For the first eight-and-a-half minutes of their game at Wisconsin-Platteville on Friday night, the Hope Flying Dutchmen played the host Pioneers to a 13-13 tie. But over the next three minutes, the Pioneers scored 18 unanswered points, moving the score to 31-13 at the halfway point of the first half. The Dutchmen would never recover from that flurry of offense and suffered a road loss with a 85-60 final score.

The defeat moves Hope's record to 3-3. Wisconsin-Platteville is 7-1.

Hope closed the gap to a nine-point deficit at halftime, 40-31, but three quick baskets by the Pioneers to start the second half set Platteville's offensive tone again. Two free throws by junior forward Dennis Towns of Flint (Power Catholic HS) brought the Flying Dutchmen back within 11 points at 16:13 in the second half; it was the closest they would get to the Pioneers for the rest of the game.

The Flying Dutchmen were led by junior guard Jeff Goral of Palos Heights, Illinois (Amos Alonzo Stagg HS) who scored 13 points, his career high, in 15 minutes of play off the bench. Junior forward Teddy Ray of Fort Wayne, Indiana (Homestead HS) notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Jason Beckman of Shelby, Michigan (Shelby), Hope's leading scorer on the season, was held to nine points.

Robert Duax and Quentin Schields led Wisconsin-Platteville with 21 and 17 points, respectively.

The Flying Dutchmen pulled down 31 rebounds overall to the Pioneer's 35. Hope turned the ball over eight more times, though, (18-10), and Wisconsin-Platteville took advantage, scoring 27 points off of turnovers to Hope's eight.

The Flying Dutchmen shot 35.8% from the field for the game, their lowest percentage from the floor on the season. Wisconsin-Platteville shot 46.9% from the field.

Hope remains in Wisconsin to play the Pointers of Stevens Point tomorrow afternoon. Tipoff is 3:00 pm CST (4:00 pm EST).