Box Score
STEVENS POINT – The third-ranked UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team jumped out to a 17-1 lead and never looked back as it defeated Division II Northern Michigan University by a score of 77-52 tonight at Quandt Fieldhouse.
The Pointers improve to 2-0 this season, while the Wildcats fall to 0-1. The Pointers improve to 7-3 against Division II competition since the 1996-97 season. They also get the upper hand in the series improving to 13-12 all-time against Northern Michigan.
The Pointers were hot right from the tip-off. Bryan Beamish (Wisconsin Rapids/Lincoln) (Jr.-Wisconsin Rapids/Lincoln) put one in from down low on the first possession. Then a pair of jumpers from Steve Hicklin (Sussex/Hamilton) (Sr.-Sussex/Hamilton) and three-pointer from Pete Rortvedt (Minocqua/Lakeland) (Jr.-Minocqua/Lakeland) gave the Pointers a 9-0 advantage three minutes into the contest. Stevens Point extended the lead to 17-1 with 12:35 remaining in the first half following another three-point field goal from Rortvedt.
The Wildcats got their first field goal of the game with 11:34 left in the first half as Northern Michigan missed its first nine field goal attempts. The Pointers lead grew to 26 after a Ross Rortvedt (Minocqua/Lakeland) (So.-Minocqua/Lakeland) jumper with 4:52 remaining in the half. Northern Michigan ended the half with an 8-0 run to make the score 40-23 at halftime.
Rortvedt and Hicklin each had nine points in the first half to lead the Points, while Drew Jackson (Milwaukee/Rufus King) (Jr.-Milwaukee/Rufus King) had a team-high five rebounds. The Pointer bench outscored Northern Michigan 13-0 in the half.
The Wildcats got as close as 12 in the second half, but could not get the margin below double digits. With 2:43 left, the Pointers completed a 12-0 run to take a 74-47 lead after a layup by Matt Moses (Fond du Lac/St. Mary Springs) (So.-Fond du Lac/St. Mary's Springs). Stevens Point went on to win easily by a score of 77-52.
The Pointers shot 55 % from the field, while the Wildcats were held to just 39 % shooting. Stevens Point went 12-for-28 from beyond the arc to give them 30 three-point field goals in the first two games.
Pete Rortvedt (Minocqua/Lakeland) led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Khalifa El-Amin (Milwaukee/Rufus King) (Jr.-Milwaukee/Rufus King) added 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Hicklin and Louis Hurd (Portage/Portage) (Fr.-Portage) each scored 11 points. Hicklin also led the team with eight rebounds. Tyler Kazmierkoski led the Wildcats with 12 points.
The Pointers will host Lakeland College Saturday night at Quandt Fieldhouse. The action begins at 7 p.m.
