BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Senior Zach Mootz (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) poured in a career-high 23 points as the UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (2-1) rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit for a 71-67 win over host Illinois Wesleyan (1-1) to claim the title of the Jack Sikma HOF Invitational.
 
Mootz scored 23 points, the first time in his career with more than 20, nine of which came in the second half comeback. He was named to the all-tournament team.
 
Jake Buchanan (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) added 15 points, his third-straight double-digit game to begin the season. Buchanan was named tournament MVP.
 
Landon VanCalster (Freedom, Wis./Freedom) scored 10 points, his first career game in double figures.
 
Buchanan and Mootz each hit a three-pointer early as UWSP took 3-0 and 6-2 leads. Mootz hit twice more from behind the arc, but the Titans built a 24-14 lead midway through the first half.
 
Mootz nailed his fourth triple of the half and Buchanan buried another deep ball, but UWSP trailed 38-28, at the half.
 
Brennan Timm (West Bend, Wis./West) and Buchanan each made a three-pointer early in the second half as UWSP cut the deficit to single digits. Myles Coleman (Milwaukee, Wis./Brookfield Central) scored five-straight UWSP points as the deficit hovered near 10 with 13 minutes left.
 
Mootz drilled another three midway through the second half as UWSP chipped away. AJ Makinen (Waterford, Wis./Muskego) cut the deficit to three with a three of his own with 8:04 remaining, but IWU quickly regained a seven-point lead at 65-58. VanCalster scored five and Makinen four points as UWSP ended the game on a 13-2 run for the win.
 
The Pointers travel to Madison on Saturday (Nov. 19) for a 2:00 p.m. game at Edgewood.