UWS men lose bid for home playoff game

There was no magic this time around for the University of Wisconsin-Superior men’s basketball team as they lost to UW-La Crosse 65-64 Saturday afternoon in Mertz Mortorelli Gym.

Unlike two other close games at home were Ben Aalfs provided game-winning baskets for the Yellowjackets, this time Aalfs’ off-balanced shot from near half court fell well short.

The loss cost UWS what is believed its first home playoff game ever. The Yellowjackets dropped to the No. 6 seed and will play at No. 3 seed UW-Stevens Point at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

UW-Whitewater won the 2012 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men’s basketball title with a 55-53 triumph over UW-River Falls at Karges Center.

The conference championship for the Warhawks is the 14th in program history and fourth in the last seven seasons. UWW also secured the top seed, and first round bye, for the WIAC tournament.

UW-River Falls is the No. 2 seed and also earned a first round bye. Both the Warhawks and Falcons will host semifinal contests on Feb. 24.

The other first-round matchups for the 14th annual conference tournament is No. 5 UWLC at No. 5 UW-Platteville.

The winner of the WIAC tournament earns the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship.

Aalfs led all scorers Saturday with 27 points. He also had a team-high six rebounds with Dustin Ritchie, who added seven points and five assists.

Lucas Collum led the Eagles with 20 points and seven rebounds. Lucas Morrissey, who scored the winning points for the Eagles with a tip-in at the buzzer when the Eagles defeated the Yellowjackets earlier this season in La Crosse, was next with 12 points.

After UWS led 2-0 to start the game, the score was tied three times in the first half, 2-2, 33-33 and 35-35.

In between, UWLC led by eight points twice, including25-17 with nine minutes left before halftime.

That’s when Aalfs scored 11 of Superior’s next 18 points to pull UWS into a 35-35 tie at the intermission.

Superior scored the first six points of the second half for a 41-35 lead, but UWLC fought back and tied the game at 44-44.

After ties at 48 and 50, Superior’s final lead would be 52-51 on a Bronson Byrne free throw with 6:03 remaining.

La Crosse eventual opened up a 61-56 lead, but a 3-pointer and three-point play by Aalfs got UWS within 63-62 with 1:21 left.

Lucas Morrissey gave UWLC at 65-62 lead with two free throws, which was followed by a Brendan Bauer basket with 8.5 seconds on the clock.

UWS then fouled Logan Ellman, who missed his free-throw attempt. But without any time outs remaining, the Yellowjackets hurried up court and Aalfs bobbled the ball a bit before getting his shot off just before the buzzer.

'JACKET JOTTINGS: UWS is 4-9 all-time in the WIAC playoffs.

UW-LACROSSE 65, UW-SUPERIOR 64

UW-LACROSSE (16-9)

Collom, Lucas 8-12 1-1 20; Morrissey, Lucas 4-6 3-4 12; Degner, Cory 3-9 2-2 9; Tweed, Luke 3-5 1-2 8; Chery, Al 3-7 0-2 6; Ellman, Logan 1-5 1-3 3; Taylor, Jack 1-2 0-0 3; Braucht, Derek 1-1 0-0 2; Barrett, Michael 1-3 0-0 2; Tice, Braden 0-3 0-0 0; Coenen, Johnny 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-53 8-14 65.

UW-SUPERIOR (14-11)

Aalfs, Ben 10-20 5-8 27; Bauer, Brendan 3-8 1-3 8; Davis, Trent 3-6 0-2 8; Ritchie, Dustin 2-3 2-2 7; Hjelter, Adam 3-8 0-0 7; Byrne, Bronson 3-4 0-0 6; Charlton, Walter 0-0 1-2 1; Effertz, Eric 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-49 9-17 64.

UW-LaCrosse 35-30--65

UW-Superior 35-29--64

3-point goals--UWLC 7-14 (Collom, 3-4; Degner, 1-2; Tweed, 1-2; Morrissey, 1-1; Taylor, 1-2; Tice, 0-1; Barrett, 0-1; Ellman, 0-1), UWS 7-15 (Davis, 2-4; Aalfs,2-5; Ritchie, 1-2; Bauer, 1-3; Hjelter, 1-1). Fouled out--UWLC-None, UWS-None. Rebounds--UWLC 32 (Collom, 7), UWS 28 (Ritchie, 6; Aalfs, 6). Assists--UW-LaCrosse 9 (Ellman, 4), UWS 14 (Davis, 5; Ritchie, 5). Total fouls--UWLC 13, UWS 13. Technical fouls—none. A-563.

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