Titans Host Second Straight Nationally Ranked Opponent

UW-Oshkosh's WIAC-leading offense will face one of most formidable defenses in the country when the Titans host nationally ranked UW-Platteville on Wednesday (Jan. 8). The matchup between the past two WIAC men's basketball regular season champions begins at 7 p.m. in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (7-5, 1-0 WIAC), the reigning NCAA Division III and conference champion, enters Wednesday's meeting pacing the league with 83.9 points per game. The Titans, who have scored at least 79 points during each of their past nine contests, rank 10th in the country with 45 rebounds per game and a +9.8 average rebounding margin while also leading the WIAC with 9.8 made 3-pointers per contest and 46 blocks. UW-Oshkosh has outrebounded 13 of its last 14 opponents.

UW-Platteville (11-1, 1-0 WIAC), ranked ninth in the country by D3hoops.com, has not given up more than 74 points the entire season on the way to listing 15th in the division in scoring defense at 62.1 points per game. The Pioneers, who claimed the WIAC title in 2018, rank sixth nationally in both average scoring margin at +18.7 and 3-point percentage defense at .270 while their .381 field goal percentage defense is 13th best.

UW-Oshkosh, winner of 10 consecutive WIAC regular season home games, swept its two-game series with UW-Platteville last season, defeating the Pioneers by scores of 96-70 in Oshkosh and 83-81 in overtime in Platteville.

The Titans, who welcome their second straight nationally ranked conference opponent to Kolf Sports Center, sport a 3-1 record against teams in the D3hoops.com top 25. UW-Oshkosh opened the conference slate by leading wire to wire during a 79-63 victory over 15th-ranked UW-La Crosse on Saturday (Jan. 4). The Titans, who boast the fourth toughest schedule in the division entering Wednesday, began the season with wins of 74-67 at 17th-ranked Augustana College (Ill.) on Nov. 9 and 76-66 at third-ranked North Central College (lll.) on Nov. 12. UW-Oshkosh's lone loss to a nationally ranked team this season was an 87-80 setback at second-ranked Emory University (Ga.) on Dec. 29.

UW-Platteville, the second-highest scoring team in the conference at 80.8 points per game, romped through the majority of its nonconference schedule, winning the first 10 games by an average of nearly 20 points until suffering a 74-72 loss at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) on Dec. 28. The Pioneers, whose schedule ranks 216th among 419 teams in the division, opened conference play with an 89-67 home win over UW-Stout on Saturday. UW-Platteville won its only game against a nationally ranked opponent this season handily, defeating Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.), 76-63, Nov. 16 in Platteville.

UW-Oshkosh senior forward Adam Fravert is averaging a team-leading 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. The D3hoops.com Preseason All-American is the conference leader with 21 blocks and ranks second in the league in rebounding, fourth in scoring and assists, sixth in made 3-pointers (26), and seventh in both free throw percentage (.760) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.69).

Senior center Jack Flynn, who was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four during the Titans' run to the national championship last season, averages 14.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest. The Preseason All-American is pacing the WIAC with a .567 field goal percentage and 32 offensive rebounds.

Completing the UW-Oshkosh starting lineup are freshman guard Will Mahoney, sophomore guard Eric Peterson and senior guard David Vlotho.

Mahoney, averaging 11.4 points and 2.7 assists per contest, poured in a game-high 21 points and dished out a season-best five assists during the Titans' win over UW-La Crosse on Saturday. He is second on the squad with 32 assists and 24 made 3-pointers behind a team-best 49 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Peterson and Vlotho are contributing 9.2 and 6.9 points per game, respectively, as the backcourt duo has combined to make 38 3-pointers on the year. Peterson has a team-high 12 steals this season and ranks third on the team with 30 assists while committing just 12 turnovers.

Key contributors off the UW-Oshkosh bench have included junior guard Eddie Muench, freshman forward Levi Borchert and senior forward Brian Wilman. Muench, a first-year transfer from Rockhurst University (Mo.), is averaging 7.2 points per game, Borchert is adding 6.8 and Wilman chips in 1.6. Borchert has pulled down 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 37 of 53 (.698) from the field.

UW-Platteville has run out the same starting lineup each of its 12 games as junior guards Quentin Shields and Drew Gunnink join senior guard Carter Voelker in the backcourt alongside junior forward Justin Stovall and sophomore forward Kyle Tuma in the frontcourt. Voelker was named to the All-WIAC First Team last season and to the Honorable Mention squad in 2018. Shields was an All-WIAC Honorable Mention selection a year ago.

Shields is leading the balanced Pioneers with 16.6 points per game to rank ninth in the conference. Voelker scores 13.3 points per contest, Stovall 10.7, Tuma 10.3 and Gunnink 5.1.

Tuma, Shields and Voelker have each drained at least 23 3-pointers this season, including a team-high 25 at a 47.2 percent clip by Tuma. Sophomore reserve guard Blake McCann (.457), Gunnink (.444) and Shields (.421) are also shooting better than 42 percent from beyond the arc this year.

Shields is third in the league with a .843 free throw percentage and leads UW-Platteville with 15 steals. Voelker ranks second in the WIAC with a 2.11 assist-to-turnover ratio and sixth with a team-leading 38 assists. Stovall is the Pioneer leader with 6.3 rebounds per game and 10 blocks.

UW-Oshkosh, which has advanced to the Division III championship game the past two seasons, claimed its first national title following a 96-82 victory over Swarthmore College (Pa.) in the final last season.

UW-Platteville was eliminated in the first round of last year's NCAA postseason after reaching the third round in 2018. The Pioneers, who made the Final Four five times and compiled a division-best 266-27 (.908) record during the 1990s, won national championships in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999.