Box Score It took a three-pointer at the buzzer for UW-Stevens Point to beat UW-Whitewater two months ago, but this time the Pointers relied on a missed Warhawks' three at the horn and plenty of Pete Rortvedt (Minocqua/Lakeland) for an 83-80 win over the Warhawks on Wednesday in Whitewater.

Rortvedt finished with a career-high 35 points and had seven three-pointers, including three during a decisive second half run, to help the second-ranked Pointers improve to 19-2 overall and 12-1 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. UW-Whitewater had a well-guarded three-pointer miss at the final horn as the Warhawks slipped to 14-8 overall and 7-6 in the WIAC.

Steve Hicklin (Sussex/Hamilton) also had a big night for the Pointers with 21 points and hit a short range jumper to tie the game for the 10th time at 58-58 with 10:50 remaining. Following a Warhawks' turnover, Rortvedt drained a three-pointer and Cory Krautkramer added a layup as the Pointers never trailed again. Rortvedt later hit back-to-back threes to cap a 17-5 run as UW-Stevens Point had its biggest lead at 73-63 with 4:59 left.

UW-Whitewater scored six straight points and cut the lead to four points at four different times in the next four minutes, but the Pointers answered with a basket every time. On the final possession of the see-saw stretch, Khalifa El-Amin (Milwaukee/Rufus King) scored his only points of the game with 48 seconds left to put UW-Stevens Point ahead 81-75.

Anthony Mlachnik later hit three free throws to bring the Warhawks back within three points with 25 seconds left, but Drew Jackson (Milwaukee/Rufus King) hit two free throws for his only points of the game with 16 seconds left for a five-point lead. UW-Whitewater's Josh King drove the lane for a dunk with six second left and Hicklin missed the front end of a bonus with five seconds remaining, giving the Warhawks a chance to tie the game.

UW-Stevens Point, which on Dec. 7 took advantage of two missed front ends of bonus situations before a Bryan Beamish (Wisconsin Rapids/Lincoln) three-pointer at the buzzer beat the Warhawks 75-73, hung on for the win as Mlachnik had a three-pointer miss as time expired.

The Pointers held a brief six-point lead in the first half and UW-Whitewater's Jason Price made a three-pointer in the closing seconds for a 40-35 halftime lead as the only two situations where either team led by more than four points in the first half. The game remained tight for the first portion of the second half until the Pointers' big run.

UW-Stevens Point was in serious foul trouble all night with starters El-Amin and Beamish each saddled with four fouls with 12 minutes left. However, the Pointers got a huge lift off the bench from Krautkramer and Jackson, who each played over 20 minutes. Jon Krull had 13 points for the Pointers, who shot 58.1 percent in the second half and 49.2 percent for the game. They also had just five turnovers against a Warhawks' defense that forces 18.3 turnovers per game.

Price finished with 26 points and Mike Toellner added 15 points for the Warhawks, who shot 49.1 percent and had 15 turnovers.