Blue Devils Put Titans Away In Final Minute

Alex Oman scored the go-ahead basket with 61 seconds to play as UW-Stout defeated the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team, 57-52, on Saturday (Feb. 8) in Menomonie.

Oman, who totaled 18 points, five rebounds and three blocks, converted a jumper to give the Blue Devils a 53-51 lead. His score broke the 12th tie of the contest.

On the next possession, a Jimmy Whitehead block and a Debonair Townsend rebound got the basketball back for UW-Stout (12-9/7-5 WIAC). After a UW-Oshkosh foul, Hank Kujak put the Blue Devils up 54-51 with 33 seconds remaining.

Another blocked shot by Whitehead and an offensive rebound by Dylan Wurtz gave the Titans a second try to score, but a three-pointer by Jade Royston missed the mark. Oman collected the rebound and passed the ball to Adam Wadzinski, who found Townsend for a dunk. Townsend's score gave UW-Stout a 56-51 lead with nine seconds left.

UW-Stout recorded the first five points of the game. UW-Oshkosh (10-11/5-7 WIAC) followed with the next five points before the Blue Devils opened up a 12-7 lead with 12 minutes remaining in the first half.

After UW-Oshkosh battled back to take a 13-12 lead, the teams played within three points of each other for the rest of the opening period. Royston drilled a three-pointer with 41 seconds left to give the Titans a 27-26 advantage at intermission.

The second half remained tight, as the teams played within three points until the game's final minute. Prior to the tie at 51, the squads played to deadlocks at 32, 36, 38, 44 and 49.

Max Schebel scored a career-high 16 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead UW-Oshkosh. The Titans also received 13 points from Royston, nine points and four rebounds from Kyle Bolger and seven points and seven rebounds from Wurtz.

UW-Stout obtained 13 points and eight rebounds from Jay Higgins and eight points, four rebounds and three blocks from Townsend. The Blue Devils finished the contest with nine blocks.

UW-Oshkosh, which defeated UW-Stout, 63-59, on Jan. 18, shot 32.1 percent (17-53) from the field, but just 15.8 percent (3-19) behind the three-point arc. The Titans also shot 71.4 percent (15-21) from the free throw line.

UW-Oshkosh collected 33 rebounds and turned the basketball over just six times. It was the Titans' sixth straight game with nine turnovers or less.

UW-Stout shot 48.9 percent (23-47) from the field, 33.3 percent (4-12) from three-point land and 41.2 percent (7-17) from the foul line. The Blue Devils totaled 36 rebounds and 11 turnovers.

The Titans play a pair of road games next week, with the first being at UW-Eau Claire on Wednesday (Feb. 12).

Photo by Layne Pitt