Box Score UW-Whitewater advanced to its eighth title game in the fifteen year history of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament with a 64-59 win over UW-Stout in a semifinal game in Kachel Gym in Williams Center Thursday night.  The Warhawks, 22-4, will host UW-Platteville, 19-8, Saturday at 7:00.  The Pioneers upset top seeded UW-Stevens Point 60-56 in a semifinal Thursday.

UW-W opened Thursday's game, staggering the Blue Devils with a 10-0 punch to start the game and that blow had UW-S on their heels the entire first half.

Eric Bryson (Elkhorn/Elkhorn) and Darnell Harris (Milwaukee/Hamilton) hit three-pointers in that early run as the Warhawks held Stout without a point for the first 5:21, when junior center Josh Kosloske's basket finally got the Blue Devils on the board.  UW-W managed twelve point leads three times.  Alex Merg (Greendale/Greendale)'s two free throws made it 19-7 at 8:35; a Bryson layup put Whitewater in front 21-9; and Luke Knoble (Boscobel/Boscobel)'s layup with 3:54 left in the half put the lead at 23-11. 

Whitewater went into halftime with a 30-22 lead.

UW-W made 4-9 threes in the first half, all made baskets coming in the first seven minutes of the half.  Stout went 2-5 from beyond the arc.  Whitewater also had a lead at the line, going 4-6, with UW-S made 2-3 in the first twenty minutes.  Bryson led both teams with ten points in the first half, hitting 4-8 field goals.  Whitewater's Darnell Harris (Milwaukee/Hamilton) and Stout's Chris Hortman shared the rebounding lead with five apiece.

Whitewater still had a comfortable lead, in fact the largest of the game 35-22, with 17:50 left in the second half. 

But all good things must end (or so it seems).  The Blue Devils, led by senior guard Chris Hortman clawed their way back into the game.  Hortman's three pointer at 5:43 pulled UW-S within one, 50-49.  A Hortman jumper knotted the score 51-51 with 4:21 left.  Hortman's layin tied the game at 53-53.  Hortman's two free throws kept the Blue Devils within one, 58-57. 

It was a Harris three that sealed the deal, with the freshman forward hitting from the left wing for a 61-57 lead.

It was never say die for Hortman, who made a layup as the clock wound down.  Evans made two free throws with less than one second left to end the game.

With the two teams even almost across the board, Whitewater's 16-25 night at the free throw line, compared to 8-10 for Stout, stood out.

Four Warhawks were bunched in double figures, led by Knoble's 15. Harris added 14, and guard Quardell Young (Kenosha/Bradford) and Bryson had 13 each.  Harris and Bryson grabbed six boards apiece, and Young dished out six assists.  Hortman led Stout with 15 points, 11 of those coming in the last 4:31.  Alex Oman contributed 14 points, and Josh Kosloske 10.  Kosloske added a game high eight boards, with Hortman also chipping in with three steals.

UW-Stout is 20-7. 



TF/ak