Titans Trounce Blue Devils

The nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team matched a season high with 12 made 3-pointers on the way to trouncing Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival UW-Stout, 84-57, Saturday (Feb. 5) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (17-3, 7-2 WIAC), ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, never trailed Saturday, building leads of 38-21 during the first half, 44-31 at intermission and 84-54 with under two minutes to play. The 27-point margin was the Titans' largest versus the Blue Devils since a 103-70 win in Menomonie on Feb. 25, 2003.

The Titans, who earned their ninth consecutive victory against UW-Stout, have now won 17 of their past 18 home games. The first scheduled meeting this season between UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stout – Jan. 15 in Menomonie – was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.

UW-Stout (14-7, 5-5 WIAC), which boasted the seventh-best scoring offense in the country and knocked down a WIAC-leading 187 3-pointers entering the day, was held to its lowest point total of the year while shooting a season-worst 3-for-13 from beyond the arc. The Blue Devils, whose previous lowest scoring effort this season was 72 points, headed into Saturday averaging 89.5 points per contest.

Hunter Plamann led a balanced UW-Oshkosh offense, scoring 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range, in addition to six assists and a pair of steals.

Cole Booth added a career-high 18 points for the Titans, shooting 4-for-6 from beyond the 3-point arc while dishing out three assists and collecting two steals. Booth's previous career high was 15 points, established against both Concordia University Wisconsin on Nov. 8 and North Central College (Ill.) on Dec. 11.

UW-Oshkosh's Levi Borchert and Eddie Muench both contributed 15 points as Borchert, a 2021 D3hoops.com Third Team All-American, grabbed a team-best eight rebounds and Muench drained three 3-pointers.

Nine different Titans recorded points, including JT Petrie and Jonah Rindfleisch with six apiece. Rindfleisch and Eric Peterson both pulled down six rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh shot 49.2% (32-65) from the floor, 41.4% (12-29) from beyond the 3-point arc and 61.5% (8-13) at the free throw line. The Titans, who made 12 3-pointers for the third time this season, held advantages of 40-33 in rebounds, 16-9 in assists and 9-14 in turnovers.

UW-Stout went 26 of 62 (.419) from the field, 3-for-13 (.231) from 3-point range and 2-for-4 (.500) at the foul line. The Blue Devils, whose three made 3-pointers tied a season low, had edges of 8-6 in steals and 5-1 in blocks.

The Titans ranked fourth nationally entering the day by holding opponents to 26.6% from beyond the 3-point arc and with 9.4 turnovers per contest. UW-Oshkosh has committed 10 or fewer turnovers on 13 occasions this year.

Armani Tinsley paced the Blue Devils with 12 points while WIAC leading scorer Lovell Williams chipped in 10 points to go along with a team-high three assists and two steals, and Brody Fox had six points and a team-best seven rebounds. Williams entered Saturday averaging 19.3 points per game.

Booth drilled a 3-pointer on the first possession of the game before the Titans claimed the lead for good at 11-9 following a Booth jumper with 14:20 left in the first half.

Clinging to a 19-17 advantage, UW-Oshkosh created separation with a 19-4 run during a span of more than six minutes for a 38-21 lead at the 5:14 mark of the opening period. Plamann scored seven points and Booth five during the 19-4 surge that saw the Titans score on seven straight possessions. UW-Oshkosh maintained a double-digit lead the remainder of the game after Booth hit a 3-pointer for a 33-21 advantage with 6:52 to go in the first half.

UW-Oshkosh went on to lead by at least 20 points for the final 13:41 of the contest. The Titans owned their largest advantage at 84-54 after a Hart Holmgren jumper with 1:56 remaining.

The Titans play at UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday (Feb. 9).

Photo by Steve Frommell, UW-Oshkosh Athletics