PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (1-3, 1-3) fell behind 6-0 and never gained the lead in a 73-68 defeat at UW-Platteville (3-1, 3-1) on Friday.
 
Zach Mootz (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) poured in a career-best 19 points for the Pointers.  Philip Flory (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Oshkosh North) continued to dazzle, leading all scorers with 23 points.
 
Flory scored six points early in the first half, but UWSP trailed by double digits, 25-15, with 9:06 left in the half. Anthony Espensen (Belvidere, Ill./North), Mootz and Flory hit from behind the arc, but the Pointers couldn't crack the UWP lead.
 
Espensen nailed a pair of threes in the second half and a triple by Mootz trimmed the lead to one with 11:11 to go.  Peter Timmerman (Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert Catholic) got UWSP within two with 4:48 remaining with a three-pointer. Flory scored a layup with 51 seconds left, but a pair of missed threes combined with four-straight free throw makes by the Pioneers capped the win for UWP.
 
The Pointers return home to face UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday (Feb. 17) for a 7:00 p.m. matchup with the Titans on Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse.