LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (6-4) closed to within five points late, but could not complete the comeback in a 75-66 loss to No. 13 Wartburg (9-1) at the D3Hoops Classic on Thursday.
 
Junior Nate Dodge (East Troy, Wis./East Troy) led UWSP with 17 points.  He had four boards to go with two assists and a steal.  Senior MJ Delmore (Wisconsin Dells, Wis./Wisconsin Dells) was also in double figures with 15 points.  He grabbed five rebounds and had a steal.
 
Junior Koko Songolo (Madison, Wis./Memorial) scored a career-high nine points in 22 minutes of action.  He added four rebounds, four steals, a block and an assist.  Drew Fredrickson (Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb) also put in nine points with five boards and three assists.
 
Dodge got the Pointers on the board just over three minutes into the game to tie the score at 2-2.  A minute later, he buried a three to put UWSP ahead, 5-4.  Fredrickson pulled the Pointers even at 10-10 with a three-pointer.
 
Midway through the first half, the Knights put together an 8-0 run over a two minute span to push the deficit to 10 at 24-14.  Songolo hit a triple to end the drought and Dodge nailed another three to keep UWSP close.  Wartburg closed the half on a 10-0 spurt as UWSP went scoreless over the final four minutes to trail 40-26 at the half.
 
Delmore ended the scoreless streak a minute and a half into the second stanza, but Wartburg extended its lead to 20 points four minutes in.  Dodge and Delmore combined for three three-pointers to cut the lead to 11.
 
With just over a minute to go, Canon O'Heron (Bangor, Wis./Bangor) scored to pull UWSP within 71-63.  On the next possession, Fredrickson drilled a three to trim the deficit to five, but Wartburg made all four free throws down the stretch to hold off the Pointers.
 
UWSP will face No. 1 Whitman at 8:00 p.m. Central on Friday (Dec. 29) to wrap up non-conference play.