Titans To Host BSN Sports Winter Classic

The nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team is set to host the inaugural BSN Sports Winter Classic on Wednesday and Thursday (Dec. 29-30) at Oshkosh Arena.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, welcomes two-time national champion Calvin University (Mich.), 14-time NCAA postseason participant Ripon College and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival UW-Stout to the home of the Wisconsin Herd, the NBA G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks.

The BSN Sports Winter Classic begins Wednesday with Ripon College (7-3) taking on UW-Stout (9-2) at 4:30 p.m. followed by UW-Oshkosh (10-1) hosting Calvin University (6-3) at 7:30 p.m. On Thursday, Calvin University plays UW-Stout at 2:30 p.m. before the event concludes with UW-Oshkosh battling Ripon College at 5:30 p.m.

The Oshkosh Arena doors open at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Daily tickets, priced at $20 for courtside seats and $10 for all other seats, are good for both games at the 3,500-seat arena that opened in 2017.

BSN Sports Winter Classic Wednesday Tickets • BSN Sports Winter Classic Thursday Tickets

UW-Oshkosh enters the BSN Sports Winter Classic riding a seven game winning streak and victories in its last 12 home contests. The Titans own a 4-1 record against Calvin University, including wins in all four meetings since the 2016-17 season, and seek their first victory over Ripon College since a 71-56 triumph during the first round of the 2002 Division III Championship. Ripon College defeated UW-Oshkosh during the 2012-13 and 2017-18 seasons to extend its advantage in a series that began during the 1899-1900 campaign to a 36-32 cushion.

The Titans, who rank second in the country with 9.0 turnovers per game, are averaging 78.2 points per contest and have not lost since suffering a 65-63 setback at fourth ranked Illinois Wesleyan University on Nov. 13.

UW-Oshkosh features a trio of double digit scorers as Levi Borchert leads the way at 18.0 points per game, followed by Hunter Plamann at 15.1 and Eddie Muench at 14.2. Borchert, a 2021 D3hoops.com Third Team All-American, has produced six double-doubles on the year while grabbing 11.1 rebounds per contest and shooting 63.7% from the field. Plamann, who paces the squad with 42 assists, and Muench have combined to make 59 3-pointers this season.

Rounding out the Titans starting lineup are Quinn Steckbauer and Eric Peterson, who are adding 7.8 and 7.4 points per game, respectively. Cole Booth (8.8), Jonah Rindfleisch (5.1) and JT Petrie (2.5) each chip in more than two points per game off the UW-Oshkosh bench.

UW-Oshkosh, which has made five consecutive and 10 overall trips to the Division III Championship, won the national title in 2019 after finishing as the 2018 runners-up.

Calvin University is one of the traditional Division III powerhouses, making 21 appearances in the NCAA postseason and winning national championships in both 1992 and 2000. The Knights' 21 postseason trips rank 10th in Division III history.

The Knights are the top scoring team this season in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association at 79.3 points per game. Calvin University, which was receiving votes in the latest D3hoops.com poll had won two consecutive games, including a triumph over 14th-ranked Elmhurst College (Ill.), until falling at a Trinity University (Texas) program that was also receiving votes in the national poll last Wednesday (Dec. 22). The Knights' other two losses were to Illinois Wesleyan University and against NAIA member and crosstown rival Cornerstone University (Mich.).

Calvin University has three double figure scorers of its own in Luke Morrison at 19.1 points per game, Thad Shymanski at 15.1 and Uchenna Egekeze at 11.3. All three players are shooting better than 50% from the floor to help Calvin University to a .485 field goal percentage.

Midwest Conference member Ripon College has won five straight games by an average of 12.4 points since falling to both sixth-ranked Wheaton College (Ill.) and ninth-ranked UW-La Crosse by a combined five points in back-to-back games in November. The Red Hawks made their 14th NCAA postseason appearance in 2020.

The Red Hawks offense, averaging 73.5 points per contest, is highlighted by five starters averaging at least 9.5 points per game. Jaylen Mahone leads the way at 12.9 points per game, followed closely by Ryan Steffes at 12.7, David DeValk at 11.4, Drew Jorgensen at 11.1 and Owen Theune at 9.5. Luke Meinholz averages 5.5 points off the Ripon College bench on 73.5% shooting from the field.

UW-Stout is the top scoring team in the WIAC this season, averaging 92.2 points per game to rank seventh in the nation. The Blue Devils, winners of four consecutive games, are also sixth in the country with 20.5 assists per contest while topping 100 points on three occasions this year.

Sparking the high octane UW-Stout offense are Lovell Williams at 18.4 points per game, Armani Tinsley at 13.5, Jon Ciriacks at 11.9, Luke Geiger at 10.1, Brody Fox at 9.7 and Drew Scott at 9.0. Scott is shooting 74.2% from the floor.

UW-Stout made its lone Division III postseason appearance during the 2005-06 campaign.

The BSN Sports Winter Classic marks the end of UW-Oshkosh's 2021-22 regular season nonconference schedule. The Titans return to WIAC play at home Jan. 5 against UW-Whitewater in Kolf Sports Center.