STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (8-5, 2-1) made seven of its eight free throws in the final minute to secure a 71-68 win over conference co-leader UW-Stout (11-3, 2-1) on Wednesday.
Junior
MJ Delmore (Wisconsin Dells, Wis./Wisconsin Dells) led all players with a career-high 23 points. Senior
Bryce Williams (Maple Grove, Minn./Spring Lake Park) added 13 and
Ethan Bublitz (Jackson, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) contributed 10 points. Bublitz and
Brett Tauber (Madison, Wis./Memorial) tied for the team-lead with five rebounds each.
Sophomore
Mark Nelson (Madison, Wis./Monona Grove) buried a three just over a minute in and the Pointers opened a 5-0 lead early. Over the next five minutes, the Blue Devils went on a 9-1 run to take over the lead just before the midpoint of the first half.
Drew Fredrickson (Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb) hit back-to-back threes and Williams nailed his first of the game to cap a 9-0 run and put UWSP back in front, 19-13. Delmore had four-straight points late in the half to spark an 8-2 run as the pulled ahead for a 34-27 advantage at the half.
Delmore opened the second half with a personal 5-0 run with a three and a pair of throws. Minutes later, Tauber buried a three and the lead grew to 14. Senior
Brad Freeborn (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) hit the first of three-straight three-pointers by UWSP to reach a 12-point lead midway through the second half.
UW-Stout put together a 10-2 run to close with four with 5:40 to go. After a couple of Delmore buckets, the Blue Devils strung together nine-straight points to take a one-point lead entering the final minute.
A Bublitz layup gave the Pointers the lead back with 55 seconds remaining. Delmore and Bublitz converted seven of the free throws in the final minute to secure the win.
The Pointers travel to UW-River Falls for a 5:00 p.m. game on Saturday and visit UW-Platteville next Wednesday (Jan. 18) before a return to Stevens Point on Saturday, Jan. 21. That day, the Pointers face UW-Eau Claire at 7:00 p.m.
