Quardell Young came up big – both offensively and defensively – in the final seconds Wednesday night for the No. 1 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team.

The senior guard drove for a lay-up with eight seconds remaining to give the Warhawks the lead, then blocked a last-second shot attempt to help the team preserve a 65-64 victory at UW-Platteville in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown at Bo Ryan Court.

Young finished with 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, to lead UW-Whitewater (17-2 overall, 10-0 WIAC), which remained atop the WIAC standings with its 11th consecutive win.

The Pioneers (13-6, 6-4) shot 46.5 percent from the field, compared to 43.3 percent for the Warhawks, and hit 20-of-23 at the free throw line, making four times as many as the UW-Whitewater attempted.

The Warhawks compensated by grabbing 12 offensive rebounds for 12 second-chance points and converting 15 points off 14 UW-Platteville turnovers.

Senior guard Cody Odegaard tallied 12 points and hit 5-of-10 from the field. Senior wing KJ Evavs fought through foul trouble in the second half to finish with nine points and six rebounds, while junior wing Xzavier Moananu posted nine points, a team-high eight rebounds and two steals.

The game featured 12 ties and 15 lead changes, and neither team led by more than two possessions throughout the affair.

In the first half, UW-Whitewater took its largest lead of the period at 24-20 with 6:59 remaining following back-to-back lay-ups by senior forward Steve Egan and senior wing KJ Evans.

The Pioneers converted 7-of-9 at the free throw line, compared to 2-for-3 for the Warhawks, in the half.

The second half remained tightly contested. Evans picked up his fourth foul with 12:40, and UW-Platteville took its largest lead of the game, 45-39, at the 11:57 mark.

UW-Whitewater tied the game at 47-47 following a 3-point play by Moananu, and the two teams continued to exchange baskets.

Odegaard rattled off five straight points to tie the game at 60-60 with 2:36 on the clock, and Young gave the Warhawks their first lead since the 13:38 mark of the half with a 3-pointer to make it 63-60 with 2:15 remaining.

On the ensuing possession, senior starting forward Steve Egan picked up his fifth foul, and the Pioneers hit both free throws to narrow their deficit to one.

UW-Platteville took a 64-63 advantage with 27 seconds to play after a pair of free throws to set the stage for Young's heroics.

Young dribbled near the top of the key, drove left around a pair of defenders and layed the ball in on the left side of the rim to put UW-Whitewater up one.

After a timeout by UW-Platteville, Young stretched out to block Peyton River's 3-point attempt from near the top of the key, and Evans tipped the ball toward half court, sending the clock to zero.

The Warhawks return home to host UW-La Crosse this Saturday at 7 p.m. at Kachel Gymnasium. Any UW-Whitewater faculty and staff in attendance will receive free admission for two with photo ID.