UW-Stout 75, UW-Platteville 74 |
Video Clip of Game Winner |
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MENOMONIE, Wis. (February 23, 2010) -
Jerrel Enerson-Matthews (Sr, Anoka, Minn.) was in foul trouble and 0-for-4 in the second half - until the last shot of the game.
Trailing by two points with just seconds to play, Enerson-Matthews fought off a defender's hand in his face, and buried a game-winning three pointer as time expired to give Stout a 75-74 win over UW-Platteville, Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the WIAC Tournament.
It was all Platteville (14-12) early on, as the Pioneers jumped out to a 21-9 lead midway through the first half. Curt Hanson, who led all players with 28 points, led the charge with nine points.
Stout (16-10), who showed their resilience throughout the game, answered with a 14-2 run, tying the game at 23. Enerson-Matthews hit a trio of three-pointers during the run. He finished with 18 points, 15 in the first half. The Blue Devils ended the half on a 10-0 run, taking a 44-38 lead into halftime.
The Pioneers erased the deficit just five minutes into the half, and began pulling away by the midway point. Hanson was Platteville's answer to each of Stout's charges. He scored 19 points in the second half, draining four shots from beyond the arc.
After a couple tough defensive stands by the Blue Devils, they trailed by five points with 1:32 on the clock.
Michael Fant (Sr, Weston) came up with the first big shot, as he hit a three with 48 seconds remaining to pull Stout within two points.
After a missed shot by Platteville, Stout took the ball down the court, looking for an open shot. They never found an open look, but Enerson-Matthews' tightly-contested shot turned out to be all they needed.
Stout ended the game with a 7-0 run in the last two minutes of play.
Eric Hostetter (Jr, Stillwater, Minn.) added 20 points to the mix, leading all Stout players in scoring. Free throws nearly proved fatal for the Blue Devils, as they shot a mere 42 percent from the line in the second half, compared to Platteville's 70 percent.
The Blue Devils will play in the WIAC Tournament semifinals this Thursday, Feb. 25, at #2-seeded UW-Stevens Point.
