STEVENS POINT, Wis. – For the third game in a row, the No. 18-ranked UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team never trailed, as the Pointers remained unbeaten in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play with a 57-46 victory over UW-La Crosse on Wednesday evening at Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse.

Box Score

Stephen Pelkofer (Hales Corner, WI/Whitnall) hit a three-pointer 30 seconds into the game and UW-Stevens Point (12-3, 6-0 WIAC) led the rest of the way. Four players scored in double figures for UWSP, which recorded its 26th win in the last 28 meetings with UW-La Crosse (7-8, 2-4 WIAC). The Pointers have won 21-straight home games against the Eagles, dating back to Feb. 4, 1998.

UW-Stevens Point led by five with 8:42 remaining in the game but used a 7-0 run to reclaim a double-digit lead with under five minutes to go. Jordan Lutz (Amherst, WI/Amherst) started the run with a three-point play and Alex Richard (Spring Green, WI/River Valley) accounted for the other four points, while the Pointers' defense held the Eagles scoreless for nearly four minutes.

The closest UW-La Crosse got in the final 4:39 was eight points and UWSP led by as many as 13 in the final minute. Richard scored nine of his 11 points in the second half and the Pointers did not commit a turnover after the break.

The Eagles trimmed UW-Stevens Point's seven-point halftime lead to five when Cale Zuiker opened the second half with a jumper for two of his 17 points. However, the Pointers then scored seven-straight points, five by Austin Ryf (Winneconne, WI/Winneconne) and a transition dunk by Joe Ritchay (Wisconsin Rapids, WI/Lincoln), giving UWSP its largest lead of the game at the time.

After a tight first eight minutes, UW-Stevens Point established a six-point led at 23-17 with 7:31 left in the first half. UW-La Crosse responded by holding the Pointers scoreless for the next 6:17 to get within one before Ryf and Lutz hit late threes to give UWSP a seven-point edge at the half.

Ryf led the Pointers with 13 points on 5-for-9 from the field, including 3-for-5 from behind the arc. Richard and Pelkofer added 11 points each, while Lutz chipped in with 10.

Zuiker added nine rebounds to his 17 points to lead UW-La Crosse. Jared Staege scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half and made all three of his three-point attempts in the game.

UW-Stevens Point shot 44.4 percent from the field, 57.1 percent in the first half, and held UW-La Crosse to 35.6 percent shooting. The Eagles were 6-for-19 (31.6 percent) from behind the arc, while the Pointers were 6-for-14 (42.9 percent). After not attempting a free-throw in the first half, UWSP was 11-for-13 at the line in the final 20 minutes.

The Pointers travel to River Falls to take on the Falcons (6-9, 4-2 WIAC) on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m.