The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men’s basketball team quiet in the second half of their 69-64 win over the Pointers. Point rolled into Rock Island, Ill, ranked 21st, averaging just over 75 points per game, but Augustana held them to just 33 percent shooting in the second half.
“They did a good job of pushing us away from the hoop and forcing us to shoot outside shots and unfortunately we were missing,” said junior guard Tyler Tillema. “Augustana played a tough man-to-man defense and caused us to rush into some tough shots.”
Tyler Tilema takes a shot over a reaching defender.
Photo by Jack Mclaughlin.
Point shot almost 52 percent in the first half, but just 22 percent from the three-point line. The defense held Augustana to around 40 percent the entire game. Point also held Augustana to 14 percent from the three-point line in the first half and 0-4 in the second half.
Tillema and senior brother Dan led UWSP in scoring with 29 and 19 points scored, respectively. The brothers were the only Pointers to score in double digits. They have led Point in scoring throughout the season, both averaging over 15 points per game.
“It’s always fun being able to have Dan out there with me because we know what the other one likes to do in different situations, so it gives us an advantage that way,” Tyler said. The sibling tandem won a Division 4 state basketball championship at Randolph High School in 2007.
Despite the low scoring second half for the Pointers, UWSP still shot better from both outside and inside the arc. The Vikings took advantage at the free throw line, shooting 26-34 compared to 11-16 for Point.
Augustana outrebounded the Pointers, 43-29.
“Augustana did a good job of exploiting their size advantage down low,” Tillema said. “In the second half, when Jordan Brezinski and Dan got in foul trouble they immediately started pounding the ball down to their big men in the post.”
Tyler, Dan and senior center Jordan Brezinski all found themselves in foul trouble towards the end of the game. Tyler finished with five fouls while Dan and Jordan finished with four, contributing to the team’s 24 team fouls.
The Pointers pulled off a nail biter Wednesday against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the Pointer’s annual Gold Night. The 25th ranked Pointers defeated the 13th ranked Warhawks 79-77.
Senior forward Dan Tillema shot 11-16 from the field and 4-8 from three-point to lead the Pointers with 35 points. Sophomore guard Trevor Haas and junior guard Tyler Tillema scored in double digits as well, dropping 17 and 16 respectively.
Whitewater senior forward Chris Davis scored a game-high 41 points.
Point travels to Madison to take on Edgewood College Sunday at 4 p.m. tipoff.
Andy Hesse
ahess342@uwsp.edu
