OSHKOSH, Wis. – Stephen Pelkofer scored 23 points and the UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team held UW-Oshkosh to 27.1 percent shooting to record its third consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) victory with a 55-42 road win on Saturday afternoon at Kolf Sports Center.
Pelkofer shot 8-for-13 from the field, 3-for-5 from behind the arc and made all four of his free throws on his way to a game-high 23 and also grabbed six rebounds for UW-Stevens Point (11-8, 4-4 WIAC). The Pointers held UW-Oshkosh (11-4, 4-4 WIAC) to season-lows in points and field-goal percentage.
UW-Stevens Point trailed UW-Oshkosh 34-33 with 10:38 remaining in the second half before going on a 12-1 to take a 10-point lead. Zack Goedeke and Sean McGann each scored four points during the run and the Titans missed 10 consecutive shots from the floor as the Pointers built the first double-digit point lead of the game.
UW-Stevens Point led by at least eight the rest of the way and ended the game on a 20-7 run, holding UW-Oshkosh to two field goals over the final 7:55 of the contest. In addition to Pelkofer's fourth 20-point performance of the season, Goedeke finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, while Ethan Bublitz added 10 for the Pointers.
Alex Olson led UW-Oshkosh with 14 points but the Pointers held the Titans' leading scorer to 4-for-16 shooting. UW-Stevens Point also limited Charlie Noone and Ben Boots, both double-digit scorers, to a combined 13 points on 4-for-21 from the field.
UW-Stevens Point shot 36.5 percent (19-for-52) from the field but went 14-for-16 (87.5 percent) from the free-throw line, including a perfect 12-for-12 in the second half. UW-Oshkosh enjoyed a 15-4 advantage in bench points but was just 3-for-20 (15.0 percent) from behind the arc.
The Pointers held the Titans scoreless for the first 5:52 of the game as the hosts missed their first seven shots. UW-Stevens Point managed just six points in the opening 5:52 but its 6-0 lead was the biggest for either team in a low-scoring first half that ended with the visitors up 21-20.
UW-Stevens Point committed just seven turnovers in the game and forced UW-Oshkosh into 13. The Titans had 15 offensive rebounds in the game but could only turn them into five points.
The Pointers have two home games next week, beginning with a matchup with UW-Whitewater on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. at Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse.