KENOSHA, Wis. – In the 2026-27 season opener, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team (1-0) used a dominant first half to beat Thiel College 94-66 on Friday afternoon from Tarble Arena at Carthage College.
Senior
Max Lucey led the team in scoring with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including five makes from beyond the arc. Junior
Sawyer Schipper made an impact off the bench, scoring 15 points while dishing out a team-high six assists, while sophomore
Kaden MacKenzie finished just shy of a double-double with 10 points and a team-leading nine rebounds.
Lucey provided the early scoring for the Pioneers, knocking down a three on the opening possession and scoring eight of the first 11 points to push the early lead to nine. Thiel closed the gap to five, but UW-Platteville went on a 16-1 run over a five-minute span to take control and lead 32-12. The Pioneers continued to pour on points in the final five minutes of the half, outscoring the Tomcats 20-9 on 7-of-9 shooting to take a 52-23 lead into the break.
UW-Platteville increased the lead to a game-high 35 points with just under nine minutes to play in the second half after a three-point make by senior
Lucas Rameker made it 75-40. Schipper added six points down the stretch while sophomore
Cooper Hoffman connected on a three to help match Thiel's offense, which found more success late in the half. Freshman
Xavier Porter scored the Pioneers' final points of the game after a steal and transition layup put the finishing touches on the 94-66 win.
The Pioneers shot over 50 percent from the floor in each half, finishing at 51.7 percent (31-of-60) for the game. A strong three-point showing across the first 20 minutes led to 39.3 percent (11-of-28) from deep, while UW-Platteville shot 77.8 percent (21-of-27) from the free throw line.
The defense made things difficult for Thiel, who shot just 33.3 percent (24-of-72) in the contest, including just 20.0 percent (7-of-35) in the first half. The Tomcats were better from range, shooting 42.9 percent (9-of-21) with seven triples in the second half.
Sophomore
Ben Forbes blocked four shots in his first career start while adding seven points across 17 minutes. Freshman
Broker Buschor added eight points off the bench in his collegiate debut, while freshman
Logan Luxem dished out five assists while getting the start.
UW-Platteville will welcome Buena Vista to Bo Ryan Court on Sunday afternoon for the 2026-27 home opener. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
