STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Sean McGann (Baraboo, WI/Baraboo), Ethan Bublitz (Jackson, WI/Kettle Moraine Lutheran) and Stephen Pelkofer (Hales Corner, WI/Whitnall) combined to score 56 points and No. 9 UW-Stevens Point held off a second-half rally to defeat No. 15 St. Olaf 68-65 on Wednesday evening at Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse.

Box Score

Bublitz scored a career-high 20 points, McGann recorded his first-career double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds and Pelkofer added 17 points and a career-high seven assists for UW-Stevens Point (2-0). Ben Figini led three St. Olaf (1-1) players in double figures with 20 points.

The win was the Pointers' sixth in a row against ranked teams and their 13th in their last 14 home games against top-25 teams. UW-Stevens Point is 32-16 against ranked teams since 2007-08.

UW-Stevens Point shot 64.0 percent in the first half to get out to a 13-point lead at halftime and led by eight with 6:45 remaining. However, St. Olaf used a 6-0 run to get within two with 5:25 to go only for Bublitz to score five-straight UWSP points to increase the lead back to six with 3:06 to play.

The Oles responded with a layup by Austin Majeskie and a three-pointer by Justin Pahl to get within one with 1:57 on the clock. Out of a timeout, Pelkofer nailed a jumper to make it 68-65 and the teams traded misses, leaving it a three-point game. With time running out, Riley Aeikens missed a deep three-pointer from the top of the key as the Pointers held on for the win.

Bublitz shot 7-for-10 from the field, including 5-for-6 from behind the arc, in 39 minutes. McGann shot 8-for-15 from the field on his way to a career-high 19 points. Pelkofer shot 6-for-15 on the night as the trio combined for 56 of UW-Stevens Point's 68 points.

Figini made 6-of-15 shots from the field and 8-of-11 free throws to lead three Oles in double figures. Pahl was 5-for-9 from the field, including a pair of threes, while Aeikens pitched in with 12 points.

St. Olaf held a 30-14 advantage in points in the paint in the game and outscored the Pointers 20-7 from the free-throw line. UW-Stevens Point shot 11-for-23 (47.8 percent) from three-point range to outscore the Oles 33-9 from behind the arc.

St. Olaf's only lead in the game was 2-0 after Aeikens opened the scoring but the lead lasted just 17 seconds. McGann scored 11 of UW-Stevens Point's first 13 points in the early stages of the first half and jumpstarted a 10-3 run that gave the Pointers a 17-7 lead after nine minutes. UW-Stevens Point's 13-point halftime advantage was its largest of the opening half.

UW-Stevens Point faces its second consecutive ranked opponent by taking on No. 16 Hope on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse.