Titans Find Rhythm in Win Over Nebraska Wesleyan
ABERDEEN, S.D.- The No. 3 UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team found their rhythm in their game against the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves on Saturday in the Small Basketball School Champions Classic, making their overall record 3-2.
Hunter Plamann started the scoring on Saturday morning from two feet behind the arc and followed a Nebraska Wesleyan three with another one of his own. The Titans went on a 12-4 run, building up to an early eight-point lead, with Eric Peterson leading scoring in the run with four points. The Prairie Wolves; Jack Groeteke made two three-pointers, pulling the game back within two with 11:36 left in the first half. The teams traded points until there was 6:39 remaining and Nebraska Wesleyan put together four points to tie the game up at 21, but the tie was quickly broken by Plamann with a jumper from three. Oshkosh called their first timeout after a three from Nebraska Wesleyan's Andrew Walker tied the game back up again at 24. The Prairie Wolves broke the tie, scoring nine straight, before the Titans went on a five-point run to close the half. Oshkosh trailed Nebraska Wesleyan 29-33 after 20 minutes of play.
Plamann led the Titans with nine points at the half, shooting three for six from the field, all three from behind the arc. Levi Borchert was the top rebounder of the half for Oshkosh, totaling six rebounds. He also led with two steals. Six Titans recorded one assist.
Groeteke was Nebraska Wesleyan's top scorer of the half, with 10 points. He shot four for seven from the field, two for four from three. Carter Glenn led with two assists and was tied with two other Prairie Wolves for the lead in blocks and four other Prairie Wolves in steals, both with one. Brayton Christensen was Nebraska Wesleyan's top rebounder of the half, pulling down three rebounds.
Peterson kicked off the second half with two made free throws. The teams traded points, with the score gap going between three and six until the Titans went on a 4-0 to tie the game at 45 with 7:23 remaining in the half, and shortly after taking their first lead of the half on Plamann's fourth three-pointer of the game, forcing a Nebraska Wesleyan timeout. The Titans would increase their lead to as much as five points, largely trading points with the Prairie Wolves the rest of the way. An Oshkosh foul on Nebraska Wesleyan's Andrew Walker while he was shooting a three gave him three free throws, he made to make the score 59-57 with 1:01 left. Plamann made a jump shot on the next possession increasing the lead to four, and Quinn Steckbauer would end the game with a steal and a layup to make the final score 63-57.
Plamann led the Titans in scoring, recording 19 points on Saturday, going seven of 12 from the field including four for six from three and one for three from the line. Peterson and Borchert followed him with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Borchert pulled in a leading three steals, two blocks and 14 rebounds, recording eight offensive boards. Three Titans had two assists. Steckbauer led scorers off the bench with nine points.
Glenn and Groeteke tied for the lead in points for Nebraska Wesleyan with 12 points. Elijah Thatch was right behind them with 11 points. Three Prairie Wolves recorded four rebounds and four had two assists. Thatch led Nebraska Wesleyan with three blocks, while Groeteke led with three blocks.
The Titans return to play on Nov. 22 to play Edgewood College (Wis.) at home. Edgewood lost their season opener to the University of Dubuque (Iowa) on Nov. 16 and play UW-Stevens Point on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
The Small College Basketball Champions Classic webpage can be found here.