UW-L Falls at UW-Stevens Point in Overtime in WIAC Quarterfinal

For Immediate Release: Monday, February 25, 2008

Stevens Point, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team fell 74-66 in overtime at UW-Stevens Point Monday night in a WIAC Tournament Quarterfinal in Quandt Fieldhouse. The Eagles finish their season at 11-15 while the Pointers, ranked fifth in the country, improve to 21-5. UW-Stevens Point will host UW-Eau Claire in the tournament semifinals Wednesday, February 27.

The Pointers scored the first seven points of the game Monday night and lead 25-17 with 3:30 remaining in the first half. UW-Stevens Point led 27-20 at halftime.

UW-Stevens Point scored the first points of the second half to lead 29-20 before UW-L went on a 8-1 run to cut the deficit to 30-28. The Pointers led 42-38 with 9:36 left before the Eagles scored the game's next 11 points to lead 49-42 with 6:24 remaining. Tony Mane hit three three-point field goals in the run.

UW-L led 51-46 with 4:13 left and 55-50 with 1:47 remaining after a Mane layup. UW-Stevens Point scored the next five points to force a 55-55 tie as Pete Rortvedt hit a jumper and three-pointer. Billy Kegler gave the Eagles a two-point lead at 57-55 with :16 left on a tip-in, but Jared Jenkins tied it with :11 left for the Pointers. Jenkins was fouled on the play, but missed the free throw. UW-Stevens Point got the offensive rebound and after a timeout, Steve Hicklin's three-pointer with :03 was short and the game went into overtime.

Mane gave UW-L a 63-61 lead on a layup with 3:11 left, but UW-Stevens Point later took a 64-63 lead on a Bryan Beamish free throw. The Pointers led 68-63 with 1:23 remaining, but the Eagles' Austin Scott converted on a three-point play to cut the lead to 68-66 with just over a minute left. UW-Stevens Point then scored the final six points to secure the win as UW-L missed its last four shots from the field.

Mane led UW-L with a career-high 37 points, finishing 15-of-32 from the field, including four-of-13 from three-point range. He was also three-of-three at the free throw line. Mane's 37 points ties the WIAC Tournament single-game school record while his 15 field goals made is a conference tournament record. The 32 field goal attempts is also a school record. Scott added 11 points for the Eagles. Kegler had a team-high eight rebounds.

UW-L shot 39.1% from the field, including 25.0% (six-of-24) from three-point range. The Eagles were six-of-six at the line.

Rortvedt led UW-Stevens Point with 17 points while Louis Hurd and Beamish each totaled 10. The Pointers shot 46.7% from the field, including 26.7% (four-of-15) from three-point range. The team was 14-of-19 (73.7%) at the line.