Platteville 76, Yellowjackets 62

After one half of their game on Saturday, the UW-Superior men's basketball team found itself dead even with one of the WIAC most skilled teams.

Unfortunately for the Yellowjackets, the UW-Platteville Pioneers turned up their play a notch in the second half.   And UW-Superior couldn't respond, trailing by as many as 14 in the final 20 minutes before ultimately falling 76-62 at Williams Fieldhouse in Platteville.

The Yelllowjackets committed 18 turnovers and the Pioneers connected on 13-of-23 (56.5 percent) of their shots in the second half in dropping UW-Superior to 5-13 overall and 2-7 in WIAC play.

UW-Platteville (12-6 overall, 7-22 WIAC) got off to a fast start in the first half, getting an early three-pointer from Chas Cross for an 11-4 lead with 15:12 remaining on the clock.

The Pioneers expanded the advantage to 20-10 on a layup from Jim Stocki with 11:25 left in the first half.

UW-Superior rallied right back behind nine points from Jarrod Peterson (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata), along with scores from Bronson Byrne (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) and Caleb Burch (Eau Claire, Wis./Altoona) to eventually even matters at 26-26 following Peterson's three with 4:13 left in the frame.

The Yellowjackets went to take their first lead a few moments later when Byrne's layup and a thunderous breakaway dunk by Aaron Corry (Lake Nebagamon, Wis./Northwestern) gave UW-Superior a 30-26 lead before the two teams headed into the intermission deadlocked at 30-30.

UW-Superior retook the lead on the first possession of the second half as Byrne's layup made it a 32-30 Yellowjackets' edge with 19:48 left to play in regulation.

But the Pioneers went on an 18-4 burst over the next 6:21 to take a 48-36 lead on a layup by Wes Nemitz with 13:27 remaining on the clock.

From there, UW-Platteville upped the margin to 60-46 on a three-pointer by Cross at the 6:42 and never looked back, leading by at least nine points for the rest of the contest.

Offensively, UW-Superior was led by Byrne with a game-high 19 points. Peterson finished with 18 points for the Yellowjackets as well.

Stocki paced the Pioneers with 17 points.  Eric Gerber and Cross each had 12 points while Jake Manning pitched in with `10 points for UW-Platteville.

The Yellowjackets hit the road to take on UW-Stevens Point Saturday.  Opening tipoff from Quandt Fieldhosue is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the game can be heard live on 91.3 FM KUWS.  Matt Johnson will have the call.