STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (0-1) held an eight-point halftime advantage, but visiting St. Olaf (1-0) stormed back for a 76-63 victory in UWSP's home opener.
 
Sophomore Myles Coleman led the Pointers with 14 points.  Jake Buchanan (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) was also in double figures with 10.  Brennan Timm (West Bend, Wis./West) just missed with nine, but Timm led the way with eight rebounds.
 
Buchanan drained a three in the opening minute and Elijah Vander Velden (Huntington, Ind./Wabash) scored on the next possession for a 5-0 lead. After the Pointers fell behind, Josiah Gillie scored his first collegiate basket and two Zach Mootz (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) free throws tied it at 12-all.
 
Coleman capped an 11-0 run by completing an and-one to put UWSP in front, 19-12. AJ Makinen (Waterford, Wis./Muskego) nailed his first three-pointer of the season as UWSP's lead grew to 26-16. The Oles rattled off 10-straight to tie the game at 26-26. Coleman poured in five more points as UWSP ended the first half on an 11-3 run for a 37-29 lead.
 
Gillie and Timm scored on consecutive possessions to begin the second half as UWSP maintained an early double-digit lead. Gillie added four more points and a three by Ryan Genrich (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) gave UWSP a 51-41 lead with 13:23 remaining.
 
Vander Velden hit a jumper for a 53-44 lead, but a four-and-a-half-minute drought saw St. Olaf take a 55-53 lead. Mootz tied it with a layup, but the Oles went on a 10-0 with 4:00 left. Coleman scored six of UWSP's final eight points.
 
The Pointers travel to Illinois for the Jack Sikma HOF Invitational. UWSP will face Webster on Saturday (Nov. 12) with a 6:00 p.m. tipoff to begin the weekend.