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The No. 2 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team will wrap up the first half of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season Wednesday and begin the second half Saturday.
 
The Warhawks (14-2 overall, 7-0 WIAC), winners of eight consecutive games, host 15th-ranked UW-Stevens Point Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Kachel Gymnasium, then return to the road Saturday for a 3 p.m. contest at UW-Superior.
 
UW-Whitewater's game against UW-Stevens Point (13-3, 7-0) is for sole possession of first place in the WIAC. The Warhawks and Pointers have combined to win each of the last nine regular season conference championships. The two teams alternated years, starting with UW-Whitewater in 2005-06, before UW-Stevens Point won the last two titles in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
 
Wednesday's game will feature the Warhawks' WIAC-leading scoring offense (80.1 points per game) against the Pointers' league-leading scoring defense (57.4 ppg). On the other side, UW-Stevens Point is the conference's leader in shooting percentage (50.1 percent), while UW-Whitewater paces the WIAC in field goal percentage defense (41.0 percent).
 
All five of the Pointers' starters average between nine and 14 points per game. Forward Alex Richard leads the team with 13.3 points per contest and is shooting a league-leading 64.1 percent from the field. He also leads UW-Stevens Point in free throw shooting (73.4 percent) and offensive rebounds per game (2.0).
 
Guard Stephen Pelkofer (12.4 ppg) leads the Pointers with 4.8 rebounds per affair and is shooting 53.6 percent from the floor, while wing Joe Ritchay (11.5 ppg) leads UW-Stevens Point in assists (49) and steals (34). Guard Jordan Lutz (10.6 ppg) ranks among the top five in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (49.2) and 3-pointers made (32).
 
UW-Whitewater has won 20 of its last 23 meetings against UW-Superior (8-9, 2-6), including an 88-57 victory on Jan. 7 at Kachel Gymnasium.
 
The Yellowjackets, who are idle Wednesday, boast three of the conference's top 10 scorers in guards Johnquez Brooks (14.8 points per game), Ty Ketz (14.4 ppg) and forward Brian Lindblom (13.5 ppg). Guard Zach Schradle also averages double figures in scoring at 11.5 points per contest, and leads the team and ranks second in the WIAC with 6.8 rebounds per affair.
 
Ketz is the league's top free throw shooter, knocking down 83.3 percent from the line, and has made a team-best 37 three-pointers, good for fourth in the conference.
 
UW-Superior enters the week ranked second in the WIAC in scoring offense (71.7 ppg), free throw percentage (76.7 percent) and 3-pointers made (134).
 
Last Week
 
The Warhawks picked up a pair of closely-contested road wins, trailing in the waning moments of a 62-61 victory at UW-Eau Claire on Wednesday, then falling behind in the first half before responding to down UW-La Crosse on Saturday.
 
After a lay-up put the Blugolds ahead by one with three seconds to play, senior guard Quardell Young (Kenosha, Wis./Bradford) took the inbounds pass near half court and drove for a lay-up to put UW-Whitewater ahead for good with 1.5 seconds to play.
 
Young tallied nine of his team-best 15 points in the final 3:01 of regulation. Senior wing KJ Evans (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) contributed 13 points, 10 rebounds and four steals, and senior forward Steve Egan (Omro, Wis./Omro) posted 12 points and seven rebounds for the Warhawks, who held UW-Eau Claire to 36.8 percent shooting from the field.
 
Three days later, Young put on another sterling performance, knocking down all 12 of his field goal attempts for a career-high 28 points to help UW-Whitewater erase deficits of four at halftime and eight early in the second half. His perfect outing was the fifth in program history (minimum 10 attempts) and the second of his career.
 
The Warhawks shot 52.9 percent from the floor and outscored the Eagles 44-18 in the paint. Evans tallied 19 points and a season-high 13 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the year.