STEVENS POINT, Wis. – A career-high 30 points from Stephen Pelkofer were not enough for the UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team in an 81-79 overtime loss to UW-River Falls on Alumni Day at Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse on Saturday night.
Pelkofer shot 11-for-24 from the field, including a jumper with 25 seconds left to send the game to overtime, but UW-Stevens Point (11-10, 4-6 WIAC) shot just 2-for-10 from the floor in the extra session. UW-River Falls (13-8, 7-3 WIAC) was 3-for-5 from the floor and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line in overtime and had four players in double figures in the game.
The Pointers and Falcons were tied at 69-69 heading to overtime after Pelkofer's late jumper. The teams traded leads early in the extra session before UW-River Falls built a 77-74 lead with 2:27 remaining on four consecutive points by Grant Erickson.
Sean McGann tied the score for the 11th time in the game with a three-pointer with 1:54 to go. After a layup by Erickson, each team made one of two free throws, leaving the Falcons up 80-78 with 25 seconds to go. The teams again traded 1-for-2 trips to the line, giving the Pointers a chance to win or tie in the final eight seconds, but a three by McGann and a fadeaway jumper by Pelkofer would not go.
The two teams were tied on five occasions in the final five minutes of regulation and neither team led by more than two down the stretch. A Devin Buckley three with 2:11 to go put the visitors up 64-62 but Pelkofer answered with one of his four threes to give UWSP a one-point lead.
Shortly thereafter, the Pointers and Falcons were locked at 67-67 with 47 seconds to go after Ethan Bublitz calmly hit both free throws. Jack Herum's layup after an offensive rebound gave the visitors a 69-67 lead with 34 seconds left in regulation before Pelkofer's jumper sent the game to overtime.
In addition to Pelkofer's career-high 30 points, Bublitz had a career-high 21 points and eight boards. The freshman shot 3-for-5 from behind the arc and 10-for-11 from the free-throw line in the game. Pelkofer, Bublitz and McGann combined for 68 of UW-Stevens Point's 79 points in the game.
Erickson paced the Falcons with 18 points and eight rebounds and did most of his damage at the charity stripe, where he was 10-for-12. Jon Christensen added 17 points and seven rebounds, Herum had 11 and Buckley scored 12 off the bench after a scoreless first half.
UW-River Falls outscored UW-Stevens Point 26-10 in the paint and 24-3 off the bench but the Pointers made 10 threes to the Falcons' five and committed just six turnovers. The Falcons shot 52.2 percent (24-for-46) from the field and were 28-for-37 (75.7 percent) at the line, while the Pointers shot 39.7 percent (23-for-58) from the floor and 76.7 percent (23-for-30) from the charity stripe.
Pelkofer scored 11 of UW-Stevens Point's first 13 points in the first 4:14 of the game to get the hosts out to an early lead. After UW-River Falls took a 14-13 advantage, the Pointers went on a 10-0 run to go up nine but the Falcons countered with a 9-0 run to tie matters at 23-23.
UW-Stevens Point opened up an eight-point lead, 42-34, with 16:38 remaining in the second half but UW-River Falls gradually climbed back into the game down the stretch. The Pointers led for 31:25 in the game, compared to 8:33 for the Falcons in a game that featured 13 lead changes.
The Pointers play at UW-Stout on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. in Menomonie before returning home to face UW-Eau Claire on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 3 p.m. on Senior Night at Quandt Fieldhouse.