Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
The Official Athletic Site of ASU

Men's Basketball

Titans To Host Warhawks In WIAC Tournament Semifinal

Titans To Host Warhawks In WIAC Tournament Semifinal

Recap Box Score

League regular season champion and nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh opens the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament (presented by Culver's) at home against UW-Whitewater during the semifinal round Thursday (Feb. 24). Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in Kolf Sports Center.

Top-seeded UW-Oshkosh (20-3 record), ranked third in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, and fourth-seeded UW-Whitewater (15-10) split their two regular season meetings. The Titans eked out a 48-46 victory at UW-Whitewater in the regular season finale Feb. 16 after the Warhawks slipped past UW-Oshkosh, 82-78 in overtime, Jan. 5 in Kolf Sports Center to snap UW-Oshkosh's 14-game home winning streak.

The Jan. 5 setback versus UW-Whitewater remains the Titans' lone home loss this season as UW-Oshkosh has won 18 of its last 19 home contests dating back to the 2019-20 campaign.

UW-Whitewater won its WIAC postseason second round game at home by a 72-49 score against sixth-seeded UW-River Falls (14-10) on Tuesday (Feb. 22).

Thursday's other WIAC Tournament semifinal features second-seeded UW-Platteville (20-4) hosting third-seeded UW-La Crosse (20-5). UW-La Crosse advanced to the semifinals with a 74-70 home win over eighth-seeded UW-Stevens Point (4-17). Reigning WIAC Tournament champion UW-Platteville and UW-La Crosse are ranked sixth and ninth, respectively, in the latest D3hoops.com poll.

The WIAC Tournament championship game is scheduled for Saturday (Feb. 26). The winner of the tournament earns the league's automatic berth into the Division III Championship that starts March 4.

UW-Oshkosh, which secured its 14th WIAC regular season title and second in the past four years, is seeking to win the conference postseason championship for the fifth time after clinching titles in 2002, 2003, 2016 and 2020.

The Titans, who have won at least 20 games each of the last four full seasons, are averaging 77.5 points and allowing a league-low 63.3 per game on the year. UW-Oshkosh also ranks second nationally by limiting opponents to 26.1% from 3-point range and fourth in the country at 9.3 turnovers per contest while pacing the conference with a +7.2 average rebounding margin and a 1.30 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Eight Titans are playing more than 10 minutes per game and scoring better than two points per contest, including 2021 D3hoops.com Third Team All-American Levi Borchert, who averages 18.4 points and 10.7 rebounds while shooting 62.5% from the field.

Borchert, who has tallied 12 double-doubles this season, leads the conference in rebounding while ranking second in the league in both scoring and field goal percentage.

Eddie Muench (14.9 points per game), Hunter Plamann (13.0) and Quinn Steckbauer (11.0) are also scoring in double figures for a balanced UW-Oshkosh offense that also receives 8.7 points per contest from Cole Booth, 6.4 from Eric Peterson, 4.8 from Jonah Rindfleisch and 2.4 from JT Petrie.

Muench is second in the WIAC with 61 made 3-pointers, Plamann leads the squad with 84 assists, and Peterson adds 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest.

UW-Whitewater enters the semifinals averaging 78.1 points and yielding 72 per game. The Warhawks' .490 field goal percentage is best in the WIAC.

Derek Gray headlines UW-Whitewater, averaging 17.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest to go along with 44 steals, 41 made 3-pointers and an .800 free throw percentage.

Gage Malensek is contributing 11.8 points and 4.1 assists per game for the Warhawks while Jack Brahm, who ranks fourth in the conference with a .600 field goal percentage, adds 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. UW-Whitewater's Elijah Lambert averages 9.0 points, followed by Carter Capstran at 8.6 and Trevon Chislom at 7.3.

UW-Oshkosh has won four of its previous five meetings with UW-Whitewater in the WIAC Tournament, ousting the Warhawks during the 2002 and 2003 finals, 2004 quarterfinals and 2017 semifinals. UW-Whitewater's only win over UW-Oshkosh during the league postseason came in the 2015 final. The 2015 victory is Warhawks' most recent of four WIAC Tournament titles.

UW-Platteville heads into Thursday scoring 75.0 points and allowing 63.9 per game. The Pioneers are holding opponents to a league-low .404 field goal percentage this season.

The Pioneers have six players scoring more than nine points per contest, including Quentin Shields at 15.6 per game, Kyle Tuma at 14.2, Logan Pearson at 12.1 and Blake McCann at 10.4. 

Shields is leading the league with 103 made free throws and an .858 free throw percentage. Tuma is second in the conference with 8.3 rebounds per game while UW-Platteville's Justin Stovall, averaging 9.1 points, is the league leader with 34 blocks and ranks third in the conference at 7.2 boards per contest.

UW-La Crosse is averaging 74.2 points and surrendering 64.3 per game. The Eagles, who sport a WIAC-best 12-2 record away from home this year, lead the conference with a .388 3-point percentage and a +3.1 average turnover margin.

The Eagles' Ethan Anderson is pacing the WIAC in scoring at 19.2 points per game while shooting 52.1% from the floor and 84.8% at the free throw line.

Other UW-La Crosse team leaders also include reigning WIAC Player of the Year Wyatt Cook at 5.8 rebounds per game, Henry Noone with 56 made 3-pointers and a .448 3-point percentage, and Sean Suchomel with 98 assists and 39 steals.

UW-Stevens Point has clinched nine of the 23 prior WIAC postseason titles. UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater are next with four championships apiece, UW-Platteville with three, UW-River Falls with two and UW-Eau Claire with one.

Ticket prices for Thursday's game are $7 for adults, $4 for senior citizens (62-plus) and $3 for students (K-College). Children ages 5 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased in advance at uwosh.universitytickets.com.