LA CROSSE, Wis. – The No. 23 UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (14-4, 4-3) came up short in an 80-77 loss at UW-La Crosse (13-4, 3-4) in the first half finale on Saturday.
 
Junior Josiah Butler (Appleton, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) poured in a game-high and career-best 34 points. He made 10 field goal and 10 free throws with four on his field-goal makes from behind the arc. Logan Baumgartner (Medford, Wis./Medford) also hit four three-pointers and had 16 points. Baumgartner led UWSP with eight rebounds.
 
Baumgartner and Butler combined for three three-pointers and UWSP's first 18 points of the game as the Pointers led, 18-12. Carter Combs (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) buried a three as the lead reached 11, 25-14.
 
Butler, Baumgartner and Isaiah Moore (Chicago, Ill./Evanston Township) each hit from beyond the arc as the lead was 10, 39-29, with 4:37 to go in the first half. Combs hit from deep and Butler buried a three in the final minute for a 47-42 lead at the half.
 
Butler hit another triple early in the second half.  Baumgartner hit from deep and a Butler layup gave UWSP a 59-50 advantage. Butler made another layup ending a five-minute drought from the floor as UWSP held on to the lead, 64-61.
 
Baumgartner gave UWSP a 69-62 lead with a layup with 6:12 to go. But UWL went on a 13-3 run to take a three-point lead with a minute remaining. Butler got UWSP within one with a jumper. UWL hit a three with 12 seconds left to put the game away.
 
The Pointers open the second half of league play at home on Wednesday (Jan. 28). Tipoff in Quandt Fieldhouse is set for 7:00 p.m.