SUPERIOR, Wis. – The fifth-ranked UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team earned a share of its 29th Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) regular season championship with a come-from-behind 70-60 victory at UW-Superior on Saturday afternoon at Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium.
Box Score UW-Superior (9-16, 3-13 WIAC) held a six-point lead at the half but UW-Stevens Point (21-4, 15-1 WIAC) outscored the Yellowjackets 43-27 in the second half to clinch at least a share of the title. The Pointers shot 61.1 percent from the field in the second half and
Austin Ryf (Winneconne, WI/Winneconne) knocked down all 10 of his free throws, including eight in the final 57 seconds.
The regular season championship is the third in a row for UW-Stevens Point and the team's fourth in the last five seasons. UWSP shares the title with UW-Whitewater after the Warhawks topped UW-Stout, giving both teams 15-1 marks in the WIAC this season. The top seed in the WIAC Tournament will be decided by a coin flip
UW-Superior led 33-27 at the half before UW-Stevens Point took its first lead of the second half at 39-38 with 15:07 to go on a layup by
Sean McGann (Baraboo, WI/Baraboo). With the score tied at 43-43, UWSP went on an 11-2 run to take a nine-point lead with 6:32 left.
The Yellowjackets scored the next six points to get back within three but that was as close as the hosts would get the rest of the way. A four-point play by
Jordan Lutz (Amherst, WI/Amherst) put an end to the UWS 6-0 run and Ryf's free-throw shooting ensured the win.
Ryf led four UWSP players in double figures with 18 points. Lutz added 17 on 5-for-9 from the field, including 4-for-6 from behind the arc.
Alex Richard (Spring Green, WI/River Valley) and
Sean McGann (Baraboo, WI/Baraboo) chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Ty Ketz scored a game-high 22 points on 7-for-16 shooting for the Yellowjackets. Brian Lindblom tallied 19 points and Zach Schradle had a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
UW-Stevens Point shot 55.3 percent from the field in the game and had assists on 17 of 21 baskets. The Pointers also drained 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) from behind the arc and 17-of-20 (85.0 percent) from the free-throw line.
UW-Superior shot 41.5 percent from the floor but the Pointers held the Yellowjackets to just seven field goals and 36.8 percent shooting in the second half.
Regardless of the outcome of the coin flip, the Pointers will have a first-round bye in the WIAC Tournament. UWSP will open the tournament at home on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.
