ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The No. 7 UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team got off to a quick start but No. 1 Augustana (Ill.) recovered and shot 57.4 percent from the floor as the Vikings defeated the Pointers 81-58 on Saturday evening at the Carver Center.
Box Score UW-Stevens Point (3-2) made its first four shots to get out to an early 8-3 lead but Augustana (4-0) took its first lead at 11-10 with 14:15 left in the first half and led the rest of the way. The game was a rematch of last season's national title game, won by the Pointers 70-54, and was the first such rematch since 2001-02.
The game was also the fourth of six meetings between the two teams that occured with both teams ranked inside the top 10. The Pointers had won the previous three.
Sean McGann (Baraboo, WI/Baraboo) made three consecutive jumpers and
Stephen Pelkofer (Hales Corner, WI/Whitnall) added one to start the game for UWSP, as the Pointers led 8-3 at the 16:35 mark of the first half. After UW-Stevens Point led 10-5 just 20 seconds later, the Vikings embarked on a 13-0 run, making six of seven shots in the process, to take an 18-10 lead.
Not long after, UW-Stevens Point scored five consecutive points on a three-pointer by
Luke Zuiker (Marshfield, WI/Marshfield) and a
Brett Tauber (Madison, WI/Memorial) jumper to get within 24-19, but that was as close as the visitors would get. The Vikings quickly ended the spurt with six straight points of their own.
Augustana took a 39-26 lead into the locker room at halftime and stretched the lead to 46-28 early in the second half after a Griffin Pils three-pointer. The Vikings shot over 56.0 percent in both halves.
McGann led the Pointers with 18 points on 8-for-17 shooting and also added five rebounds and three assists. Pelkofer was the only other UWSP player in double figures with 10 points.
Brad Freeborn (River Falls, WI/River Falls) and Zuiker each pitched in with eight.
Hunter Hill paced the Vikings with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. Ben Ryan added 16 points and six boards, while Tayvian Johnson had 13 points and five rebounds.
UW-Stevens Point returns to Illinois to face North Central on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. in Naperville.
