LA CROSSE—Freshman guard Miles Barnstable made three key free throws in the final 21 seconds to help UW-Whitewater hold on for a 74-71 victory at UW-La Crosse in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men’s basketball action Wednesday night.
Barnstable finished with a team-high 25 points, which included making all 12 of his free throws. He entered the game averaging 13.6 points, which ranked 11th in the WIAC.
“Miles had a really good game,” Warhawks coach Pat Miller said. “He scored 25 points on only 11 shots and made all his free throws—and obviously, down the stretch, made all the important ones.”
Barnstable scored the Warhawks’ final five points. His layup with 2:16 left in regulation put the visitors on top 71-65.
La Crosse made four straight free throws to cut the margin to 71-69 with 42 seconds left. As the shot clock wound down, Barnstable drove and his Eagles defender was whistled for a technical foul for flopping.
He sank the free throw to put Whitewater ahead 72-69.
The Eagles made a defensive stop and hit a layup with :08 left in regulation to get within a point. They then were forced to foul Barnstable, who made both free throws.
The Warhawks kept the Eagles in the backcourt for several seconds, and the home team could not get off a 3-point attempt before the buzzer.
“We made it hard for them defensively, and they didn’t get a look at the end,” Miller said.
Miller didn’t think fouling and giving La Crosse two free throws was appropriate strategy with 8 seconds left.
“Not with that much time,” Miller said. “Plus we were just getting destroyed on the glass, so I thought it was better to play it out.”
Trevon Chislom, who came into the game as the conference’s fifth-leading scorer with a 15.2 average, finished with 18 on 8-of-11 shooting.
Guard Jameer Barker contributed 14 points and three steals. Carter Capstran added 11 points, while Drew Fisher had a team-high eight rebounds.
“It was a high-level game,” Miller said. “It was a good win for us on the road.”
The victory put the Warhawks at 5-4 and in a three-way tie for third place with Eau Claire and Platteville. La Crosse (6-3) fell two games behind league-leading Oshkosh (8-1).
The Warhawks get a Saturday off and return to WIAC action next Wednesday, Feb. 1, with a home game against UW-Stevens Point (3-6). Tipoff at Kachel Gymnasium is 7 p.m.
UW-WHITEWATER 74, UW-LA CROSSE 71
UW-Whitewater (74)—Barker, 6-1-14; M. Barnstable, 6-12Fr-25; D. Barnstable, 0-2-2; Capstran, 4-2-11; Chislom, 8-2-18; Lambert, 0-1-1; Fisher, 1-1-3. Totals: 25-21-74.
