WHITEWATER, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (9-8, 3-4) hung with No. 24 UW-Whitewater (15-3, 4-3), but came up short in an 80-74 loss to the Warhawks on Wednesday.
 
Junior MJ Delmore (Wisconsin Dells, Wis./Wisconsin Dells) scored 22 points, one shy of his season high, and dished out six assists to lead UWSP.  Senior Bryce Williams (Maple Grove, Minn./Spring Lake Park) and Brad Freeborn (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) each scored in double figures with 16 and 12 points, respectively. 
 
Ethan Bublitz (Jackson, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) scored the first four UWSP points in the game, his only four points, but the Pointers trailed early, 13-4.  UWSP went on an 11-2 run aided by four points from Freeborn and a three by Drew Fredrickson (Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb) to pull even at 15-15. 
 
Later in the half, Fredrickson buried another from behind the arc to tie the game at 20-20.  Delmore hit three free throws and Brett Tauber (Madison, Wis./Memorial) nailed a three as the Pointers pulled ahead by four with just under six to play in the half.  However, a 7-0 run by the Warhawks turned the tide back to the home side which led by four at the break.
 
Delmore started the second half with a three and scored five-straight UWSP points.  Williams drilled a pair of threes and the Pointers inched ahead by one at 49-48.  UWW posted a 7-0 run over the next three minutes and Freeborn answered with back-to-back threes as part of a nine-point spurt by the Pointers.
 
After a 62-62 tie, the Warhawks again put up seven-straight points to go ahead for good with four minutes remaining.  Delmore had seven points down the stretch, but UWSP was not able to get closer than four points the rest of the way.
 
The Pointers host UW-River Falls on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. before heading back on the WIAC road for a pair of games at UW-Oshkosh and UW-Eau Claire.