Thomas Leads Titans Past Redhawks With Career-High 29 Points

OSHKOSH, Wis.- Carter Thomas scored 29 points in the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team's victory over Ripon College on Monday (Dec. 18) with a career-best 29 points, more than double his previous high of 14 at Whitman College (Wash.) on Dec. 9 of this year.

Thomas (So. • Neenah) went 10-of-14 from the field, including seven-of-10 from three and made both of his free throw attempts. Fellow starters Quinn Steckbauer (Sr. • Merrill) and Will Mahoney (Sr. • Appleton) scored 14 and 13 points while Reed Seckar (So. • Oshkosh) added his own career-high of 12 off the bench. The Titans (6-2) outrebounded the Redhawks (2-10, 0-3 MWC) 35-29, due in part to seven rebounds from Michael Metcalf-Grassman (Fr. • Shawano/Waukesha). Oshkosh also shot 49.0 percent (25-of-51) from the field, 48.6 percent (17-of-35) from three and 81.0 percent (17-of-21) from the line; all better than Ripon's 43.3 percent (26-of-60) from the field, 31.6 percent (six-of-19) from three and 40.0 percent (two-of-five) from the line.

Steckbauer scored the first points with a three-pointer just 14 seconds into the game. Ripon stayed in the game and took multiple small leads before going on an 8-point run for a 27-18 lead at 7:51. Back-to-back threes from Seckar both tied the game up and took the lead back for the Titans and Steckbauer extended the lead with a layup. Oshkosh led 36-35 to end the half.

The Titans opened the second half with a 16-0 spurt. Thomas made two threes and both Steckbauer and Mahoney made one. The teams traded points and runs while the Titans slowly extended their lead, reached a 20-point deficit by 6:31 at 71-51. Ripon strung together four points between 1:34 and 1:05 left and Nick Otto (Sr. • Appleton) closed out the game with a free throw with under a minute to go.

The Titans host St. Norbert College next on Wednesday (Dec. 20) at 7 p.m.