STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Senior Bryce Williams (Maple Grove, Minn./Spring Lake Park) scored 17 of his game-high 31 in the second half, but the UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (6-5, 0-1) came up short in a 73-68 loss to UW-Oshkosh (8-4, 1-0) in the conference opener on Wednesday.  Williams' 31 points are the most in a game by a Pointer this season.
 
Junior MJ Delmore (Wisconsin Dells, Wis./Wisconsin Dells) added nine points for UWSP.  Williams had five rebounds to lead the Pointers. 
 
Senior Aaron Retlaff and Delmore accounted for the first five UWSP points to keep the game tied early.  Williams then scored the next 12 points for UWSP to put the Pointers up 17-15 at the midpoint of the first half.  Later in the half, Sophomore Canon O'Heron (Bangor, Wis./Bangor) scored to make it 24-24, but UWO ended the half with a 9-2 run.
 
The Titans scored on five of their first six shots of the second half to build a 14-point lead over UWSP.  Williams hit a three with 14:35 to go to cut the deficit to single digits.  Later he was fouled on a three and converted all three to pull the Pointers within five.  Then with 10 minutes to go, Williams again hit from behind the arc to knot the game at 50-50.
 
UWO went on a 12-1 run from there to put the Pointers down by double digits.  With just over a minute remaining, another Williams three cut to deficit to five.  Drew Fredrickson (Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb) converted a four-point play with 27 seconds left to pull UWSP within three, but a pair of UWO free throws sealed to win.
 
The Pointers head to UW-La Crosse on Saturday for a 5:00 p.m. matchup with the Eagles.  UWSP is back home next Wednesday (Jan. 11) against UW-Stout at 7:00 p.m.