Box Score STEVENS POINT, Wis. (uwrfsports.com)- The University of Wisconsin River-Falls men's basketball team got a much-needed victory over the defending Division III National Champion UW-Stevens Point Pointers. The Falcons (13-8, 7-3 WIAC), losers of three out of their past four games, traveled to Stevens Point, and defeated the Pointers 81-79 in overtime.
Clutch free throws in the overtime session in front of 1,000 Pointer-fans propelled the Falcons to a victory that keeps them in the thick of the WIAC regular season conference title race.
The Pointers' Stephen Pelkofer opened up the game with five of his 31 points that he scored in the losing effort. The Falcons scored their first points of the game on two free throws from junior guard
Grant Erickson, and scored their first field goal of the game on a three-point field goal from junior forward
Garret Pearson.
UWRF trailed throughout the first half, but took its first lead of the game at the 12:31 in the first half when senior center
Connor Goodwin made a two-point field goal. The score was 14-13 in favor of the Falcons.
The Falcons did not possess the lead for longer than 30 seconds because on the Pointers' next offensive possession buried a three-point field goal to take a 14-16. That would be the only instance that the Falcons would have the lead in the first half.
Even though the Falcons only possessed the lead once in the first half, they did stay within distance of the Pointers. The Pointer's biggest lead in the last eight-and-a-half minutes of the first half was four points. The score at halftime saw the Falcons down 31-34.
The tight play in the first half was only the beginning of the back-and-forth play between the Falcons and the Pointers.
Senior forward
Jon Christensen opened up the second half by hitting a two-point field goal for the Falcons to trim the deficit to one point. UWSP countered the opening field goal with a 2-8 run to give itself a 34-42 lead.
Garret Pearson and
Grant Erickson put a stop to the Pointers run and scored four straight points to make the score 38-42 in favor of the Pointers. For the next nine minutes, the Falcons and Pointers countered each other's baskets.
With 7:24 left in the second half, the Falcons took their second lead of the game when sophomore guard
Devin Buckley buried a three-point field goal to give the Falcons a 51-50 lead. On the next possession, the Pointers retook the lead on a two-point field goal. After that point, the Falcons scored five straight points on two free throws from
Devin Buckley and a three-point field goal from sophomore guard
Austin Moldenhauer.
UWSP did not let the UWRF get any further ahead, as the Pointers scored four straight points to tie the game at 56. Two free throws from
Devin Buckley and two free throws from senior forward
Jack Herum gave the Falcons a 60-58 lead with 4:02 left in the second half.
Herum would be a key contributor in the final minute of the contest. With 34 seconds left in the game and the score tied at 67,
Jack Herum got good post-position and made a two-point field goal to give the Falcons a 69-67 lead late in the second half. To seal the victory, the Falcons needed to make one stop on the defensive end, but the Pointers' Stephen Pelkofer had other ideas
With 25 seconds left, Pelkofer buried a midrange jumper to make the score tied at 69 and to force overtime.
To open up the five-minute overtime, the Pointers gained control off the tip, but could not score on their first possession. On the Falcons' first overtime possession,
Jon Christensen made a two-point jump shot to give the Falcons a 71-69 lead.
On the Pointers' next possession, UWRF gave the Pointers a gift by fouling the Pointers' Ethan Bublitz on a three-point shot attempt. Bublitz made all three of the free throw attempts to put the Falcons in a one-point deficit.
The Falcons' offensive efficiency was at its best in overtime, as the Falcons scored on five straight possessions during the overtime period. A made free throw from Erickson and Christensen and a key missed free throw by the Pointers gave the Falcons an 81-79 victory.
The Falcons had four players scored in double figures.
Grant Erickson led the Falcons with 18 points an eight rebounds.
Jon Christensen tallied 17 points and gathered seven rebounds. While battling foul trouble,
Devin Buckley scored 12 points and gathered three rebounds.
Jack Herum tallied 11 points and gathered four rebounds.
UWRF dominated bench points and points-in-the-paint. The Falcons' bench outscored the Pointers' bench 24-3. UWRF tallied 26 points-in-the-paint while the Pointers tallied 10 points-in-the-paint.
With the victory, the Falcons remain in the top three of the WIAC behind UW-La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire. UWRF is back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 10 when it hosts the Eagles from UW-La Crosse. The tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Karges Center.
