Titans' Strong Finish Leads To Win Over Firebirds
Levi Borchert scored a career high 23 points while Eddie Muench added 20 and Hunter Plamann produced a double-double as the nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team dominated the latter stages of the second half on the way to an 81-66 victory over Carthage College on Saturday (Nov. 20) in Kolf Sports Center.
UW-Oshkosh (5-1), ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, overcame a 55-51 deficit by outscoring Carthage College, 26-8, during the last 10:20 of the game.
Carthage College (3-1) led by four points on three occasions in the second half, including 50-46 with 14:29 to play. However, UW-Oshkosh reclaimed the lead for the final time, 59-58 at the 9:31 mark, following the second of two straight Plamann layups in the span of 32 seconds. Plamann's consecutive baskets in the paint sparked the Titans' 26-8 game ending run that featured 12 points from Plamann, five by Borchert and four from Quinn Steckbauer.
The Titans held the Firebirds to 3-for-13 shooting from the field and created four turnovers during the decisive final 10 minutes.
The Firebirds had won their previous two meetings with UW-Oshkosh by scores of 64-57 in 2019 and 68-67 (overtime) in 2016.
Borchert eclipsed his previous career high of 21 points by shooting 8-for-14 from the floor and 7-for-9 at the free throw line. Borchert, a 2021 D3hoops.com Third Team All-American, collected eight rebounds and dished out a team leading three assists Saturday and is now averaging 17.7 points and 10.2 boards per contest on the year.
Muench scored 17 of his 20 points in the first half while Plamann finished with 18 points, including 14 during the second period, and grabbed 12 rebounds for his first double-double as a Titan.
Steckbauer chipped in 10 points for the Titans, who also received six points and eight rebounds from Eric Peterson.
UW-Oshkosh went 28 of 58 (.483) from the field, 5-for-16 (.313) from 3-point range and 20 of 30 (.667) at the foul line. The Titans, whose 20 made free throws were a season best, owned advantages of 44-30 in rebounds, 9-13 in turnovers and 5-3 in steals.
Carthage College shot 40% (24-60) from the floor, 35.7% (10-28) from beyond the 3-point arc and 66.7% (8-12) at the free throw line. The Firebirds, who committed 24 fouls to UW-Oshkosh's 12, held edges of 17-7 in assists and 3-1 in blocks.
AJ Johnson paced the Firebirds with 13 points off the bench while starters Fillip Bulatovic and Elijah Blake had 12 apiece. Bulatovic and Blake led the squad with six rebounds and five assists, respectively.
Neither team led by more than six points in a first half that included nine ties and 11 lead changes. Carthage College jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the early going, but UW-Oshkosh responded with a 12-2 run for a 15-9 lead after a Jonah Rindfleisch layup. Tied for the ninth time at 36, the Titans closed out the final 2:46 of the opening period with six of the last nine points for a 41-39 advantage at intermission.
The Firebirds retook a 44-43 edge at the 17:20 mark of the second half and did not trail again until Plamann's back-to-back layups midway through the half. Carthage College pulled within 61-60 with 7:36 left, but the Titans rattled off 12 unanswered points to extend their lead to 73-60 at the 3:08 mark. UW-Oshkosh's 12-point spurt commenced with a Steckbauer 3-pointer, continued with layups by Plamann and Muench, and concluded with a three-point play from Borchert.
UW-Oshkosh held its largest lead of 15 points when Peterson drained a 3-pointer that provided the final score with 13 seconds remaining.
The Titans play Edgewood College on Tuesday (Nov. 23) in Madison.