The Pioneers men’s basketball team relied heavily on their three-point shooting abilities in the opening round of the Division III NCAA Tournament and won against Marian Wisconson on March 4. The Pioneers excelled from beyond the arc and benefited from a substantial 13-0 scoring run to put the game out of reach for the Sabres.

The Pioneers got off to a fast start, leading 11-0 after  Logan Pearson layup with 14:56 remaining in the first half. UW-Platteville attempted 24 threes in the first half alone, connecting on ten. Marian kept fighting. The Sabres patiently kept the game close, shooting 52% in the opening 20 minutes. Marian trailed only 36-34 as the first half ended.  

In the second half, UW-Platteville went on a 13-0 run that set the tone for how the rest of the game would unfold. The Pioneers came out with renewed energy and continued success from long-range, shooting 17-42 from the three-point line for the game. The Pioneers took control of the game, shooting 48.4% from the floor in the second half and winning the rebounding battle, 44-27. UW-Platteville completed 18 assists on 28 field goals made. UW-Platteville never trailed in their 76-59 first round win.   

UW-Platteville’s Pearson led all players in assists with six. Justin Stovall had a game-high with 11 rebounds and Kyle Tuma was the scoring leader with 19 points. Quentin Shields (18), Ben Probst (17) and Pearson (12) also scored double-figures for the Pioneers.

Marian had four players score double figures as well: David Britton (18), Tyler Gouin (14), Delvin Barnstable (13) and DeAndre Ross (10). 

The Pioneers improve to 22-5 overall with the victory. Marian finishes 19-9.