Blue Devils Notch Wire-To-Wire Win Over Titans

UW-Stout led from start to finish during its 69-55 men's basketball victory over UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (Jan. 14) in Menomonie.

The Blue Devils (6-10/1-6 WIAC) gained an early 9-2 advantage and held at least a five-point cushion for the rest of the game. Alex Oman paced the squad with 19 points, while Thomas Scholle-Malone tallied 13 points and Aaron Jenny 11 points and seven rebounds. UW-Stout made 55 percent (29-53) of its field goals in the effort.

John Flanigan (Sr. • Oshkosh) counted 17 points for the Titans (4-12/0-7 WIAC), who also had Cory Nickel (So. • Waupun) mark 14 points and Chad Mathwig (Fr. • New Berlin) eight boards. UW-Oshkosh shot 39 percent (20-52) from the field and couldn't overcome its 36-26 deficit in rebounding.

During the game's opening 82 seconds, Tim Butina knocked down two jumpers for a 4-0 lead. Oman then put in a three-pointer and lay-up to make it 15-5. The Blue Devils' 17-7 scoring run concluded with a Jenny tip-in that made it 26-11 midway through the first half.

UW-Oshkosh slowly chipped away with a pair of free throws by both Flanigan and Martell Hutchinson (Jr. • Milwaukee). Nickel drained a jump shot two minutes before the break to pull within seven points (28-21). UW-Stout held a 37-23 margin at intermission following a buzzer-beating triple by Oman.

In the second period, Greg Schrimpf (Sr. • Manitowoc) sank a bucket and foul shot before Mathwig added two lay-ins for a 45-34 deficit. Nickel fired two more shots from downtown and hit them to make it a 49-42 ballgame with 12:21 on the clock.

Consecutive jumpers by Flanigan pulled UW-Oshkosh within five (55-50) at the 6:42 mark, but that's as close as it would get. Scholle-Malone broke away for a dunk and the Blue Devil defense allowed just five points over the last six minutes.

The Titans struggled from both three-point range at 24 percent (4-17) and the charity stripe at 69 percent (11-16). With both teams committing 10 turnovers, UW-Stout posted 40 percent accuracy (4-10) on three-pointers and 47 percent (7-15) marksmanship on free throws.

UW-Oshkosh returns home to face nationally ranked UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Jan. 18) in Kolf Sports Center.