PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (8-7, 2-3) let a 12-point advantage slip away as host UW-Platteville (8-8, 1-4) nailed 22 second-half free throws including eight in the final two minutes to seal a 76-71 win on Wednesday.
 
Sophomore Ethan Bublitz (Jackson, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) led a trio of Pointers in double figures with 17 points.  Fellow sophomore Mark Nelson (Madison, Wis./Monona Grove) scored 13 and sophomore Canon O'Heron (Bangor, Wis./Bangor) tallied a career-high 10 points.
 
Bublitz and MJ Delmore (Wisconsin Dells, Wis./Wisconsin Dells) hit back-to-back threes as the Pointers opened an 8-2 lead early.  Over the next six minutes, the Pointers extended the lead with a meager 5-2 spurt.  Later in the half, Bublitz followed up a three with a steal and a dunk to put UWSP up by 12.
 
Delmore snapped a three-minute drought by the Pointers with a three-pointer with 1:33 to go in the half.  Aaron Retzlaff (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) hit a bucket in the final minute as UWSP took a six-point lead to the break.
 
Brett Tauber (Madison, Wis./Memorial) and Nelson scored on three-straight possessions early in the second half to hold the lead at six.  Nelson then buried a three to break a 7-0 run by the Pioneers and spark a seven-point streak by the Pointers. 
 
Bryce Williams (Maple Grove, Minn./Spring Lake Park) converted an and-one at the 10:41 mark to put the Pointers up 10.  The Pioneers went on a 9-2 run to cut the UWSP lead to a single possession.  O'Heron and Zack Goedeke (Valders, Wis./Valders) scored on back-to-back offensive trips before UWP put a 9-0 run up to take a two-point lead. 
 
Then with 1:28 to go, Bublitz hit a jumper to put the Pointers in front 71-70, but six-straight free throw makes coupled with a pair of turnovers helped the host complete the comeback.
 
The Pointers host UW-Eau Claire at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.  UWSP alumni will play a game at 4:00 and be introduced at halftime against the Blugolds.