UW-L Falls in Double Overtime to Nationally Ranked UW-Platteville

For Immediate Release: Thursday, February 7, 2008

La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team fell 78-77 in double overtime to nationally ranked UW-Platteville Thursday night in Mitchell Hall. The Eagles fall to 10-11 overall and 5-7 in the WIAC while the Pioneers improve to 16-4 overall and 10-2 in the conference.

The game was moved to Thursday after being postponed Wednesday due to inclement weather.

UW-Platteville, ranked 17th on D3hoops.com, led by as many as seven points in the first half at 28-21 with 1:56 remaining. UW-L then finished the half on a 5-0 run to make it 28-26 at intermission.

The contest was tied 10 times in the second half as neither team lead by more than six points. UW-L took a 59-55 lead with 2:24 remaining on a Chris Fehrenbach jumper, but the Pioneers' Jeff Skemp hit three-of-four free throws to cut the lead to 59-58. The Eagles' Brandon Brown scored on a driving layup to make it 61-58 with :48 left and after a Pioneers' timeout, Skemp hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 61-60 with :20 remaining. Brown then converted one-of-two free throws for a 62-60 lead with :19 left setting up a UW-Platteville timeout. Skemp forced the first overtime as he hit a jumper with :05 left.

UW-L scored the first two baskets of the first overtime session to lead 66-62, but UW-Platteville's Curt Hanson scored on a three-point play to make it 66-65. Fehrenbach gave the Eagles a 68-65 lead with 1:55 left on a jumper, but Charlie Lohoff hit his first three-pointer of the game with 1:32 remaining to tie it at 68-68 and force the second overtime.

The Pioneers never trailed in the second overtime, leading by as many as five at 76-71 with 1:10 left. Josh Langenfeld scored four of his six points in the second overtime. The Eagles later cut the lead to 76-75 with :08 left on a Billy Kegler jumper, but Hanson hit two free throws for 78-75 margin. Tony Mane's three-pointer missed for UW-L and Kegler finished the scoring on a follow-up as time expired.

Mane led UW-L with 25 points, finishing 10-of-19 from the field (one-of-seven from three-point range) and four-of-four at the free throw line. Kegler added 15 points and six rebounds while Andrew Haass finished with 10 points and six rebounds. Fehrenbach totaled seven points, six rebounds and five assists.

UW-L shot 52.5% from the field, including 14.3% (two-of-14) from three-point range. The Eagles were 13-of-16 (81.3%) at the line.

Skemp led UW-Platteville with 29 points and 16 rebounds. He was nine-of-18 from the field and 11-of-12 at the line. Hanson added 20 points. The Pioneers shot 43.5% from the field, including 26.7% (four-of-15) from three-point range. UW-Platteville was 20-of-23 (87.0%) at the line.

UW-L returns to action Saturday, February 9 at UW-Oshkosh at 3 p.m.