STEVENS POINT, Wis. – A furious second-half rally came up just short for the Yellowjacket men's basketball team, and it dropped its final game before the break, 76-72 to UW-Stevens Point, Saturday at Quandt Fieldhouse in Stevens Point.
 
The Yellowjackets (3-6, 1-1 UMAC) were down 14 points at halftime and trailed by as many as 16 midway through the second half, before rallying to outscore the Pointers 31-19 down the stretch to quickly close the gap. Down three at 71-68 with just under two minutes to play, the Yellowjackets had chances to tie the score and take the lead, but they were never able to complete the comeback in its entirety.
 
Reid Johnson (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) had a team-high 14 points for the Yellowjackets. He also dished out a team-best five assists to go along with three rebounds. J'Vaun Walker (Rosharon, Texas/Manvel) also had a strong game, scoring 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting. He also had four assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block.
 
Stevens Point got off to a fast start, leading 9-5 early. Johnson grabbed a defensive rebound, took the ball down the court and hit a three to pull the Yellowjackets to within one. That's as close as the Yellowjackets would get, as the Pointers went on a 8-0 run to move in front 17-8. The Stevens Point lead bulged to as many as 18 points before the Yellowjackets closed the gap at the half to 39-25.
 
The teams traded buckets in the early stages of the second half until the Yellowjackets began to mount their comeback.
 
Down 16 with just under 12 minutes to play, Levy Miguel (Luanda, Angola/Canarias Basketball Academy) laid one in to make it 57-43. Coming out of a timeout, Miguel made another layup to cut the deficit to 12. After a defensive stop, Johnson made another three, and the Yellowjackets were in business.
 
Johnson made a three with 9:43 remaining, and for the first time since the middle stages of the first half the Yellowjackets were within single digits. Andrew Kunelius (Caledonia, Minn./Caledonia) contributed a layup and moments later Miguel converted a steal into two more points, making it a two-possession game as the Yellowjackets trailed just 59-55.
 
Stevens Point steadied itself and kept the Yellowjackets down until another late rally drew the Yellowjackets within a score. Johnson made a three with 2:20 to go, pulling the Yellowjackets to within 71-66. Then, with 1:46 to go Walker made a layup on a fast break to make it a one-possession game. Three points was as close as the Yellowjackets would get, however, and the Pointers ran out the clock to get the win.
 
Josef Fahrenholtz (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) continued his strong play, finishing the game with 12 points. Joey Barker (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) added 11 and Miguel finished with 10 along with a team-high five rebounds.
 
The Yellowjackets are now off until Dec. 29 when they take on John Carroll University of University Heights, Ohio in their first game of the Basketball Destinations D3 Shootout in Naples, Florida. The opening tip is set for 4 p.m. CST.