In a battle of highly ranked rivals, No. 5 UW-Platteville Pioneers did not let a slow start offensively stop them against No. 7 UW-La Crosse on Jan. 26.

UW-Platteville turned to their rebounding prowess and grit to secure a key 76-72 victory in WIAC league play. The Pioneers trailed by double-digits early, including as many as 14 points in the first half, 21-7 at the 10:13 mark. UW-La Crosse did successfully chip away, cutting the deficit to 36-30 at halftime. The Pioneers were down by six at the break despite shooting 32.1% from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.
The resilient nature of the Pioneers would continue to shine through as the second half progressed. They would continue to battle and take advantage of the opportunities given to them in the second half. UW-Platteville earned its first lead 46-45 courtesy of a Quentin Shields’s free throw with 11:36 remaining. The Pioneers would find their stride offensively in the second half, scoring 46 points.
Three Pioneers finished the game with double-digit scoring (Quentin Shields 32-career high tying, Ben Probst-20, Kyle Tuma-16). Alongside those 46 second-half points, 39 rebounds as a team would propel the Pioneers to victory. Justin Stovall took control of the glass, securing 12 rebounds.
In addition, the Pioneers took advantage of the 10 turnovers they were able to force by scoring 16 points off them. The second half remained close, but the Pioneers were able to make the plays when needed most.
As a team, they converted all six free throws inside of four minutes to finish the game, including the game-clinching ones by Justin Stovall. The Pioneers won 76-72.