Titans Fall To Hot-Shooting Pointers

UW-Stevens Point rode a season-best shooting performance to defeat the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team, 83-57, on Saturday (Jan. 10) in Kolf Sports Center.

The Pointers, who entered the contest ranked 19th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, remained tied atop the WIAC standings by shooting 68.1 percent (32-47) from the floor, including 64.7 percent (11-17) from behind the 3-point line. UW-Stevens Point (11-3, 5-0 WIAC) scored its most points of the season en route to its 24th win in its last 27 WIAC contests.

UW-Oshkosh (8-6, 2-3 WIAC) stays in fifth place in the conference standings after seeing its three-game winning streak come to an end.

UW-Stevens Point scored on a layup by Alex Richard on its opening possession and never trailed. The Pointers opened up an 11-4 advantage in the first four minutes, increased its lead to 20-7 midway through the first half and held a double-digit spread for the last 29 minutes of the game.

Trailing 31-15 with 4:41 to play in the first period, UW-Oshkosh scored the next six points on a 3-point basket by Alex Olson and three free throws. However, UW-Stevens Point converted its last four shots of the half, including a contested 3-pointer by Joe Ritchay at the buzzer, and took a 40-25 lead into the break.

The Pointers, winners of the last two conference titles, thwarted any attempt at a Titan comeback by shooting 75 percent (15-20) from the field in the second half.

UW-Oshkosh pulled its second-half deficit to 52-36, but UW-Stevens Point answered with an 8-1 scoring run to lead 60-37 with 10:50 left to play. The Pointers' largest lead was the game's final score.

Olson led UW-Oshkosh with 12 points and four steals. AJ Mueller added 11 points and Charlie Noon seven for the Titans, who shot 43.2 percent (19-44) from the floor.

UW-Oshkosh also converted 29.4 percent (5-17) of its 3-point attempts and 60.9 percent (14-23) of its free throws. UW-Stevens Point shot 66.7 percent (8-12) from the free throw stripe.

Ritchay paced four Pointers in double figures with 18 points. Alex Richard, the WIAC leader in field goal percentage, added 15 points on 7 of 7 shooting. Stephen Pelkofer contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Pointers, while Austin Ryf chipped in with 14 points and a game-high five assists.

UW-Oshkosh is back in action on Wednesday (Jan.14) when it travels to UW-Stout.