PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Junior Max Lucey scored a career-high 16 points to lead four players in double figures as the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team (18-8) beat UW-Oshkosh (17-9) 79-72 in the opening round of the WIAC Tournament on Tuesday night from Bo Ryan Court.

Lucey finished 6-of-10 shooting and grabbed five rebounds to lead the Pioneers in scoring while coming off the bench. Junior Bristol Lewis and senior Max Love each added 13 points, while senior Joey Fuhremann added 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting. Fuhremann finished just shy of a double-double by securing nine rebounds, including four on the offensive end.

The two teams trade baskets for much of the first half until a seven-point run gave the Pioneers their largest lead of the half at 28-21 with 5:43 remaining. Lewis highlighted the run with a three-point make, and sophomore Sawyer Schipper capped the stretch with a tough finish at the basket. UW-Oshkosh cut the lead back to three, but another layup by Schipper and a three by Lewis increased the advantage back to seven. The Titans got the final points of the half to trail 39-34 at the break.

UW-Platteville maintained its slight edge to begin the second half thanks to scores by Lucey and Lewis but a five-point Titans run flipped the lead to the visiting team. Freshman Kaden MacKenzie tied it back up and Fuhremann gave the Pioneers the lead back with a layup. With under six minutes to play, MacKenzie converted a three-point play to extend UW-Platteville's lead to seven at 66-59, and the advantage grew to double digits thanks to free throws by senior Miles Hettinger and Lucey.

The Titans got as close as six with 1:30 left, but a layup by Fuhremann and free throw makes by senior Aiden Wieczorek, junior Lucas Rameker, and Lucey helped the Pioneers hold on for the 79-72 win.

The Pioneers shot 50.8 percent (30-of-59) from the floor as a team but were limited to 23.8 percent (5-of-21) from three-point range. Most of the scoring came from the paint, as UW-Platteville outscored UW-Oshkosh 48-28 in that category.

UW-Oshkosh finished at 42.9 percent (24-of-56) for the game and 32.1 percent (9-of-28) from deep. Carter Thomas and Michael Metcalf-Grassman provided much of the scoring for the Titans, as the duo combined to score 51 of the team's 72 points.

With the win, UW-Platteville advances to Thursday's WIAC semifinal game against top-seeded UW-Whitewater. Game time from Whitewater is set for 7 p.m., with the winner moving on to Saturday's WIAC Championship game.


*As with every UW-Platteville win this year, the Platteville A&W will be offering a free ice cream cone (with purchase) the day after the win and the Platteville Taco John's will be offering a free churro (with purchase) the day after each Pioneer win.