 scoring run over an eight-minute stretch that turned a 37-35 deficit into a 57-44 advantage. In that UW-Oshkosh scoring run, Kyle Pederson (Fr. • Waukesha) scored eight points, including a pair of three-point baskets.

But perhaps the biggest UW-Oshkosh shot came with 39 seconds left when, with the shot clock running down, Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson) hit a fadeaway jumper from the lane to put the Titans up 64-59. Andy Fernholz (So. • West Salem) hit four free throws in the final 22 seconds to secure the UW-Oshkosh win and put the Titans in NCAA Division III post-season play for the fifth time in eight years. Last year, UW-Oshkosh advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" of the 48-team NCAA Division III Championship.

In addition to Dworak, the Titans also received 15 points, four rebounds and two assists from Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton), 12 points, four rebounds and three assists from Fernholz and 10 points and four rebounds off the bench from Pederson.

Aubrey Lewis-Byers scored 21 points to lead three Warhawks in double figures. Londen Donlow added 14 points and Jonathan Hodges 10. UW-Whitewater outrebounded UW-Oshkosh, 32-25, with the Warhawks' Danny Saunders grabbing a game-high seven.

UW-Oshkosh shot 52.2 percent (24-46) from the field, including 63.6 (14-22) in the second half. The Titans also were 7-for-15 (46.7 percent) behind the three-point line and 13-for-17 (76.5 percent) from the free throw line. UW-Whitewater shot 42.9 percent (24-56) from the field and 86.7 (13-15) from the free throw line. The Warhawks made only two of their 11 (18.2 percent) shots behind the three-point line.

UW-Oshkosh's opponent in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship will be announced on Sunday (March 2).

Titans Move To WIAC Tournament Final

The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team advanced to the title game of the WIAC Tournament for the third consecutive year after a thrilling 62-57 semifinal round victory over top-seed and regular season champion UW-Stevens Point on Thursday (Feb. 28) in Stevens Point.

Fourth-seed UW-Oshkosh (21-6) now moves to the championship game of the WIAC Tournament, where it will meet second-seed UW-Whitewater (21-6) on Saturday (March 1) in Whitewater. The winner of Saturday's game receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

Last year in Oshkosh, UW-Oshkosh nipped UW-Whitewater, 70-69, in the title game of the WIAC Tournament and went on to advance to the "Sweet Sixteen" of the NCAA Division III Championship.

UW-Stevens Point, ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III by D3Hoops.com, controlled the first 16 minutes of the game and led 22-12 with 3:17 left in the first half as UW-Oshkosh connected on just four of its first 18 shots from the field. However, 18th-ranked UW-Oshkosh scored the final 13 points of the opening period to take a 25-22 lead at intermission as Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) sparked the scoring run by counting 11 points, including three straight three-point baskets. Just eight days ago in Stevens Point, UW-Oshkosh trailed 48-17 to the Pointers at halftime en route to a 79-60 loss.

UW-Stevens Point scored the first six points of the second half and led 35-32 with 15 minutes left before Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) keyed the next UW-Oshkosh rally that resulted in a 13-1 scoring run. Dworak hit a rebound basket to cut the lead to one point and, after Andy Fernholz (So. • West Salem) tied the game with one of two free throws, then hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to give the Titans a 41-35 advantage.

The Pointers missed seven straight shots and finally climbed back into the game after five consecutive points by Jason Kalsow and a three-pointer by Neal Krajnik cut the lead to 47-44 with 6:28 left.

Sowinski hit another big three-pointer with 4:32 left to push the lead back to six points and, with 1:59 left, two Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson) free throws gave the Titans a 55-48 lead.

Nick Bennett answered with a short jumper in the lane and Fernholz missed three of his next four free throw attempts as the nation’s top free throw shooting team finished 16-for-24 for the game. Kyle Grusczynski scored a rebound basket with 51 seconds left to trim the lead to 56-52 before Fernholz drained two free throws to push the lead back to six. However, Bennett followed with a three-pointer to pull the Pointers back within 58-55 with 35 seconds left.

Miller made two free throws to make it a five-point game again and Kalsow brought the lead back to three points on a basket with 21 seconds left. The Titans committed just their seventh turnover of the game on the inbounds pass and the Pointers, who had only nine turnovers in the game, had a chance to tie in the final seconds, but Kalsow missed a three-pointer with five seconds left. The ball went out-of-bounds to UW-Oshkosh and Dworak made two free throws with 0.3 seconds left to seal the Titans’ second victory over the Pointers this season.

Dworak led all scorers with 24 points, while Sowinski added 16 and Miller 13 for the Titans. Bennett was the Pointers’ top scorer with 17 points.

UW-Oshkosh shot just 39.6 percent (19-48) from the field, but was 50 percent (8-16) behind the three-point line. UW-Stevens Point shot 41.8 percent (23-55) from the field, 29.4 (5-17) behind the three-point line and 85.7 (6-7) from the free throw line. The Pointers won the rebounding battle, 35-31, with Kalsow leading the home squad with eight. Dworak led UW-Oshkosh in rebounds with nine.

Seniors Lift Titans To WIAC Tournament Rout

In what may have been their final appearance in Kolf Sports Center, the four seniors on the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team put on a show for fans to remember.

The senior quartet of Tim Dworak (Kewaunee), Nate Miller (Hudson), Nick Scherer (Manitowoc) and Scott Sowinski (Appleton) counted 72 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists and 10 three-point baskets as UW-Oshkosh clobbered UW-Stout, 103-70, in a quarterfinal round contest of the WIAC Tournament held Tuesday (Feb. 25).

Dworak led the way with his eighth double-double of the season, scoring 28 points with 10 rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocks. Backing him up was Sowinski who added 22 points, five boards and six assists, Miller who scored 10 points and dished off five assists and Scherer who tallied 12 points.

In one of its best overall performances of the season, UW-Oshkosh (20-6) broke open a tight game late in the first half and pulled away in the second to hand UW-Stout (14-11) its worst loss of the year. The victory not only enabled the Titans to advance in the WIAC Tournament, but also secured their second straight 20-plus win season. Never before in the 105-year history of the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball program have their been back-to-back 20-plus win seasons. Last year, the Titans went 24-6 and advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" of the NCAA Division III Championship.

For a while, it appeared that the third game of the season between UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stout would go down to the final buzzer. UW-Oshkosh built a 21-10 lead through the first six minutes of the game, but UW-Stout whittled away at the deficit until it tied the game at 40 with 2:09 to play in the opening stanza. The Titans ended the first half with a 7-0 scoring run, highlighted by Kyle Pederson's (Fr. • Waukesha) three-point basket, to take a 47-40 lead to intermission.

In the second half, the Blue Devils were still within 13 points with 10 minutes to play before the Titans went on a 17-2 scoring run over the next five minutes to blow the contest wide open at 85-57. UW-Oshkosh's biggest advantage of the game was 33 points, 101-68 and the final score of 103-70. It was the most points scored by UW-Oshkosh since it totaled 103 in a win over UW-Superior on February 7, 1998.

UW-Oshkosh shot a blistering 67.3 percent (35-52) from the field, including 56.5 (13-23) behind the three-point line. The Titans were also 20-of-23 (87 percent) from the free throw line.

The UW-Oshkosh defense was also effective, holding a UW-Stout team that featured five players with double-digit scoring averages to just 45.8 percent (27-59) shooting from the field. The Blue Devils' leading scorer, Andy Bray, was limited to just four points, as he picked up four fouls early in the first half, and received his fifth with 8:07 left in the game. In Bray's absence, Nate Templer scored 23 points, while Casey Chapman and Julian Greer added 12 each.

UW-Oshkosh now advances to the semifinal round of the WIAC Tournament, where it will meet regular season champion UW-Stevens Point on Thursday in Stevens Point. The Pointers (24-2) advanced to meet the Titans after beating eighth-seed UW-La Crosse, 66-41, on Tuesday.

Titans Top Eagles In Regular Season Finale

Needing a win to have a chance at hosting at least one game in the upcoming WIAC Tournament, the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team dispatched UW-La Crosse, 74-58, on Saturday (Feb. 22) in Kolf Sports Center.

Then, UW-Oshkosh relied on the kindness of a bitter rival as UW-Whitewater knocked off UW-Stout, 60-58, to give the Titans the fourth seed in the WIAC post-season event.

That means UW-Oshkosh (19-6/10-6 WIAC) will face fifth-seed UW-Stout (14-10/9-7 WIAC) in the quarterfinal round of the WIAC Tournament on Tuesday (Feb. 25) in Kolf Sports Center. The Titans lost 70-55 to UW-Stout on January 4 in Menomonie, but rebounded to beat the Blue Devils, 88-64, on February 1 in Oshkosh.

On an emotionally-charged senior night against UW-La Crosse, Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead four UW-Oshkosh players who were appearing on the Kolf Sports Center hardwood for their last regular season contest. Assisting Dworak in the Titans' win were fellow seniors Nate Miller (Hudson), who scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds, Scott Sowinski (Appleton), who scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds, and Nick Scherer (Manitowoc), who scored four points and grabbed two rebounds.

While the four UW-Oshkosh seniors put on a good performance for their fans, it was freshman Kyle Pederson (Waukesha) who may have stole the show, providing a glimpse of what lies ahead for the Titans. Pederson scored 12 points on four-of-six shooting from the field, including a three-pointer, while going perfect in three tosses from the free throw line.

UW-La Crosse's Casey Taggatz led all scorers with 31 points, shooting 12-of-15 from the field and four-of-five from the free throw line.

UW-Oshkosh built a 14-point lead twice in the first half, but let UW-La Crosse (6-19/2-14 WIAC) close to nine points at the break, 35-26. Then, the Eagles crept to within six points, 46-40, with 12:30 to play and was as close as seven (52-45) with nine minutes left before the Titans pulled away for good.

UW-Oshkosh shot 56.5 percent (26-46) from the field despite making only five-of-17 (29.4 percent) tries behind the three-point line. The Titans did, however, make 17 of their 19 attempts from the free throw line. UW-La Crosse, which takes its eighth-seed ranking to top-seed UW-Stevens Point on Tuesday in the WIAC Tournament, shot 42.9 percent (24-56) from the field. The Eagles had only nine turnovers in the game, the same number of free throws they attempted.

Titans Bitten By Pointers

It was a tough outing for the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team as it had a chance to knock off league-leading UW-Stevens Point and remain in the hunt for the second seed in next week's WIAC Tournament.

Unfortunately for the Titans, the Pointers were looking to seal their bid as one of 48 teams in the NCAA Division III Championship. And, a good post-season case was made by UW-Stevens Point as the Pointers handed the Titans a 79-60 loss on Wednesday (Feb. 19) in Stevens Point. The loss lowered UW-Oshkosh into a three-way tie for third place in the WIAC standings.

UW-Stevens Point (22-2/13-2 WIAC) ambushed UW-Oshkosh (18-6/9-6 WIAC) early, taking an 8-0 lead just 2:54 into the game. When UW-Oshkosh cut the lead to four, 8-4 with 16:37 left in the first half, the Pointers responded by hitting 14 of their next 15 shots to open up a 41-15 lead with 4:15 remaining in the opening period. The Pointers took a 48-17 advantage to intermission.

UW-Stevens Point shot a whopping 69.2 percent (18-26) from the field in the first half, while holding UW-Oshkosh to just 24 percent (6-25). The Pointers' Josh Iserloth scored 19 of his game-high 23 points in the period, while Jason Kalsow scored 15.

UW-Oshkosh fell behind by as much as 37 points (61-24) in the second half and made the outcome a little bit respectable by scoring the final nine points of the contest, all in the last two minutes. The Titans improved to 56 percent (14-25) shooting in the second half, including 58.3 (7-12) behind the three-point line.

Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead UW-Oshkosh, while Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) scored 11 points, dished off three assists and grabbed two rebounds and Dain Christensen (So. • Waupaca) scored 11 points and dished off one assist.

Iserloth's 23 points and three rebounds for UW-Stevens Point were followed by Kalsow's 22 points and 10 rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh made 20 of its 50 field goal attempts for 40 percent, nine of its 21 three-point shots for 42.9 percent and 11 of its 17 free throw tries for 64.7 percent. UW-Stevens Point shot 60.9 percent (28-46) from the field, 56.3 (9-16) behind the three-point line and 82.4 (14-17) from the charity stripe.

Titans Swat Yellowjackets

The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team took care of business immediately after the opening tipoff and coasted to a 91-57 victory over UW-Superior on Saturday (Feb. 15) in Superior. The win moved the Titans (18-5/9-5 WIAC) into a tie for second place in the WIAC standings with UW-Stout (14-8/9-5 WIAC) and UW-Whitewater (17-6/9-5 WIAC).

A 45-percent shooter behind the three-point stripe last season, Scherer came out on fire against UW-Superior (4-19/1-14 WIAC) as he hit all five of his three-point baskets in the opening period as the Titans rolled to a 46-16 halftime lead. The Titans shot 57.1 percent (16-28) from the field in the opening stanza, with seven three-point baskets in 14 tries. UW-Superior on the other hand shot just 24 percent (6-25) from the field in the first half, but managed to make four of its nine three-point shots.

UW-Oshkosh opened the second half with a 26-15 scoring run to lead 72-31 with 9:36 left in the game. In all, UW-Oshkosh led by 32-plus points the final 19:07 of the contest. The Titans again blistered the nets in the second half by shooting 56.5 percent (13-23) from the field, while UW-Superior marked out at just 33.3 percent (12-36).

Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) led UW-Oshkosh with 19 points and 11 rebounds, both game highs. The double-double was Dworak's seventh of the year. The Titans also received 13 points and six assists from Andy Fernholz (So. • West Salem), 12 points and two steals from Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson) and 12 points and two rebounds from Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton). Cody Kastern led UW-Superior in scoring with 13 points.

The Titans concluded the game shooting 56.9 percent (29-51) from the field, 55.6 (10-18) behind the three-point line and 85.2 (23-27) from the charity stripe. UW-Superior, which was outrebounded, 41-29, shot just 29.5 percent (18-61) from the field, 31.8 (7-22) from three-point range and 73.7 (14-19) from the free throw line.

Titans Pull Away From Blugolds

A memo to the rest of the WIAC, the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team is still around.

The Titans recovered from a subpar shooting performance at UW-Whitewater last Saturday (Feb. 8) to post a 76-62 win over UW-Eau Claire on Wednesday (Feb. 12) in Kolf Sports Center. The victory enabled UW-Oshkosh to retain grasp of at least the fourth seed for the upcoming WIAC Tournament with three regular season league games remaining.

The Titans (17-5/8-5 WIAC), ranked 18th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com., erased a 33-32 halftime deficit behind the offensive firepower of Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) and Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson). The Titan duo single-handedly outscored the Blugolds in the second half, combining for 31 points while UW-Eau Claire tallied just 29 as a team. UW-Oshkosh shot 69.6 percent (16-23) from the field in the second half while making nine of its 10 (90 percent) free throw tries.

After the lead switched hands four times in the opening minutes of the second half, the Blugolds used a quick 7-2 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 44-38. The Titans responded with nine straight points to recapture a three-point advantage of their own. The game remained tight the ensuing minutes and with 9:09 to play UW-Oshkosh held a one-point lead. The Titans caught fire for the remainder of the game and finished the final nine minutes with a 27-14 lead in scoring to give them the 14-point victory.

Dworak led the Titans in both scoring and rebounding, counting 29 points and six rebounds. Miller added 17 points and three assists for UW-Oshkosh, while Kyle Pederson (Fr. • Waukesha) added nine points and three rebounds. In all, six of the eight UW-Oshkosh players that hit the hardwood knocked down at least one three-point shot.

Jason Larson registered 19 of his 29 points in the first half to pace UW-Eau Claire (14-9/6-8 WIAC) in scoring, while Nate Beck added 12 points and Dan Archambault 11.

In a game that featured only 13 turnovers, UW-Oshkosh shot 55.8 percent (29-52) from the field and UW-Eau Claire 44.0 (22-50). Both teams took advantage of their free throw opportunities, missing a total of just three chances in 27 attempts. UW-Oshkosh was 11-of-12 (91.7 percent) from the charity stripe, while UW-Eau Claire was 13-of-15 (86.7 percent).

Warhawks Rally Past Titans With Big Second Half

The UW-Whitewater men's basketball team rallied from a 13-point first half deficit to defeat UW-Oshkosh, 70-63, on Saturday (Feb. 8) in Whitewater.

The win was the second of the season for UW-Whitewater (17-4/9-3 WIAC) over UW-Oshkosh (16-5/7-5 WIAC), a team that defeated the Warhawks three times a year ago.

From the outset, it looked like UW-Oshkosh would avenge its 71-70 home loss to UW-Whitewater on January 8 by taking a 20-11 lead just eight minutes into the game. The Titans' advantage swelled to 26-13 at the 9:03 mark of the opening period before the Warhawks cut their deficit to 28-27 three minutes prior to intermission. UW-Oshkosh then closed the first half with a 10-2 scoring run to lead 38-29 at the break.

UW-Oshkosh's outlook turned quickly in the second half as UW-Whitewater's Aubrey Lewis-Byers scored just 11 seconds into play. That basket ignited the Warhawks to a 29-16 scoring run and a lead of 58-54 with 6:04 left in the game. UW-Whitewater increased its lead to 66-59, but kept UW-Oshkosh in the game down the stretch by missing seven of its last 11 free throw attempts.

The Titans' fate against the Warhawks was sealed by below average shooting, 47.9 percent (23-48) from the field, 22.2 (4-18) behind the three-point line and 61.9 (13-21) from the free throw line. UW-Whitewater shot 55.1 percent (27-49) from the field, but was just 33.3 percent (3-9) behind the three-point line and 52.0 (13-25) from the charity stripe.

Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) led UW-Oshkosh in scoring with 20 points, while Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) added 15 and Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc) 10.

Lewis-Byers led all participants with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Danny Saunders scored a career high 11 points for UW-Whitewater.

Titans Take Pioneers Prisoner

Make no mistake about it, Ted Van Dellen wanted to win this game.

The veteran UW-Oshkosh head coach had seen enough seasons come to an end at the hands of UW-Platteville over the years and now with his Titans looking to stay in the hunt for a home game in the upcoming WIAC Tournament, he not only wanted the win, he needed it.

The Titans (16-4/7-4 WIAC) withstood a physical battle with UW-Platteville, and thanks to the play of Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton), escaped with a 75-50 victory on Wednesday (Feb. 5) in Kolf Sports Center.

Sowinski, who has emerged as one of the WIAC's most versatile performers, racked up a game-high 21 points with three assists, three rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals. With his team entering the game shooting a WIAC-leading 53.5 percent from the field, Sowinski went eight-of-13 from the floor to pace a 58 percent (29-50) shooting performance for the Titans.

UW-Oshkosh needed somebody to step up in the contest as UW-Platteville clamped down defensively on All-American Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee). Dworak was held to just two points in the first half on just one-of-two shooting from the field. His partner in the frontcourt, Sowinski, meanwhile hit 16 points in the half as the Titans pulled to a 32-25 lead at intermission.

Dworak found his shooting touch in the second half, however. His jumper with 7:44 to play put the Titans up by 19 points at 56-37. Following an UW-Oshkosh timeout, UW-Platteville got a basket from Brad Reitzner, before Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson) found Andy Fernholz (So. • West Salem) for an open three-point field goal to give the Titans a 59-39 advantage with 5:56 remaining.

Dworak, the second-leading scorer in the WIAC with an average of 22.2 points per game, didn't score until there was just 1:22 remaining in the first half. He finished the contest with 12 points and nine rebounds. Dworak now has 1,707 points for his career, the fourth-highest total in UW-Oshkosh history.

Aside from Sowinski and Dworak, the Titans also received 16 points from Miller and 11 from Fernholz.

Defensively, the Titans were no slouch either. Entering the game allowing an average of just 59.1 points per game and field goal shooting of only 44 percent, UW-Oshkosh flustered the Pioneers into 17-of-43 (39.5 percent) shooting. From three-point land, UW-Platteville fared even worse, sinking just four of 14 (28.6 percent) long-distance attempts.

Bryan Stangel led the Pioneers (9-11/6-6 WIAC) in scoring with 13 points, while Tyler Selk tallied 11 points with five rebounds and five assists.

Titans Rout Blue Devils

The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team continues to hang on in the WIAC race.

Though it has been a struggle all season as the Titans dropped games they probably shouldn't have lost, they have also come through with huge victories.

The latest came Saturday (Feb. 1) as the Titans beat UW-Stout, 88-64, in Kolf Sports Center.

With the win, UW-Oshkosh (15-4/6-4 WIAC) continues to hang near the top of the suddenly competitive conference. UW-Oshkosh finds itself a half-game out of third place behind UW-River Falls and UW-Stout (12-7), which are both 7-4 in league play.

The Titans got a huge lift from Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton), who pounded in a season-high 28 points, 15 of which came in the decisive second half. More important, he hit three crucial three-pointers midway through the period to help UW-Oshkosh extend its lead.

UW-Oshkosh led 51-47 with 10:18 to play when Sowinski when Sowinski heated up. He hit back-to-back three-pointers to give UW-Oshkosh a 10-point lead and added another three-pointer four minutes later to extend the lead 68-51.

In all, UW-Oshkosh used a 22-6 run over a five-minute stretch to turn a tight game into a 20-point rout.

In addition to Sowinski's effort, the Titans also received 23 points and eight rebounds from Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) and 18 points and five asists from Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson).

Andy Bray scored 16 points for UW-Stout, which defeated UW-Oshkosh, 70-55, earlier in the year.

Falcons Rally To Nip Titans

The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team had been riding high, having won four straight WIAC contests to move into a tie for second place in the league standings.

Saturday (Jan. 25) in River Falls, UW-Oshkosh looked to continue its winning ways and gain redemption against a UW-River Falls squad that it lost to by a score of 79-71 back in December.

UW-Oshkosh's winning streak and redemption for its earlier setback to UW-River Falls seemed close at hand, but in the end, it was a bitter defeat as the Falcons rallied from a late 10-point deficit to edge the Titans, 56-55.

UW-River Falls (12-6/6-3 WIAC) trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half, including 51-41 with 6:01 left in the game. Then, the contest started to swing the Falcons' way as they went on a 10-1 scoring run to pull within 52-51 with 2:26 remaining.

UW-Oshkosh (14-4/5-4 WIAC) increased its lead to 55-51 on Nate Miller's (Sr. • Hudson) three-point basket with 1:06 left, but the points would be the Titans' last of the night as the Falcons scored the next five to end the game. UW-River Falls made the score 55-53 on Rich Melzer's two free throws with 43 seconds left in the contest and tallied the game-winning points on Matt Kukla's three-point bomb with 18 seconds remaining. Surrounding Kukla's basket were a missed free throw by the Titans with 27 seconds left and a missed three-point shot by UW-Oshkosh with five seconds remaining. Following a pair of missed free throws by UW-River Falls with two seconds left, UW-Oshkosh then missed a desperation three-point shot at the buzzer.

UW-Oshkosh appeared to have things in control in the first half as it took an 18-10 lead just eight minutes into play. UW-River Falls cut its deficit to 27-25 with 4:36 left in the first half before the Titans scored eight straight points to take a 35-25 lead to intermission.

UW-Oshkosh's second half collapse was mainly caused by the Titans' poor shooting and the Falcons' excellent shooting. During the final 20 minutes, UW-Oshkosh shot just 34.8 percent (82-3) from the field, including 23.5 (1-8) behind the three-point line, and 42.9 percent (3-7) from the free throw stripe. UW-River Falls on the other hand shot 62.5 percent (10-16) from the field in the second half and made things interesting by hitting only 10-of-19 free throws (52.6 percent). The Falcons finished the game shooting 51.2 percent (21-41) from the field, while the Titans shot 45.8 (22-48).

Tim Dworak led UW-Oshkosh in scoring with 18 points, while Andy Fernholz (So. • West Salem) scored 14 points and Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) 10. Fernholz also grabbed 10 of UW-Oshkosh's 35 rebounds for his first career double-double.

As in the first encounter between these two teams, it was Melzer who led the way for the Falcons. Melzer scored 19 points with nine rebounds, six assists and two steals to pace UW-River Falls to its third win over UW-Oshkosh in four meetings.

Titans Quiet League-Leading Pointers

The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team pulled to within one game of the WIAC lead following its 63-59 victory over first-place UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday (Jan. 22) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (14-3) has now won four straight WIAC games to share second place in the league standings with UW-River Falls (11-6), both with 5-3 records. Tied for first place in the WIAC standings with 6-2 league records are UW-Stevens Point (15-2), UW-Stout (11-5) and UW-Whitewater (13-3).

UW-Oshkosh, ranked 18th in the NCAA Division III by D3Hoops.com, controlled much of the first half before UW-Stevens Point's Neal Krajnik buried a three-point shot at the buzzer to give the Pointers a 26-24 lead at intermission. The advantage was only the second for seventh-ranked UW-Stevens Point in the first half, with the other being a 23-22 score with 1:05 left in the opening period. UW-Oshkosh led by as many as seven points in the first half, a 12-5 count that was compiled about nine minutes into play.

UW-Stevens Point ruled the early stages of the second half and took a 30-24 lead at the 19:15 mark of the final period following a layup by Jason Kalsow. The Titans then tied the game at 35 on a three-point basket by Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc) and took the lead for good at 39-35 after layups by Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) and Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee). Following three ties, with the last being 49-49 with 6:20 left in the game, UW-Oshkosh built three six-point leads down the stretch, including a 63-57 tally with 10 seconds remaining.

Entering the game as the top shooting team in the NCAA Division III, UW-Oshkosh improved all three of its shooting percentages against a UW-Stevens Point squad that owned the nation's best shooting defense. The Titans shot 54.1 (20-37) percent from the field, including 46.2 (6-13) behind the three-point line, and 81.0 (17-21) from the free throw stripe to better their previous season marks of 53.6, 43.0 and 80.0, respectively. UW-Stevens Point, which entered the game allowing opponents to shoot just 36.2 percent from the field, shot 42.6 percent (23-54) from the field against UW-Oshkosh and 80.0 percent (8-10) from the free throw line.

Sowinski led UW-Oshkosh to its victory over UW-Stevens Point by scoring 17 points, dishing off three assists and grabbing two rebounds. The Titans also received 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists from Dworak and 11 points, two steals and two assists from Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson). It was the sixth double-double of the season for Dworak, who has scored 10 or more points in each of his last 54 games.

Josh Iserloth paced UW-Stevens Point in scoring with 18 points, while Kalsow and Nick Bennett chipped in with 14 each.

Titans Cruise Past Eagles

Coming off a three-game stretch where it combined to shoot an impressive 58.1 percent (90-155) from the field, the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team continued its excellent marksmanship during its 76-44 win over UW-La Crosse on Saturday (Jan. 18) in La Crosse. The 32-point margin of victory was UW-Oshkosh's largest over a WIAC opponent since the Titans defeated UW-Superior, 103-70, on February 7, 1998.

UW-Oshkosh (13-3/4-3 WIAC) was in a proverbial shooting zone against UW-La Crosse (5-11/1-6 WIAC), both from the field and from the free throw line. The Titans shot a blistering 60.4 percent (29-48) from the field, including 50 (7-14) behind the three-point line. UW-Oshkosh also made 11 of its 13 free throw tosses for 84.6 percent accuracy.

UW-Oshkosh shot an even 50 percent (13-26) from the field in the first half as it took a 34-22 lead to intermission. The Titans jumped to a 24-9 lead at the 9:29 mark of the opening period and were never seriously threatened the rest of the way.

In the second half, UW-Oshkosh burned the nets by shooting 72.7 percent (16-22) from the field. The Titans led the Eagles by 20 or more points the final 12:49 of the contest, with the game's final 32-point margin being the largest differential between the two teams. Leading 36-24, UW-Oshkosh put the finishing touches on UW-La Crosse by scoring 12 of the next 14 points for a 48-26 advantage with 15:27 remaining in the game.

Defensively, UW-Oshkosh also showed its dominance as it forced 17 turnovers, blocked seven shots and limited UW-La Crosse to 35.7 percent (15-42) shooting from the field. The Eagles shot just 28 percent (7-25) from the field in the second half while being outrebounded, 18-9.

UW-Oshkosh benefited from double-digit scoring by a quartet of players, including Tim Dworak who counted 18 points to go along with his team-best six rebounds. The Titans also received 15 points, six assists and three rebounds from Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc), 12 points, seven assists and five rebounds from Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) and 11 points and four assists from Andy Fernholz (So. • West Salem).

UW-La Crosse, which suffered its 11th loss to UW-Oshkosh in 12 games, was led in scoring by Casey Taggatz's 22 points.

Titans Down Blugolds In Overtime

After sending the game to overtime on a basket in the closing seconds of regulation, the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team held UW-Eau Claire to just one-of-seven shooting from the field in the extra period and defeated the Blugolds, 74-70, on Wednesday (Jan. 15) in Eau Claire.

In a wild game that saw 16 ties and 11 lead changes, UW-Oshkosh (12-3/2-3 WIAC) missed four-of-six free throws in the final three minutes of regulation that could have put the game away.

Then, UW-Eau Claire (10-5/3-4 WIAC) took a 68-66 lead with 27 seconds left on a Tyler Birkel layup. But, UW-Oshkosh came right back as Andy Fernholz (So. • West Salem) converted a layup of his own with seven seconds left to send the game to overtime tied at 68.

In the extra session, UW-Eau Claire scored first on an Andy Witte layup for a 70-68 lead. But, the Blugolds were held scoreless the rest of the five-minute period as they missed their next six field goal attempts. Finally, with 16 seconds left in overtime and the contest tied at 70, UW-Oshkosh's Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) nailed a three-point shot from the wing to put the Titans up for good. After a missed UW-Eau Claire three-point shot, Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc) hit a free throw with five seconds remaining in overtime to seal the win.

The game seemed to have belonged to the Blugolds early in the first half as UW-Eau Claire jumped to a quick 16-9 lead. Jason Larson scored 10 points for the Blugolds in the first 7:15 of the contest, but would be held to just eight points for the remainder of the game. The Titans bounced back from the early seven-point deficit and evened the scoreboard at 18 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the first half, and took their first lead of the game via an 8-0 run with 10:15 to play in the half. UW-Eau Claire again took the lead and extended it to seven points, but the Titans ended the half on a 9-1 lead to take a 36-35 lead into the locker room. UW-Eau Claire shot 65 percent (13-20) from the field in the first half and held UW-Oshkosh All-American Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) to just four points.

In the second half, one that featured nine ties, UW-Eau Claire's biggest lead was four points twice and UW-Oshkosh's three points twice.

UW-Oshkosh had three double-figure scorers in the game as Sowinski counted 20, Dworak 19 and Fernholz a career-best 15. Dworak also grabbed a team-best seven rebounds, while Scherer and Sowinski collected six each.

Larson scored 18 points to lead three double-figure scorers for UW-Eau Claire, with Witte following with 14 and Will Jefferson 10.

UW-Oshkosh, which had only 11 turnovers in the game, shot 55.1 percent (27-49) from the field and made 15 of its 23 (65.2 percent) free throw attempts. UW-Eau Claire, which won the rebounding battle, 30-29, shot 46.3 percent (25-54) from the field and converted 13 of its 16 (81.3 percent) free throw tosses.

Titans Exterminate Yellowjackets

All four senior members of the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team played instrumental roles as the Titans snapped a mild two-game losing streak by drubbing UW-Superior, 87-63, on Saturday (Jan. 11) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (11-3/2-3 WIAC), which suffered a tough 71-70 home loss to UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Jan. 8), dominated UW-Superior (4-9/1-5 WIAC) from nearly start to finish as it defeated the Yellowjackets for the third straight time.

UW-Oshkosh fell behind only once in the game, a 4-3 count at the 17:25 mark of the first half. However, that deficit lasted only 43 seconds as the Titans scored seven unanswered points to lead 10-4 with 14:45 left in the opening period. UW-Oshkosh extended its advantage to 30-11 in the first half before settling for a 39-28 lead at intermission.

UW-Superior began to chip away at UW-Oshkosh's lead in the second half, cutting its deficit to 47-42 with 13:36 remaining in the game. The Titans then responded to the Yellowjackets' charge with a 19-6 scoring run to pull ahead 66-48 with left. UW-Oshkosh led by 21-plus points for the final 3:26 of the contest.

Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) led four UW-Oshkosh players in double-figure scoring by counting 37 points, one shy of a career high. Dworak, who was 17-of-20 from the field and three-of-three from the free throw line, has now scored 30 or more points in his last three games. He also grabbed 10 rebounds and recorded three steals in the contest. The Titans also received a season-high 18 points from Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc), 11 points and three assists from Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson) and 10 points and five assists from Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton).

UW-Superior had two double-figure scorers in the game, Cody Kastern who netted 28 points and Clay Dean who counted 11.

UW-Oshkosh shot 58.3 percent (35-60) from the field after shooting 56.7 (17-30) in the first half and 60.0 (18-30) in the second. The Titans also made seven of their 13 (53.8 percent) three-point shots and 10 of their 13 (76.9 percent) free throw tries. UW-Superior shot 48.9 percent (23-47) from the field and 81.3 (13-16) from the charity stripe. UW-Oshkosh won the rebounding battle by a 32-20 tally.

Warhawks Tip Titans

Games between the UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater men's basketball teams are starting to resemble a string of intense heavyweight boxing bouts.

Wednesday (Jan. 8) in Kolf Sports Center, UW-Whitewater (10-2/3-1 WIAC) survived a late second half rally by UW-Oshkosh (10-3/1-3 WIAC) to edge the Titans, 71-70. It was the third straight game that was decided by one point between the two teams, with UW-Oshkosh winning contests of 71-70 and 70-69 a year ago.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked 14th in the NCAA Division III by D3Hoops.com, overcame a slow start against UW-Whitewater, ranked 22nd, to take a 14-9 lead at the 12:50 mark of the first half. Then, the Titans committed five turnovers and the Warhawks hit eight straight field goal attempts to turn a 14-9 UW-Oshkosh lead into a 31-20 UW-Whitewater advantage. The Warhawks took a 35-27 lead to intermission despite the Titans shooting 63.2 percent (12-19) from the field in the opening period.

A one-man wrecking crew in the second half, UW-Oshkosh's Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) scored 19 of his game-high 30 points and grabbed seven of his game-best 11 rebounds in the period to help the Titans rally from a 61-50 deficit with 7:45 to play. UW-Oshkosh closed the contest with a 20-9 scoring run as Dworak cut the Warhawks' advantage to one point twice, 68-67 with 1:03 remaining and 71-70 with three seconds left.

In addition to Dworak, who was 12 of 15 from the field and five of six from the free throw line, the Titans also received 14 points and two rebounds from Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) and 12 points and two assists from Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson).

UW-Whitewater, which defeated UW-Oshkosh for only the fifth time in its last 16 games played in Kolf Sports Center, had a trio of double-figure scorers as Matt Jones scored 21 points and Aubrey Lewis-Byers and Nick Smith 12 each.

UW-Oshkosh finished the game shooting 60.9 percent (28-46) from the field and 66.7 (8-12) from the free throw line, while UW-Whitewater shot 53.1 percent (26-49) from the field and 68.8 (11-16) from the free throw stripe.

UW-Oshkosh had only nine turnovers in the game, but a 27-16 disadvantage in rebounding played a major factor in the outcome. A strange statistic in the fray had Dworak grab 11 of the Titans' 15 individual rebounds, with other four going to Sowinski and Andy Fernholz (So. • West Salem) who both collected two each.

Titans Dealt Second Loss Of Season

The UW-Stout men's basketball team spread its offensive wealth, controlled the boards and held UW-Oshkosh to its worst shooting performance of the season during the Blue Devils' 70-55 victory over the Titans on Saturday (Jan. 4) in Menomonie.

UW-Stout (6-5/2-2 WIAC) had five double-figure scorers against UW-Oshkosh (10-2/2-2 WIAC), including Casey Chapman who came off the bench to score a team-high 15 points. The Blue Devils also received 12 points from Jeff Vandenberghe and 11 each from Andy Bray, Julian Greer and Barrington Smith as they avenged a pair of overtime losses to the Titans a year ago.

Defensively, the Blue Devils held the Titans to 22 points below their scoring average (78.4) and just 37 percent (17-46) shooting from the field. UW-Stout did allow Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) to score 30 points for UW-Oshkosh, but Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) was the only other Titan to hit double digits, counting 11. In all, only five players entered the scoring column for UW-Oshkosh.

UW-Stout, which handed UW-Oshkosh its worst defeat in 50 games (38-12 record), also won the rebounding battle by a 36-26 tally. Vandenberghe led UW-Stout with seven rebounds, while Dworak paced UW-Oshkosh with nine.

UW-Oshkosh held the lead only once in the game, 4-3 at the 17:52 mark of the first half, but that lasted about 90 seconds before UW-Stout responded with 10 unanswered points to take a 13-4 advantage with six minutes gone. The Titans only got as close as two points for the rest of the game, trailing 17-15 at the nine minute mark of the first half. The Blue Devils took a 35-26 advantage to intermission after leading by as many as 11 points (34-23 at the 1:52 mark) in the opening period.

Chapman sparked UW-Stout in the second half, scoring 10 of his points. The Blue Devils carried a lead of at least 10 points through much of the second half, ballooning that up to 18 points, 68-50, with 51 seconds remaining.

In addition to shooting 37 percent from the field, including just 20 (4-20) behind the three-point line, the Titans also shot 81 percent (17-21) from the free throw line. UW-Stout shot 43.4 percent (23-53) from the field and 60.7 (17-28) from the charity stripe. UW-Oshkosh committed 11 turnovers in the game and UW-Stout just seven.

Titans Silence Bulldogs

When UW-Oshkosh assistant men's basketball coach Tim Gaubatz made the call to schedule a non-conference contest against Barat College (Ill.), he was just hoping to play a last home game against a quality opponent before the WIAC agenda picked back up.

What Gaubatz and UW-Oshkosh (10-1) ended up with, however, was an intense battle against its toughest non-conference foe of the season, and eventually a 79-63 victory over the Bulldogs (9-9) on Monday (Dec. 30) in Kolf Sports Center. Barat College entered the game returning two starters and four top reserves from last year's team that posted a 33-6 record and advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA Division I National Tournament.

For a while, it looked as if UW-Oshkosh would have to compete without its top scorer, Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee), who was encountering a case of flu-like symptoms prior to the game. Dworak started the contest for the Titans and went on to miss his first-five field goal attempts before finally connecting 13:14 into the game.

In Dworak's early scoring absence, Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) picked up the slack by counting 13 of UW-Oshkosh's first-20 points, including nine on three pointers and two on an impressive baseline dunk. Once Dworak sank his first shot, he made his presence known by scoring UW-Oshkosh's next-10 points and helping the Titans erase what was a 27-20 Barat College lead with 7:40 to play before intermission. Dworak sent the game tied at 33 to halftime by scoring on a layup with five seconds left before the break.

In the second half, UW-Oshkosh showed why it has defeated its previous 26 regular season non-conference opponents, going on a 29-7 scoring run to open period and extending its advantage to 73-47 with 4:38 to play. UW-Oshkosh made 17 of its 29 (58.6 percent) field goal attempts and 10 of its 11 (90.9 percent) free throw tries in the final half, while holding Barat College to just 33.3 percent (10-30) shooting from the field.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the game shooting 52.6 percent (30-57) from the field and 85.7 (12-14) from the free throw line. Barat College, which entered the contest averaging 92.7 points per game, finished shooting 37.3 percent (22-59) from the field and 65.0 (13-20) from the charity stripe.

Dworak made the most of his 28 minutes of playing time against Barat College, scoring 25 points, grabbing seven rebounds and blocking three shots. The All-American now has 1,504 career points, the sixth-highest total in UW-Oshkosh history. Sowinski finished the night with 20 points and four rebounds, while Andy Fernholz (So. • West Salem) contributed six points, seven rebounds and two assists. Sowinski now has 1,029 career points, 22nd-best in UW-Oshkosh annals

Terrence Gulley led Barat College in scoring with 31 points, while Mike Rogers added 11 points and 11 rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh's 10-1 start to the 2002-03 season marks only the fourth time in 36 years that the Titans have won at least 10 of their first-11 games, going 11-0 in 1996 and 1997 and 10-1 in 1968.

Titans Tame Lions

Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) reached a career milestone with his game-high 19 points as the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team subdued Finlandia University (Mich.), 79-60, on Saturday (Dec. 28) in Albee Hall. The victory was the 26th straight over a regular season non-conference opponent for the Titans, who were playing in their former home due to a 48-team high school wrestling tournament in Kolf Sports Center.

Sowinski became the 23rd player in UW-Oshkosh history to score 1,000 career points (1,009 in 88 games) as he totaled nine in the first half and 10 in the second. He made seven of his 15 shots from the field and five of his six tries from the free throw line. Sowinski also recorded five rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals as the Titans (9-1) remained unbeaten in three meetings with the Lions (6-11).

In addition to Sowinski, the Titans also received 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots from Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee), 15 points, a career-best nine rebounds and four assists from Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc) and 13 points and four rebounds from Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson). Another workmanlike effort was turned in Andy Fernholz (So. • West Salem) who compiled seven points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Finlandia University, which dropped a 101-56 decision to UW-Oshkosh a year ago, had a pair of double-figure scorers as Nick Forgette counted 14 points and Mike O'Donnell 11.

UW-Oshkosh led Finlandia University for all but 38 seconds of the game. The Titans jumped out to a 21-8 lead at the 13:14 mark of the first half and never looked back. Finlandia University cut its deficit to 31-27 at the 2:44 mark of the opening stanza, but UW-Oshkosh took a 39-29 lead to intermission following an 8-2 scoring run.

The second half was all UW-Oshkosh as the Titans led by 10 or more points the final 16:46 of the game. Finlandia University came as close as 64-54 at the 6:07 mark of the final period, but UW-Oshkosh silenced the Lions' roar by concluding the game with a 15-6 scoring run.

UW-Oshkosh shot 49.2 percent (30-61) from the field and 81.3 (13-16) from the free throw line, while Finlandia University shot 40.0 percent (22-55) from the field and 70.0 (7-10) from the charity stripe. Behind the three-point line the Lions were nine of 27 (33.3 percent) and the Titans six of 20 (30.0 percent). The game featured only 14 turnovers, with eighth belonging to UW-Oshkosh, but the big difference in the outcome was the Titans' 43-24 rebounding advantage.

Titans Gift Wrap The Buccaneers

Despite the giving nature of the holiday season, the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team was anything but generous to its non-conference guests from Beloit College on Saturday (Dec. 21) in Kolf Sports Center.

In lieu of a delicious Christmas ham and sweet homemade cookies from grandma, UW-Oshkosh served up one of its favorite dishes, a double-double performance from Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee), as it rolled to a 77-46 victory. The contest was the first between the two teams since the 1985-86 season.

Dworak made nine of his 15 field goal attempts and his lone free throw try to finish with a game-high 20 points. Dworak also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, dished off one assist and blocked one shot during his 25 minutes of efficient work.

UW-Oshkosh (7-1) set the tone early against Beloit College (2-6) by connecting on nine of its first-10 field goal attempts to take a 21-7 lead just 4:53 into the contest. Shortly after, UW-Oshkosh went on a 16-2 scoring run to lead 41-15 at the 7:22 mark of the opening period. The Titans, behind 14 points and five rebounds from Dworak and 10 points and two assists from Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton), took a 47-25 lead to intermission. UW-Oshkosh shot 65.5 percent (19-29) from the field in the first half, including 53.3 (8-15) behind the three-point line.

UW-Oshkosh opened the second half on an 18-8 scoring run to lead 65-33 with 11:03 remaining in the game. The Titans held a lead of 28 points or better for the final 12:29 of the contest, including a game-high 33 points (77-44) with 1:56 left.

While Dworak scored in double figures for his 46th consecutive game, UW-Oshkosh also received 15 points from Sowinski, nine from Dain Christensen (So. • Waupaca) and eight each from Andy Fernholz (So. • La Crosse) and Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson). Miller also dished off a career-best nine assists as the Titans totaled 22 on their 31 field goals.

Beloit College got 14 points and three rebounds from Marques Flowers and 12 points and seven assists from Danny Towns.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the game shooting 50.8 percent (31-61) from the field, including 42.9 (12-28) behind the three-point line. The Titans attempted just four free throws in the game, making three (75 percent). Beloit College shot 39.1 percent (18-46) from the field, but was just 21.1 (4-19) on its three-point efforts. The Buccaneers made six of their eight (75 percent) free throw attempts.

Titans Overcome Early Deficit To Nab Vikings

The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team used a late scoring run to overcome an early nine-point deficit and defeat Kendall College (Ill.), 80-66, on Thursday (Dec. 19) in Kolf Sports Center.

Kendall College (3-12), a first-time opponent of UW-Oshkosh (7-1), led the Titans the first 15-plus minutes of the game, including a 23-14 advantage at the 9:16 mark of the opening period. UW-Oshkosh then closed the first half with a 23-13 scoring run to lead 37-36 at intermission.

Holding a 51-48 advantage in the second half, UW-Oshkosh put the Vikings away by going on a 25-8 scoring run to lead 76-56 with 3:51 left in the contest.

Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to pace UW-Oshkosh, while Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) scored 16 points and Dain Christensen (So. • Waupaca) a career-best 13. It was the 45th consecutive game that Dworak had scored in double figures for the Titans.

Scott McBride led Kendall College with 18 points, including 16 in the first half, while Nick Trent added 13 and Cody New 12.

UW-Oshkosh missed nine of its first-12 field goal attempts in shooting 47.3 percent (26-55) from the field. The Titans made 11 of their 25 (44 percent) three-point shots and 17 of their 20 (85 percent) free throw tries, including 17 of 18 to end the game.

Kendall College shot 46.7 percent (28-60) from the field after shooting 61.5 (16-26) in the first half. The Vikings were 7-for-20 (35 percent) behind the three-point line and 3-for-4 (75 percent) from the free throw line.

Titans Defeat Norse In First-time Matchup

The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team heeled the wounds it suffered in last Saturday's (Dec. 7) WIAC home loss to UW-River Falls by defeating first-time opponent Luther College, 72-60, on Saturday (Dec. 14) in Decorah, Iowa.

Returning to the hardwood for the first time since its loss to UW-River Falls, UW-Oshkosh (6-1) jumped out to a 34-21 halftime lead over Luther College (1-5) and never looked back.

In the second half, UW-Oshkosh built its advantage over Luther College to 51-30 before the Norse pulled to within 54-46 with just under six minutes remaining.

UW-Oshkosh's Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) quieted any hopes Luther College had of making a final scoring run at the Titans when he scored three consecutive times, including a pair of three-point baskets. His three-point bombs increased UW-Oshkosh's lead back to 61-47 with three minutes left in the game.

Offensively, both teams shot the basketball well, with UW-Oshkosh making 51 percent (26-51) of its shots from the field and 91.7 percent (11-12) of its opportunities from the free throw line. The Titans also made nine of their 16 chances (56.3 percent) behind the three-point line. Luther College shot 53.7 percent (22-41) from the field and 75 percent (12-16) from the charity stripe. The Norse, however, made only four of their 14 shots (28.6 percent) behind the three-point line.

Sowinski led the Titans in scoring with a season-high 24 points, while Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc) added 15 and Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) 14. Scherer also had four rebounds and four assists to go along with his five-of-five shooting from the free throw line.

Luther College had a pair of double-figure scorers in the contest as Brandon Grimm tallied 19 points and Jake Lappe 12.

Falcons Fly Past Titans

Whenever WIAC standouts Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) of UW-Oshkosh and Rich Melzer of UW-River Falls face off, you're sure to see some big numbers. But, in the end it was Melzer who was smiling most as his Falcons defeated Dworak's Titans, 79-71, in a men's basketball game played Saturday (Dec. 7) in Kolf Sports Center.

Melzer, a NCAA Division III All-West Region first team selection a year ago, scored 34 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, blocked three shots and dished off three assists as UW-River Falls defeated UW-Oshkosh for only the second time in 12 meetings.

Dworak, who received NCAA Division III All-America first team accolades last season, also had a big game as he totaled 32 points, six rebounds, two steals and one assist.

Both teams started the contest at a fervent pace, with UW-Oshkosh (5-1/1-1 WIAC) shooting 72.7 percent (16-22) from the field and UW-River Falls (5-2/1-1 WIAC) 72.0 (18-25). The Titans took a 42-40 lead to intermission after rallying from a pair of seven-point deficits (29-22 & 31-24). The game was also tied eight times in the first half.

Out of the break, the teams again played it close before a Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc) three pointer at the 14:03 mark of the second half put UW-Oshkosh up 57-52. But, that's when Melzer and teammate Micah Helfrey took over as they helped the Falcons tie the contest at 62-62 with 8:01 remaining. During the final eight minutes it was all UW-River Falls as the Falcons outscored the Titans, 17-9, with Melzer accounting for 10 points, Kevin Becker four and Helfrey three.

UW-Oshkosh, which trailed only 4:52 in its previous five contests, concluded the game shooting 56.5 percent (26-46) from the field and 72.2 (13-18) from the free throw line. Besides Dworak's 32 points, the Titans also received 11 each from Scherer and Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton).

UW-River Falls finished the game shooting 60.0 percent (30-50) from the field and 78.9 (15-19) from the free throw stripe. In addiiton to the performance by Melzer, the Falcons also received 18 points from Helfrey and eight each from Becker and Matt Kukla.

Titans Top Pioneers In WIAC Opener

Through the years, UW-Platteville's Williams Fieldhouse has been a venue filled of horror, hostility and heart-breaking defeats for the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team.

But, after 16 consecutive losses in the Pioneers' home facility, UW-Oshkosh has now won three of its last four games there to help chase off some of the demons.

UW-Oshkosh's latest victory in Williams Fieldhouse came Wednesday (Dec. 4) when the Titans defeated the Pioneers, 71-56, in the WIAC opener for both teams. The 15-point winning margin was the largest for UW-Oshkosh in games played at UW-Platteville since the 1982-83 season, an 80-63 victory for the Titans.

UW-Oshkosh (5-0/1-0 WIAC) led UW-Platteville (2-3/0-1 WIAC) for nearly the entire contest, with the only exceptions being when the game was tied 0-0 for 28 seconds and 2-2 for 1:04. Through 200 minutes of action this young season, UW-Oshkosh has trailed for only four minutes, 52 seconds.

The Titans pulled out to a 16-point advantage (25-9) in the first half, only to see the Pioneers whittle it away to 27-24 with 3:14 remaining in the opening period. UW-Oshkosh, however, scored the last seven points of the first half, including a three-pointer by Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson) at the buzzer, to take a 34-24 lead to intermission.

Second half action saw UW-Oshkosh lead by double figures the last 10:44 of the game, including 19 points (71-52) with 1:09 left. The closest UW-Platteville could get to UW-Oshkosh in the final period was 50-42 with 11:04 remaining.

Miller led UW-Oshkosh in scoring with a career-high 21 points. The Titans also received 13 points and seven rebounds from Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee), 12 points and five rebounds from Kyle Pederson (Fr. • Waukesha), 11 points and eight rebounds from Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) and 10 points and six rebounds from Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc). Tyler Selk scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead UW-Platteville in both categories.

UW-Oshkosh shot 53.3 percent (24-45) from the field and made 17 of its 20 (85 percent) free throw attempts, while UW-Platteville shot just 33.3 percent (17-51) from the field and made 16 of its 19 (84.2 percent) free throw tries. UW-Oshkosh won the rebounding battle, 34-25, and committed just 11 turnovers in the game.

Titans Injure Sabres

Ending the first half with a 28-3 scoring run, the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team obliterated Marian College, 88-36, on Sunday (Dec. 1) in Fond du Lac. The victory was the fourth in six days for the Titans, who earlier defeated St. Norbert College (94-53), Lawrence University (81-52) and Edgewood College (70-54).

Marian College (0-5) took a 7-6 lead over UW-Oshkosh (4-0) at the 15:17 mark of the first half before the Titans scored 36 of the next 42 points to lead 42-13 at intermission. The Sabres were outscored 28-3 in the final 11:49 of the first half, with their only points coming on a three-point basket by Nick Vogt with 4:32 left.

UW-Oshkosh continued its strong play at the start of the second half, going on a 22-6 scoring run to lead 64-19 with 13:43 remaining. The Titans held an advantage of 40-plus points for the final 15:35 of the game, with the ending 52-point margin being the largest of the contest.

Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee), playing just 17 minutes, led UW-Oshkosh in scoring with 21 points, while David Gershenzon (Fr. • Glenview, Ill.) came off the bench to count a career-best 13. The Titans also received 12 points from Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson) and 11 each from Dain Christensen (So. • Waupaca) and Kyle Pederson (Fr. • Waukesha). Mike Westerbeke led Marian College in scoring with nine points.

UW-Oshkosh shot 55.4 percent (36-65) from the field, including 52.9 (9-17) behind the three-point line. The Titans also made seven of their nine (77.8 percent) free throw attempts. Marian College shot 34.6 percent (14-52) from the field, but was just 11.1 percent (3-27) behind the three-point line. The Sabres made just five of their 10 (50 percent) tosses from the free throw line.

UW-Oshkosh committed just 10 turnovers in the game and posted a 44-25 rebounding advantage. Pederson led the Titans with nine rebounds, while Dworak grabbed seven and Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) six.

UW-Oshkosh has now won 13 straight games against Marian College. The 36 points allowed by the Titans were their fewest since Marian College scored 36 in a loss (69-36) to UW-Oshkosh during the 1996-97 season.

Titans Wound Eagles

The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team led from start to finish and coasted to a 70-54 victory over Edgewood College on Saturday (Nov. 30) in Fond du Lac.

UW-Oshkosh (3-0) jumped to an 18-7 lead at the 11:58 mark of the first half and held a double-digit advantage for all but 1:49 of the remaining 31:58 of the game. The Titans scored the last seven points of the first half to take a 40-26 lead to intermission after the Eagles cut their deficit to 33-26 with 1:49 left in the opening period

UW-Oshkosh started the second half with a 15-8 scoring run to lead 55-34 with 13:29 remaining in the game. The Titans led by as many as 24 points three times down the stretch, including 69-45 with 3:13 left. Edgewood College (2-1) outscored UW-Oshkosh, 9-1, in the final three minutes of the game as Ryan Zander hit three, three-point baskets for the Eagles.

UW-Oshkosh was led to its 10th straight win over Edgewood College by Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) and Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton). Dworak scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Sowinski scored 15 points and dished off three assists.

The Titans also received 12 points and seven rebounds from Kyle Pederson (Fr. • Waukesha) and a career-best eight rebounds from Andy Heyrman (So. • De Pere) off the bench. Zander led Edgewood College in scoring with 17 points.

UW-Oshkosh, which has won its last 21 regular season non-conference games, shot 46.2 percent (24-52) from the field and made 18 of its 22 free throw attempts (81.8 percent). Edgewood College shot 40 percent (20-50) from the field, but just 53.8 percent (7-13) from the charity stripe.

UW-Oshkosh outrebounded Edgewood College, 40-25, and committed just seven turnovers in the game.

Titans Pull Away To Rout Vikings

The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team turned a tight contest into a rout as it defeated Lawrence University, 81-52, on Wednesday (Nov. 27) in Appleton. The victory over a Midwest Conference opponent was the second in as many days for the Titans, who dismantled St. Norbert College, 94-53, on Tuesday (Nov. 26) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (2-0) led Lawrence University (2-1), 24-18, before concluding the final 24:22 of play on a 57-34 scoring run. The Titans took a 39-23 lead to intermission after scoring 10 of the final 13 points of the first half.

Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) led UW-Oshkosh's performance by scoring 18 points, grabbing seven rebounds, dishing off four assists, recording three steals and blocking two shots.

The Titans also received 13 points and two steals from Andy Fernholz (So. • La Crosse), 12 points from Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton) and 11 points from Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc). Sowinski missed the St. Norbert College contest due to an injury, but came off the bench against Lawrence University to make all five of his field goal attempts, including a pair behind the three-point line. Brendan Falls came off the bench to score 15 points to lead Lawrence University, while Chris Braier grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in a starting role.

UW-Oshkosh, which shot 65.4 percent (34-52) from the field against St. Norbert College, shot 58 percent (29-50) from the floor against Lawrence University. The Titans, who made 11 of their 19 three-point field goal attempts against the Vikings, shot 52.3 percent from the field last year to lead the NCAA Division III.

Lawrence University shot 29.7 percent (19-64) from the field against UW-Oshkosh, including just 25.7 percent (9-35) in the first half. The Vikings were just five of 24 (20.8 percent) in shots taken behind the three-point line.

Wednesday's contest was just the second between UW-Oshkosh and Lawrence University since the 1956-57 season. Last year, the Titans defeated the Vikings, 79-69 in overtime.

Titans Disarm Green Knights In Season Opener

In one of its more impressive season openers during Ted Van Dellen's 13-year tenure as head coach, the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team overwhelmed St. Norbert College, 94-53, on Tuesday (Nov. 26) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (1-0), which has won its season opener 18 times in the past 19 years, dominated St. Norbert College (1-1) on both the offensive and defensive ends.

Offensively, UW-Oshkosh shot 65.4 percent (34-52) from the field and 87.7 percent (20-23) from the free throw line. Defensively, the Titans forced 18 turnovers and held the Green Knights to just 38.3 percent (18-47) shooting from the field. UW-Oshkosh also posted a 39-16 advantage in rebounds, with St. Norbert College registering its 10th rebound of the contest with just 9:10 remaining.

St. Norbert College took an early 5-2 lead over UW-Oshkosh before the Titans tied the contest on a three-point basket by Nate Miller (Sr. • Hudson) with 16:55 left in the first half. UW-Oshkosh grabbed a 7-5 lead 30 seconds later on a basket by Andy Fernholz (So. • La Crosse) and held the advantage the remainder of the game. The Titans took a 45-26 lead to intermission after outscoring the Green Knights, 17-4, in the final 6:28 of the first period. UW-Oshkosh shot a blistering 73.9 percent (17-23) from the field in the opening frame.

UW-Oshkosh began the second half with a 29-7 scoring run to lead 73-34 with 9:24 remaining. The Titans' biggest advantage of the second period was 42 points, an 89-47 count with 2:52 left.

Tim Dworak (Sr. • Kewaunee) picked up where he left off last season by scoring 25 points and grabbing four rebounds in his 2002-03 debut. He made 10 of 12 field goal attempts and all five of his free throw tries. The Titans also received 14 points and 11 rebounds from Kyle Pederson (Fr. • Waukesha), who started in place of the injured Scott Sowinski (Sr. • Appleton), 13 points from Nick Scherer (Sr. • Manitowoc) and 12 points from Fernholz.

Kari Hannula led St. Norbert College in scoring with 15 points. The Green Knights, a participant in last year's NCAA Division III Championship, now trail the all-time series with Titans by a 42-29 count.

2002-03 Preview

A veteran squad, fresh off one of the most successful seasons in the 104-year history of the program, will lead the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team in the 2002-03 season.

The Titans finished the 2001-02 campaign with a school-best 24-6 record, racking up accomplishments that included a WIAC regular season championship, a WIAC tournament championship and advancement to the "Sweet Sixteen" of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Individually, the last year's team was well-recognized, as well. Senior Tim Dworak leads the list of eight returnees (all five starters) for the Titans, and nobody racked up more attention then the 6-foot-7 forward.

Dworak returns this season after posting some incredible numbers a year ago - 30 games of double-digit scoring, 10 games of double-digit rebounds and a WIAC-high 23.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. In addition, his 64.8 field goal percentage paced the WIAC and ranked among the NCAA Division III leaders. And his three-point shot to beat UW-Whitewater at the buzzer for the WIAC Tournament title will be remembered in Oshkosh for many years to come.

In addition to his statistical superlatives, Dworak also received numerous accolades. Among them were NCAA Division III All-America first team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), NCAA Division III All-America third team by D3Hoops.com, NCAA Division III West Region Player of the Year by the NABC and WIAC Player of the Year.

But, no one can do it alone and like the stretch run of last season, this year's success will depend on the play of the other four returning starters - Andy Fernholz, Nate Miller, Nick Scherer and Scott Sowinski. Like Dworak, Miller and Scherer, both All-WIAC honorable mention picks a year ago, and Sowinski are all starting for the Titans for the third consecutive season.

Miller, a senior guard, averaged 8.4 points and 3.5 assists per game last season while leading the WIAC with his 87.5 free throw percentage. Scherer, a senior guard, will be counted on take pressure off Dworak's inside game with his sharp-shooting skills. Last year, Scherer averaged 12.8 points per game with the aid of his 44.6 percent shooting behind the three-point line, a marksmanship tally that ranked 22nd in the NCAA Division III.

Also returning to the starting lineup this year is senior forward Scott Sowinski, who averaged 13.8 points and 4.0 rebounds a game last year. His 20 blocks led the Titans. The only non-senior in the starting lineup for the Titans will be Fernholz. Last season, Fernholz made 17 starts for UW-Oshkosh in 29 appearances, averaging 4.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest.

Other lettermen back for the Titans are sophomores Dain Christensen and Andy Heyrman. Last year, Christensen played in 29 games for the Titans, averaging 3.2 points per game.

Finally, no matter how impressive a team's talent is, it comes down to the coaching staff to make it all click.

Calling the shots in his 13th season is Ted Van Dellen. The 1978 UW-Oshkosh graduate was a player on the Titans' last conference championship team in 1978. He notched his 200th win with an 86-80 defeat of UW-River Falls in the semifinal of the WIAC Tournament held in Kolf Sports Center in February 21. Van Dellen now owns a 204-112 record as the head coach at his alma mater.

Titans Ranked Second In Country By National Magazine

Ted Van Dellen knows. So does his team. So does the opposition.

Everyone, it seems, knows and now any hopes Van Dellen had that his UW-Oshkosh men’s basketball team could slip quietly and unobtrusively through the upcoming season have slipped away.

Street & Smith magazine has seen to that with its basketball issue that trumpets the Titans as the No. 2 ranked Division III team in the nation in its preseason poll.

And now it’s open season on the Titans, now the best team on everyone’s schedule and the one that they want to beat just so they can say they beat a highly ranked team.

Van Dellen’s response to the ranking after an initial “uh-oh”? It’s what you might expect.

“This is based on what we did last season,” he said. “The players have to understand it’s only a preseason ranking and means absolutely nothing. But it is nice for the program.”

The ranking isn’t undeserved.The Titans are coming off a 24-6 record, a WIAC regular season and tournament title and a spot in the final eight in the NCAA Tournament. And, oh yeah, Oshkosh returns all five starters including All-America center Tim Dworak.

So Van Dellen takes the ranking for what it is and as a realization that this is the reward, and the penalty, for getting what you’ve always wanted.

“We’ve been working on this for seven years,” said Van Dellen, who begins his 13th season as head coach. “I’m pleased with the direction the program has gone but it’s more about the type of quality young men that we have come through the door. We’ve brought people in you can be proud of.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that those people can play a little, too.

Dworak, a 6-7 senior from Kewaunee, is on just about everyone’s first-team All-America list for this season. He averaged 23 points and nearly nine rebounds a game last season and hit 65 percent of his field goals.

More important, he played best when he was needed most.

For example, in the WIAC tournament title game that sent the Titans into the national tournament, Dworak scored 24 points and hit a last-second 3-pointer to beat Eau Claire.

In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, he scored 33 points against St. Thomas and blocked a final shot that could have tied the game. And in the final nine games, he averaged nearly 26 points and nine rebounds a game.

He had off-season ankle surgery and Van Dellen said he’s ready to go.

“He was very diligent all summer in the weight room,” he said. “He really took it on himself to develop his body. He’s made some great strides.”

The other senior starters — guard Nick Scherer and Nate Miller and forward Scott Sowinski (the other starter is sophomore Andy Fernholz)— also spent their summers getting bigger and stronger.

“They’ve done a nice job of leading by example,” Van Dellen said. “I’ve been pleased with all of them.”

It will be that senior leadership that Van Dellen expects will help the Titans this season as they try to live up to their lofty, and dangerous, ranking.

“As a coach you’re always concerned about how they’ll deal with it,” Van Dellen said. “It’s the first time we’ve ever been ranked second and those are things that our senior leaders are going to have to handle. But I feel good about our leadership.”