Titans to take on Whitewater in Battle of Top WIAC Defense and Offense
OSHKOSH, Wis.- The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team is set to host UW-Whitewater on Wednesday, Jan. 11 in Kolf Sports Center.
Oshkosh fell to Whitewater 82-78 in overtime on Jan. 5 in their first regular season matchup last season. They then swept the remaining two games, with a 48-46 regular season-finale win on Feb. 16 and an 86-77 win on Feb. 24 in the semifinal round of the WIAC tournament.
The Titan defense has held their opponents to a league-low 58.9 points per game this season, while the Warhawk offense has scored a league-high 81.7 points per game. Whitewater's 49.4 field goal percentage ranks first and Oshkosh's 41.5 opponent field goal percentage ranks second. Whitewater again leads with a 38.0 three-point percentage and Oshkosh leads with a 31.6 opponent field goal percentage. In free throw percentages, Whitewater ranks third (73.2) and Oshkosh ranks second (66.5).
Previewing the Titans
The Titans currently hold a 10-5 (3-1 WIAC) record and have won all five of their home games. In their last conference game, they won over UW-River Falls 68-55 on Jan. 7 at home. Oshkosh's 58.9 opponent points scored per game is more than a point less than second-place UW-Eau Claire. Senior forward Levi Borchert paces Oshkosh in points (206), scoring 14.7 points per game. He also leads the conference with 11.1 total rebounds per game, leading in each individual rebound category as well. Senior guard Eric Peterson leads the Titans with a 54.9 percent (62-of-113) field goal percentage. Junior guard Hunter Plamann holds a team-high 39.3 (24-of-61) three-point percentage.
Previewing the Warhawks
The Warhawks have an 11-4 (2-2 WIAC) record and hold a 5-0 road record this season. They fell to Eau Claire 77-75 on Jan. 7 at home in their most recent conference matchup. Whitewater is the league leader in points, scoring 81.7 points per game, a full 6.2 points higher than second-place UW-Stout. Junior forward Trevon Chislom leads the league with a 61.5 three-point percentage (16-of-26), followed by freshman guard Miles Barnstable (45.9 percent). Barnstable has also made 90.4 percent (66-of-73) of his free throws. Sophomore guard Jameer Barker averages 1.6 steals per game, good for third in the conference.