STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (5-5) got within one in the final minute, but were unable to complete the comeback in a 69-67 loss to MSOE (3-9) on Thursday night. The visiting Raiders led from wire to wire.
 
Darrius Bolden (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet) and Josiah Butler (Appleton, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) had 15 points apiece to lead the Pointers. Butler led the way with nine rebounds. Malik Abdul-Wahid (Brookfield, Wis./Brookfield Central) was also in double figures with 11 points.
 
Seth Miron (Appleton, Wis./Kimberly) got UWSP on the board for the only points early as MSOE jumped out to a 12-2 lead. Logan Baumgartner (Medford, Wis./Medford) nailed a three and Bolden completed an and-one cutting the deficit to single digits. Abdul-Wahid added four points as UWSP got within five at 19-14.
 
Ryan Genrich (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) buried a three and Josiah Gillie (Milwaukee, Wis./West Allis) scored four-straight as the Pointers closed the gap to 26-25 with just over two minutes left in the half. MSOE scored the final seven points and UWSP trailed, 33-25, at the half.
 
Genrich and Butler combined for seven points early in the second half, but the Raiders pushed the lead back to double digits, 44-32. Bolden hit a pair of threes as UWSP began to cut into the deficit. Abdul-Wahid had four points to get UWSP within 50-47 with 9:26 to go.
 
The Raiders built the lead back to 10 before Miron drained a three.  Butler hit from beyond the arc and scored five-straight to get UWSP within six. Bolden scored four points and Butler sunk a clutch three to get the deficit to two, 68-66, with 1:22 remaining. Butler made 1-of-2 free throws with 39 seconds to go, but the Pointers were unable to find a game-tying shot as time expired.
 
The Pointers close out the homestand on Saturday (Dec. 30) with a 3:00 p.m. tip-off against Illinois Wesleyan in the non-conference finale.