STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (1-2) earned its first win of the year with a 65-63 victory over Edgewood (0-2) in the home opener on Saturday.  The Pointers never trailed, but needed a huge block by Elijah Vander Velden (Huntington, Ind./Wabash) with six seconds remaining to seal the win.
 
Senior Brady Wagner (Lake Mills, Wis./Lake Mills) hit a career-high five three-pointers, including going 4-for-4 to begin the game.  Fellow senior Garrett Nelson (Beaver Dam, Wis./Beaver Dam) scored a team-high 17 points.
 
Ryan Genrich (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) led the Pointers with eight rebounds and four assists.
 
Wagner buried two three-pointers early as UWSP opened with an 8-0 lead.  The Eagles got back in the game before Wagner hit twice more from behind the arc to push the lead back to five at 15-10.
 
AJ Makinen (Waterford, Wis./Muskego) scored five-consecutive points and Darrius Bolden (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet) nailed a three as UWSP staved off the Eagles for a 35-26 advantage at the half.
 
Nelson completed an and-one to halt an Edgewood 6-0 run early in the second half.  Wagner drilled another three and Bolden hit back-to-back baskets, but the Pointers were unable to extend their lead.
 
Edgewood used a 10-2 run to close within one with 3:48 left.  Nelson followed with a three.  An Eagles and-one cut the lead back to one.  The teams traded buckets and the game went to the final minute with UWSP clinging to a 64-63 lead.  Then with six seconds left, Vander Velden recorded a massive block in the lane on a potential game-winner as UWSP prevailed.
 
The Pointers will head to Wisconsin Dells on Saturday (Nov. 27) for a 4:00 p.m. game against Lake Forest at the JustAGame Fieldhouse.