PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Four University of Wisconsin-Platteville athletic teams will compete this week, with wrestling and men's basketball hosting contests at home. Football travels to Bethel on Saturday for the third round of the NCAA DIII Playoffs, while women's basketball hits the road this weekend.
Wrestling to Host Two Duals
The Pioneers wrestling team will host a pair of home duals this week, starting with a conference matchup on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. against UW-La Crosse. UW-Platteville then welcomes in Dubuque on Friday at 6 p.m. for Alumni Night and the annual Headlocking Hunger match.
The Eagles were ranked fifth in the preseason National Wrestling Coaches Association top 25 and have backed up that ranking by going 3-0 in duals this season. Wednesday's dual at UW-Platteville will be UW-La Crosse's first conference matchup of the season.
The Spartans won their lone dual of the season 43-10 over Simpson college in early November. Dubuque is coming off a good showing at the Concordia Wisconsin Invite, with Kale Roth (165) and Justin Matson (285) each finishing second in their brackets.
Football Plays Third Round Game at Bethel
After beating Alma in a snowy matchup this past weekend, the Pioneers football team will travel to Bethel on Saturday for the third round of the NCAA DIII Football Championships. Kickoff is set for noon from Royal Stadium in Arden Hills, Minnesota.
The Royals advanced to the third round after beating Coe 51-26 this past weekend. Quarterback Cooper Drews was the driving force in the win, as he threw three touchdowns while rushing for three more. Coe was held to just 289 yards of total offense, with Jake Borman posting a team-high 14 tackles for Bethel.
Women's Basketball Heads to Augustana
The Pioneers women's basketball team carries a two-game winning streak into this weekend's road game against Augustana (Ill.) on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
The Vikings improved to 3-1 on the year after beating Webster 77-38 over the weekend. A balanced scoring attack sees three players averaging double-digit points per game, with Audrey Erickson leading the way with 11.8. Jazmeriah Jones and Paige Melton are tied for second on the team with 10.5 points per game.
Men's Basketball at Home Saturday
The Pioneers men's basketball team will play its lone home game this month on Saturday at 5 p.m. against Dubuque.
The Spartans are off to a perfect 5-0 start and have scored at least 86 points in all five of their contests this season. Much of that production comes from the duo of Grady Thompson and Jacob Williams. Thompson is averaging a team-high 22.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while Williams is scoring 20.4 points per game while shooting 56.1 percent from the floor.
