WHITEWATER, Wis. – Senior Garrett Nelson (Beaver Dam, Wis./Beaver Dam) scored four points in the final 92 seconds as the UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (1-0) prevailed for a 70-68 win at UW-Whitewater (0-1).
 
Junior Philip Flory (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Oshkosh North) led all scorers with 26 points in the game, including an 8-for-8 effort at the free-throw line.  He also led UWSP with six rebounds in the game.
 
Nelson added 17 points with three boards and two steals.  Sophomore Cliff McCray (Madison, Wis./West) scored six points in his Pointers' debut.
 
Flory threw down a dunk as part of a 4-0 personal run as UWSP looked to erase a 6-0 start by UWW.  Freshman Elijah Vander Velden (Huntington, Ind./Wabash) scored his first collegiate points as the Pointers tied the game at 13-13.
 
Nelson and Zach Mootz (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) each hit from behind the arc as UWSP held a narrow 23-21 edge with 6:26 left in the first half.  Freshman Ryan Genrich (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) scored his first career points in the final minutes, but UWW held a one-point lead, 30-29, at the break.
 
Flory and Nelson combined for UWSP's first nine points of the second half and Mootz made a layup to push the Pointers' lead to 40-34.  Senior Brady Wagner (Lake Mills, Wis./Lake Mills) nailed a three five minutes into the second half to give UWSP a 10-point lead, the largest by either team in the game.
 
UWW posted a 16-5 run and UWSP was behind by one with 7:30 remaining.  Peter Timmerman (Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert Catholic) drained a three-pointer to give the Pointers a brief two-possession lead.  Then with 2:25 remaining, Flory competed an and-one for a 66-65 lead, the 15th and final lead change of the game.  Nelson put up four-straight points and UWSP avoided a last gasp three at the buzzer for the win.
 
The Pointers host UW-Whitewater on Friday (Feb. 5) in the home opener.  Tipoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. on Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse.