Box Score

STEVENS POINT – In front of a capacity crowd at Quandt Fieldhouse on Bennett Court Wednesday evening, the No. 1 UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team could not overcome a slow start in the second half, falling to fifth-ranked UW-Whitewater 61-58 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) action.

The Pointers came out hot, scoring the first seven points of the game before the Warhawks managed to get on the board. Jerrel Harris (Whitefish Bay) kept the Pointers momentum going with seven of his total nine points in a 2:34 second span pushing the lead to 21-7.

UW-Whitewater's Dupree Fletcher hit a three pointer with 10 seconds remaining in the half but the Pointers Jared Jenkins (Milwaukee) answered back with a buzzer beating three pointer of his own giving him a game high 11 points in the first half.

The Warhawks managed just 21 points while shooting 30.4 percent in the first half to put them in a 15 point deficit at 21-36.

In the second half the Warhawks came out on a 13-3 run to start the second half narrowing the margin to 39-37 in the first 8:10 of the second half. The Pointers shot just 1-11 from the field during that span.

The Pointers continued to struggle in the second half shooting just 32.1 percent putting themselves in a 12 point deficit at 41-53.

In a back and forth game the Pointers started a run of their own thanks to Louis Hurd's (Portage) jumper at the 5:17 mark. Ross Forman (Minneapolis, MN) hit two free throws to finish up the Pointers 17-4 run giving the Pointers a 58-57 lead with 27 seconds left.

The Warhawks went up by one with a layup from Dupree Fletcher and the Pointers followed it up with a costly turnover giving the ball back to the Warhawks. Dustin Mitchell then hit two free throws to give the Warhawks a three point lead with just four seconds left.

Matt Moses (Fond du Lac) had a look at a three point shot at the buzzer but couldn't convert leaving the Pointers on the wrong end of a 61-58 final.

The Pointers had three players in double figures; Hurd with 13, Jenkins with 13 and Moses with 12.

Phil Negri had 14 of his 16 points in the second stanza while Dustin Mitchell added 12 of his 15 points in the second half to help lead the Warhawks second half surge. Dupree Fletcher also had 14 points in the game.

The Pointers next game is Saturday, January 30th against the UW- Superior Yellowjackets, tipping off at 5 p.m. in the Quant Fieldhouse on Bennett Court.