Titans Take Charge Of Blue Devils In Overtime
Alex Olson recorded a double-double and Max Schebel scored a career-high 18 points as the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team defeated UW-Stout, 66-60, in overtime on Wednesday (Jan. 14) in Menomonie.
Olson sent the game to overtime on a 3-pointer with 71 seconds left in regulation and then scored 10 of the Titans' 17 points in the extra period. He finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four steals for his first double-double of the season and third of his career.
Schebel made 8 of 10 shots from the floor and both of his free throw attempts in a season-high 31 minutes off the bench. Kyle Bolger added 13 points for the Titans, who also received four points and a career-high 11 rebounds from AJ Mueller.
UW-Oshkosh scored 11 of the first 13 points in overtime and held at least a four-point cushion for the last two and a half minutes. The Titans began the overtime period by making 4 of 6 shots from the field and iced the game by converting 8 of 10 free throws in the last two minutes. Olson's 10 points in the extra frame came on a 3-pointer, a layup and 5-for-6 shooting from the free throw line.
The Titans (9-6, 3-3 WIAC), who had lost five of their last six games to the Blue Devils, are now alone in fifth place in the WIAC standings. UW-Stout (3-12, 0-6 WIAC) remained in ninth place.
UW-Oshkosh opened the scoring on a 3-point basket by Bolger and didn't trail until UW-Stout went up 15-14 with 9:07 left in the first half. The Blue Devils increased their advantage to 21-16 at the 7:03 mark.
Trailing 22-20 with just under five minutes to play in the opening period, the Titans tallied eight unanswered points to take a 28-22 lead at the break. UW-Stout went 0-for-5 from the field, 1-for-5 from the foul line and committed four turnovers during the last seven minutes of the first half.
The Titans converted 5 of 6 shots from the floor to open the second half and held their biggest lead of 13 points at 40-27 with 15:32 remaining in regulation. The Blue Devils then scored 19 of the next 23 points to reclaim a 46-44 advantage at the 5:50 mark.
A layup by Schebel tied the game at 46, but both teams went scoreless until a layup by WIAC leading scorer Jarvis Ragland put UW-Stout ahead, 48-46, with 2:25 left in the second half. The Blue Devils added a free throw by Brett Ahsenmacher with 91 seconds remaining, but Olson knotted the game at 49 on the Titans' next possession.
The Blue Devils missed two free throws with 41 seconds to go in regulation, and the Titans missed a 3-pointer with 17 second left. Olson grabbed the rebound off of a missed UW-Stout layup with 10 seconds remaining, but UW-Oshkosh did not get a shot before the buzzer.
UW-Oshkosh ended the game shooting 40.7 percent (22-54) from the field, 29.4 percent (5-17) from 3-point range and 63 percent (17-27) from the free throw line. The Titans held advantages of 40-36 in rebounds and 7-2 in steals.
UW-Stout had percentages of .397 (23-58) from the floor, .231 (3-13) on 3-pointers and .524 (11-21) from the foul line. The Blue Devils' three 3-point baskets tied a season low.
Ragland, who went into the contest averaging 20.4 points, registered 21 points and 11 rebounds for UW-Stout. Ahsenmacher added 15 points for the Blue Devils.
UW-Oshkosh travels to UW-Eau Claire on Saturday (Jan. 17).
Photo courtesy of Layne Pitt, UW-Stout