STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (8-7, 1-3) trailed from the opening tip in a 62-51 loss to visiting No. 10 UW-La Crosse (12-3, 3-1) on Saturday.
 
Ryan Genrich (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) led the Pointers in scoring with 15 points. AJ Makinen (Waterford, Wis./Muskego) was also in double figures with 13.
 
Makinen got UWSP on the board three and a half minutes in with the first of UWSP's seven made three-pointers in the game. He hit another triple, but UWL built a 15-8 lead midway through the first half.
 
Genrich buried a three to get UWSP within four at 17-13. But the Eagles posted an 11-1 run to double up UWSP, 28-14, with 5:27 left in the first half. Zach Mootz (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) scored a late bucket and the deficit was 39-23 at the half.
 
Genrich scored UWSP's first points of the second half, a three-pointer. Myles Coleman (Milwaukee, Wis./Brookfield Central) and Luke Warden (Green Bay, Wis./Notre Dame Academy) scored on back-to-back possessions as UWSP tried to climb back.
 
Just after the midpoint of the second half, Makinen nailed another three to get UWSP within 11. Genrich and Makinen hit from beyond the arc on consecutive possessions. Josiah Gillie (Milwaukee, Wis./West Allis) scored four late points, but UWSP couldn't get within single digits the rest of the game.
 
The Pointers travel to UW-River Falls on Wednesday (Jan. 11) for a 7:00 p.m. tilt against the Falcons.