STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (11-5, 3-2) dug out of a 17-point first-half hole only to see a one-point lead dissipate with just 11 seconds left in a 63-62 loss to UW-Eau Claire (11-5, 2-3) on Saturday in Quandt Fieldhouse.
 
Ethan Bublitz (Jackson, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) led all scorers with 25 points and he tied teammate Blake Ehrke (Deerfield, Wis./Deerfield) with a game-high eight rebounds.  Ehrke added 13 points, the only other UWSP player in double figures.
 
By the time Bublitz made UWSP's first field goal 5:21 into the game, the Pointers trailed by a 17-1 score.  Bublitz scored the Pointers' first eight points and had 12 at halftime, but UWSP was behind 35-24 at the break.
 
The Pointers continued to chip away at the deficit with a 6-0 run early in the second half.  Seven-straight point by Bublitz got UWSP within four with 13:15 remaining. Bublitz then knocked down four-straight free throws to tie the game at 45-45 midway through the second half.
 
Ehrke nailed a three with 9:01 left to knot the game 49-all.  Matt Koerner (West Bend, Wis./West) got in on the three-point barrage for a 56-56 tie with 5:06 left.  Garrett Nelson (Beaver Dam, Wis./Beaver Dam) completed an and-one with 3:46 remaining as UWSP gained its largest lead at 60-58.  An Ehrke layup with 2:08 left gave UWSP a 62-61 lead, but a put back off a missed layup with 11 seconds left let the Blugolds escape with the win.
 
The Pointers travel to Oshkosh to face the reigning national champions on Wednesday (Jan. 22). Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.