Box Score
Box score
MILWAUKEE - UW-Platteville turned its 14-point
halftime lead into a game-high 26-point lead in the second half on
its way to defeating Wisconsin Lutheran College 83-62 in the season
opener for both teams Monday evening at the Recreation Complex.
The Warriors hung with the Pioneers for the majority of the
first half, trailing by only four points (21-17) with 7:40
remaining. Platteville doubled its lead, however, to 14 points,
42-28, at halftime. UW-P shot 55.2 percent compared to 33.3 percent
for WLC in the opening period. The Pioneers committed just three
turnovers in the half, to eight for the Warriors.
Platteville knocked down its first five second-half shot
attempts to lead by 21 points, 54-33, at the 16:48 mark. Wisconsin
Lutheran got no closer than 17 points the remainder of the half as
the visitors missed only seven shots for a 70.8 percent (17-for-24)
shooting percentage.
Junior Alex Merbach (Kaukauna, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) was the
leading scorer for the Warriors with 16 points. Freshman Russell
Strutz (Sturtevant, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) and junior Jeremy
Murphy (Chicago, Ill./Clemente) added 12 and 11 points,
respectively. Strutz and sophomore DJ Cupertino (Wauwatosa,
Wis./East) grabbed a team-best four rebounds apiece.
WLC shot 36.4 percent (20-for-55) from the field for the game,
and attempted 24 shots from the charity stripe, connecting on 17 of
them. The Warriors were out-rebounded a close 32-30, but owned an
11-4 advantage on the offensive glass.
Nick Allen and Chase Cross scored 18 points each on 7-of-10
shooting to pace the Pioneers (1-0). Joe Allen contributed 16
points and seven rebounds off the bench. Platteville finished the
night shooting 62.3 percent (33-for-53) from the floor.
Wisconsin Lutheran (0-1) travels to St. Paul, Minn., November 19
and 20 for the Bethel University Tip-Off Tournament. The Warriors
will face UW-La Crosse at 6 p.m. Friday, before meeting either
Trinity International or host Bethel Saturday night.
