Men’s basketball team loses to Wis.-Platteville, 56-45

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The Olivet College men's basketball team fell to University of Wis.-Platteville, 56-45, tonight in a second round game of the Gabe Miller Classic in Platteville, Wis. After the contest, junior Blake Krum (Schoolcraft) was named to the all-tournament team.

The Comets scored the first basket of the game before the Pioneers made the next basket, a three-pointer to take a 3-2 lead. UW-Platteville went ahead by five points, 9-4. Olivet battled back to level the score at 11-11. The Pioneers answered with an 18-7 run to take their first double digit lead of the game. The Comets closed to within eight points twice until UW-Platteville settled for a 32-23 lead at halftime.

The Pioneers stretched their lead to 14 points twice in the first seven minutes of the second half, with the last time being 39-25. Olivet scored nine of the next 11 points to cut is deficit down to seven points, 41-34, at the 10:17 mark. UW-Platteville went back ahead by 12 points, 47-35 and 51-39. Undeterred, the Comets went on a 6-0 scoring spurt to trim their deficit in half.  The Pioneers closed the game by making 5-of-6 free throws in the final 1:12 to seal their win.

The Comets made three more baskets than UW-Platteville, but the Pioneers drained four more 3-pointers and 13 more free throws than Olivet. UW-Platteville also out-rebounded the Comets, 56-45. Making his first collegiate start, freshman Kevin Woodson (Lambertville/Monroe St. Mary Catholic) paced Olivet with a game-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Krum joined him in double figures with 11 points. He also dished out five assists.

Jake Manning was the lone Pioneer in double figures with 11 points.

Olivet will return home to Michigan tonight and then travel to play Grand Valley State University Monday night at 7 p.m.