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Warhawks get past Pointers in OT

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UW-Whitewater vs UW-Stevens Point Mens Basketball

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WHITEWATER — UW-Whitewater fans probably need the Kachel Gym lights to stay on during the player introductions this season.

After all, the fans are still trying to put a face with all the new names on the Whitewater roster.

Despite the new faces, Whitewater still has the look of a contender.

The new-look Warhawks outscored visiting UW-Stevens Point, 12-5, in overtime and stunned the defending WIAC champions, 67-60, here Thursday evening.

Dustin Mitchell posted a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Senior forward Mike Bendall added 18 points, and junior D.J. Dantzler added 12 to help fifth-ranked Whitewater (8-0, 3-0) gain sole possession of first place in the WIAC.

"They're just good guys," Warhawk coach Pat Miller said of his team. "They pass the ball, and this team lacks ego. They move the ball and understand where they need to be to successful."

The team-first Warhawks also impressed Stevens Point head coach Bob Semling.

"They put five to seven guys out there, and they all seem to be on the same page," Semling said. "They seem to like playing with each other.

"They may be a better team," the Pointer coach said when comparing this team to other Warhawk squads. "They don't have a star, but they play good team basketball."

Bendall and Mitchell were certainly on the same page in overtime. Bendall's pinpoint pass over the top of the Point defense set up a Mitchell layup and gave Whitewater a 57-55 lead. Whitewater eventually built the lead to 62-55 before Jerrel Harris converted a three-point play with 47 seconds left.

After Dantzler answered with one free throw, Harris cut the deficit to three points with a putback with 26 seconds to play.

But that was as close as the Pointers got. Whitewater sank four free throws to put the game out of reach.

"It was big as a team to come up in a situation like that to get good defensive stops and converting them into buckets down on the other end," Bendall said. "That is what got us into overtime with a victory in the end."

Poise didn't hurt the Warhawks cause, either.

Stevens Point appeared to finally grab the upper hand with a 17-0 run that put the Pointers up 40-35

But the Warhawks came right back with an 11-0 run to reclaim the lead, 46-40. The game remained in doubt the rest of the way and was finally knotted at 55 at the end of regulation.

"They (the Pointers) made a nice run in the second half, and we made some poor decisions offensively, and we turned it over," Miller said. "(Dan) Tillema got hot and drained a couple threes.

"The game really changed in turns of momentum, and I was really pleased with the way we handled that."

Neither team handled the first half very well.

Whitewater senior forward Bendall and Mitchell finally combined to score 10 points during a 16-4 run that gave Whitewater a 24-14 lead with 2:15 left in the first.

Consecutive baskets from Evan Sweeney and Louis Hurd cut the deficit to 24-19 by halftime.

Whitewater led by as many as 12 points in the second half before Stevens Point reclaimed the lead midway through the second half.

WHITEWATER 67, STEVENS POINT 60

Stevens Point (60)—Moses 2-11 0-0 4, Jenkins 2-11 2-2 6, Hurd, 5-14 0-0 10, Krull 1-2 0-0 2, Hoelzel 0-0 0-0 0, Harris 5-9 3-3 13, Tillema 6-12 0-0 15, Sweeney 2-3 0-0 6, Brezinski 2-2 0-0 4. Totals: 25-64 5-5 60.

Whitewater (67)—Free 1-5 2-2 5, Negri 2-6 0-2 5, Mitchell 9-17 1-1 19, Edmunds 2-4 4-4 8, Bendall 7-9 4-4 18, Dantzler 3-8 5-7 12, Burns 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 24-50 16-20 67.

UW-Stevens Point 19 36 5—60

UW-Whitewater 24 31 12—67

Three-point goals—Stevens Point 5-17 (Moses 0-2, Jenkins 0-4, Hurd 0-2, Krull 0-1, Harris 0-1, Tillema 3-4, Sweeney 2-3), Whitewater 3-12 (Free 1-3, Negri 1-3, Mitchell 0-2, Dantzler 1-3, Burns 0-1). Rebounds—Stevens Point 30 (Hurd 7), Whitewater 34 (Mitchell 12). Assists—Stevens Point 12 (Krull 4), Whitewater 17 (Negri 5, Dantzler 5). Total fouls—Stevens Point 19, Whitewater 15. Fouled out—None.