WIAC Men's Basketball Tournament Memories

WIAC Men's Basketball Tournament Memories

2008 Tournament

UW-Whitewater (#1) won its second tournament championship following a 75-71 win over UW-Stevens Point (#3) with 1,336 onlookers in attendance at Kachel Gymnasium. The game marked UW-Stevens Point’s first loss in five title game appearances. The Warhawks led 69-68 when Matt Goodwin made the first of two free throws with 17.9 seconds left and on the second attempt, Billy Kolinske grabbed a long rebound and made both free throws for a 72-68 advantage with 16.2 seconds remaining. The Pointers’ Steve Hicklin drilled a three-pointer to get within 72-71, but UW-Whitewater’s Myles McKay hit two free throws with 6.9 seconds remaining for a 74-71 lead. McKay and Kori Vernon scored a team-high 20 points, while Goodwin added 13 points. Hicklin led the Pointers with 20 points.

UW-La Crosse’s Tony Mane matched a tournament record with 37 points, including 27 in the second half and overtime in the Eagles’ (#6) 74-66 overtime loss at UW-Stevens Point in the quarterfinals. He established a tournament mark with 15 field goals made.

UW-Superior (#5) earned the second tournament win in program history with a 67-66 triumph at UW-Oshkosh (#4).
The Yellowjackets took a 67-66 lead on Dan Culy's free throw with 16 seconds left. The Titans overcame a 48-37 deficit to take a 66-62 lead with 49 seconds remaining. Shane Manor, Jake Smith and Culy, all freshmen, accounted for 60 of UW-Superior's 67 points.

UW-Eau Claire became the second No. 7 seed to beat a No. 2 seed with an 84-80 victory at UW-Platteville. The Blugolds scored the first 11 points of the game and built a 23-5 lead at the 12:27 mark on the way to shooting 63.3 percent and committing just one turnover in the first half. UW-Platteville closed the gap to within one point four times, including three times in the final 2:04. The Pioneers’ Jeff Skemp grabbed a tournament-record 17 rebounds and scored 21 points and blocked four shots. Geoff Probst led the Blugolds with 28 points, while Dan Beyer and Ryan Shea each added 17. The game was delayed 20 minutes due to a broken rim in pre-game shootaround.

2007 Tournament

UW-Stevens Point (#1) won its fourth tournament title with an 83-68 victory over UW-La Crosse (#2) in the third No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in tournament history. The game was played in front of 2,326 spectators at Quandt Fieldhouse despite a huge snowstorm hitting central Wisconsin. Bryan Beamish led five Pointers in double-figures with 16 points. UW-La Crosse converted 10 of its first 12 shots and was led by Joe Werner’s 19 points and seven rebounds.

UW-La Crosse captured a 66-61 semifinal win over UW-Oshkosh (#3) in a game that featured 12 lead changes and seven ties. The Eagles hit seven-of-11 free throws in final 2:44.

UW-Whitewater (#4) earned a 58-57 quarterfinal victory over UW-Platteville (#5) as Anthony Mlachnik hit one of two free throws with three seconds remaining. UW-Platteville trailed 57-47 with 3:17 remaining and scored the next 10 points, including a game-tying basket by Mark Gossens.

2006 Tournament

UW-Whitewater (#1) claimed its first tournament crown with a 78-60 triumph over UW-Stout (#2) at Kachel Gymnasium before an audience of 1,653. The Warhawks led 41-23 at the 2:59 mark of the first half and never trailed in the game. Jeremy Manchester registered a career-high 27 points for the Warhawks, while Anthony Mlachnik added 13 and Rob Perry contributed 12. Ryan Stangl led UW-Stout with 20 points.

UW-Stout started semifinal game against UW-Stevens Point (#3) on a 16-0 run. The Pointers led 54-53 at 6:32 in second half. The Blue Devils hit 11-of-12 free throws in final 52 seconds for a 78-70 triumph. UW-Stevens Point matched a tournament record with 32 three-point field goal attempts.

UW-La Crosse (#5) advanced to the semifinals with a 70-67 overtime victory at UW-Oshkosh (#4). Marcus Conigliaro sent the game into overtime by making three free throws with two seconds left in regulation. The Eagles scored seven of the game’s first 10 points in overtime, taking a 68-64 lead with 1:34 left to play. UW-Oshkosh’s Jim Capelle set tournament records with 19 free throws made and 23 free throws attempted.

UW-Whitewater’s Jeremy Manchester hit a jumper with 0.4 seconds remaining to lift the Warhawks to a 72-70 semifinal win over UW-La Crosse. The Eagles tied the game at 70-70 on a three-pointer by Luke Homan with 21 seconds left.

Pete Rortvedt set a tournament record with nine three-pointers made enroute to a game-high 30 points in UW-Stevens Point’s 70-65 quarterfinal win over UW-Platteville (#6).

2005 Tournament

UW-Stevens Point (#2) secured its second straight (and third overall) tournament title with a 87-77 victory over UW-Whitewater (#4) at Quandt Fieldhouse in front of an audience of 2,550. The Pointers’ Jason Kalsow poured in a game-high 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field and also grabbed a game-best 10 rebounds. Craig Anderson tallied a team-high 25 points for the Warhawks.

UW-Whitewater topped UW-Platteville (#1) in the semifinals by an 89-76 margin to mark the third-straight season a No. 4 seed upended a No. 1 seed.

UW-Oshkosh (#3) claimed a 77-72 overtime triumph over UW-Eau Claire (#6) in the quarterfinals. Kerry Gibson registered a game-high 26 points, including 12 of the Titans’ 20 points in overtime. With the game tied at 70, UW-Oshkosh’s Andy Fernholz drained a three-pointer with 39 seconds remaining and scored two free throws with 14 seconds left. Fernholz finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Casey Drake led the four Blugolds in double-figures with 19 points.

UW-Whitewater earned an 82-78 overtime win over UW-Stout (#5) in the quarterfinals. UW-Stout’s Adam Chandler hit a three-pointer to send the game to overtime. The Warhawks scored seven of their eight points from the free-throw line in overtime and set a tournament record with 34 free throws made and 47 free throws attempted.

2004 Tournament

UW-Stevens Point (#2) captured the second tournament crown in school history with a 68-50 win over UW-Platteville (#4) in front of 2,316 spectators at Quandt Fieldhouse. The Pointers shot 61.9 percent in the first half and 64.7 percent in the second half and were led by Eric Maus’ game-high 16 points. Brad Reitzner led four Pioneers in double-figures with 15 points.

UW-Platteville ousted top-seed UW-River Falls in the semifinals with a 65-62 triumph. The Falcons led 59-48 at the 6:38 mark, but made only one field goal the rest of the game. The Pioneers’ Brad Reitzner hit a three-pointer with 58 seconds remaining for a 63-61 advantage. UW-River Falls’ Rich Melzer hit one of two free throws to close the gap to 63-62, but the Pioneers’ Brandon Temperly hit a baseline jumper with 17 seconds left for the final margin.

UW-Stevens Point defeated UW-Oshkosh (#6) for the fourth time during the season with a 70-59 semifinal win. The Pointers scored their final 15 points from the free-throw stripe.

UW-Platteville won its first home tournament game since 1999 with a 71-68 overtime victory in the quarterfinals over UW-Stout (#5). UW-Stout’s Luke Loney hit a three-pointer with 6.3 seconds left in overtime, to get the Blue Devils within 69-68. The Pioneers’ Brad Reitzner made two free throws with 3.8 seconds remaining in overtime and Loney’s three-point attempt rimmed out at the buzzer.

2003 Tournament

1,500 spectators watched UW-Oshkosh (#4) become the first school to win back-to-back tournament trophies with a 68-63 win over UW-Whitewater (#2) at Kachel Gymnasium. The Titans also were the first road team to win a championship game. UW-Whitewater drew within 62-59 with 1:13 left on a basket by Aubrey Lewis-Byers, who finished with a team-best 21 points. UW-Oshkosh’s Andy Fernholz made four free throws in final 24 seconds to secure the win. Tim Dworak led the Titans with 21 points, while Scott Sowinski added 15 points and Fernholz contributed 12 points.

Aubrey Lewis-Byers scored a game-high 19 points to lead UW-Whitewater past UW-Platteville (#7), 64-61, in the quarterfinals. In the last 18:50 of the game, the largest lead for either team was three points. The Warhawks’ Danny Saunders blocked Brad Reitzner’s three-point attempt with seven seconds remaining and Lewis-Byers hit one free throw with 5.7 seconds left for final margin.

2002 Tournament

UW-Oshkosh (#1) claimed the first tournament title in school history with a thrilling 70-69 victory over UW-Whitewater (#3) at Kolf Sports Center in front of a paid audience of 1,578. UW-Whitewater’s Jake Wolter hit two free throws with 33 seconds left for a 69-67 lead. Following a timeout, UW-Oshkosh’s Tim Dworak hit a three-pointer as time expired for the win. Dworak finished with a game-high 24 points, while Scott Sowinski added 19. The Warhawks were led by Aubrey Lewis-Byers’ 20 points and game-best eight rebounds. Londen Donlow added 16 points and Wolter contributed 14 points and four steals.

UW-River Falls (#5) earned its first-ever tournament victory with a 91-82 quarterfinal win over UW-La Crosse (#4). The Falcons converted 31-of-38 free-throw attempts in the contest, while the Eagles were two-of-two. Rich Melzer tallied a game-high 28 points and game-best 10 rebounds for UW-River Falls, while Kent Becker totaled 24 points and Edmund Johnson contributed 19. Eddie Hebert led four Eagles in double-figures with 26 points.

UW-Whitewater (#3) won its first-ever tournament game with an 85-77 quarterfinal triumph over UW-Stout (#6). Aubrey Lewis-Byers led five Warhawks in double-figures with 21 points, including 15-of-20 from the free-throw stripe. Andre Hicks and Jonathan Hodges each added 14 points. Dave Loewe led the Blue Devils with 21 points, while Steve Krueger totaled 19 points.

2001 Tournament

UW-Eau Claire (#4) won the first tournament championship in school history with a 76-63 victory over UW-Oshkosh (#6) in front of 2,450 spectators at W.L. Zorn Arena. Sherm Carstensen led the Blugolds with 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field, while Jason Larson added 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Justin Kamps led the Titans with 19 points, while Tim Dworak added 16 points. UW-Oshkosh was the lowest seed to reach the championship game.

UW-Oshkosh earned a 95-87 overtime win over UW-River Falls (#3) in the quarterfinals. Down 70-61, UW-River Falls scored 11 straight points to lead 72-71 with 4:00 left in game. The Falcons’ Kent Becker caused a Titan turnover, but threw the ball in the air and it hit the ceiling with three seconds remaining. UW-Oshkosh's Justin Kamps sent the game into overtime with three-point shot at buzzer. Kamps scored a game-high 30 points for the Titans, while Tim Dworak added 23 points. Rich Melzer led the Falcons with 24 points and Becker added 22 points.

UW-Superior’s (#5) Vince Thomas poured in a tournament record 37 points, but the Yellowjackets fell in the quarterfinals to UW-Eau Claire (#4) 83-76. His performance included 13-of-21 shooting from the field and 11-of-12 shooting from the free-throw stripe. He also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Jason Larson and Sherm Carstensen each had 22 points for the Blugolds.

UW-Platteville (#7) stunned UW-Stevens Point (#2) in the quarterfinals, emerging with a 57-56 victory. The Pioneers’ Bryan Stangel rebounded a missed free throw with five seconds left and drained a 24-footer at the buzzer. UW-Stevens Point led 51-40 with 5:36 left when UW-Platteville went on a 10-0 run. The Pointers’ Brent Larson hit two free throws with 11 seconds left for 56-52 advantage, but Stangel made a layup with six seconds left to trim the deficit to 56-54. Tyler Selk led UW-Platteville with 25 points, while Jay Bennett led UW-Stevens Point with 22 points on eight-of-11 shooting from the field.

UW-Stout became the first No. 8 seed to upend a No. 1 seed with a 90-49 quarterfinal win over UW-Whitewater. The victory margin was the largest in tournament history. Aaron Vachowiak led four Blue Devils in double-figures with 21 points. Pat Von Feldt contributed 13 points, while Steve Krueger had 11 points and Jeff Vandenberghe chipped in 10 points.

2000 Tournament

UW-Stevens Point (#1) captured the first tournament championship in school history with a thrilling 59-56 overtime win over UW-Eau Claire (#2) in front of 3,075 spectators at Quandt Fieldhouse. The Pointers trailed 56-50 with one minute remaining in regulation when Jay Bennett hit a three-pointer with 55 seconds left and Travis Kornowski drilled a three-pointer with 25 seconds left to send game into overtime tied at 56. Brant Bailey scored the only three points in overtime. Bailey scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Bennett added 11 points and Joe Zuiker grabbed 12 rebounds. Sherm Carstensen led UW-Eau Claire with 18 points, while Jon Wallenfelsz contributed 13 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots.

UW-Stevens Point claimed an 80-73 overtime victory over UW-Superior (#5) in the semifinals. UW-Superior’s Brandon Vesel hit a three-pointer with four seconds left in regulation to send game into overtime. Brant Bailey scored the Pointers’ first six points in overtime and had 22 second-half points. UW-Stevens Point led 52-41 with 9:15 left when UW-Superior went on a 9-0 run over next three minutes. Bailey finished with a game-high 31 points, while Zuiker and Gabe Frank each added 12 points. Jason Strilzuk led UW-Superior with 25 points, while Vince Thomas added 17 points and Vesel 14 points. The Pointers converted 31-of-35 free-throw attempts in the contest.

UW-Eau Claire secured the first tournament win in program history with a 92-85 overtime victory over UW-Stout (#7) in the quarterfinals. UW-Stout had the ball for the final possession in regulation, but Dave Mellenthin forced a turnover to send the game into the extra session knotted at 72. UW-Eau Claire never trailed in the overtime and pulled away with free throws in the final minute. After hitting just 15-of-29 charity tosses in regulation, the Blugolds connected on 10-of-13 in the extra session. Jon Wallenfelsz poured in a team-high 24 points and 15 rebounds for the Blugolds, while Sherm Carstensen added 23 points and Matt Fermanich contributed 19 points and seven assists. The Blue Devils’ Aaron Vachowiak tallied a game-best 27 points and added 11 rebounds, while Ben Kuepers contributed 21 points and Jeremy Leibfried added 12 points and eight assists.

UW-Superior earned the first tournament victory in program history with a 66-48 quarterfinal triumph over UW-River Falls (#4). Jason Strilzuk led the Yellowjackets with 13 points, while Vince Thomas contributed 12 points and 13 rebounds. Pat Ptacek led UW-River Falls with 13 points.

UW-Oshkosh (#6) earned a wild 67-66 quarterfinal win over UW-Platteville (#3). The Titans' Justin Kamps drilled a three-point basket with 0.8 seconds remaining for the winning margin. The Pioneers took a 66-64 lead with eight seconds remaining when Merrill Brunson took an inbounds pass and drove on a cleared-out right side. He pulled up and hit a short jumper to break a tie. The Titans did not call a timeout, and Montrell Ross ran the ball up the court. He penetrated almost to the foul line and kicked the ball out to Kamps on the left side, who buried the three for the victory. The final minute 1:27 was heightened by a 10-minute delay due to an all-campus blackout. Kamps finished with a game-high 24 points, while Brunson led five Pioneers in double-figures with 18 points.

UW-La Crosse (#9) scored a tournament-record 108 points in an 108-84 win over UW-Whitewater (#8) in the play-in game. Five players scored in double figures for the Eagles: Matt Schultz (24), Paul Manchester (23), Eddie Hebert (22), Chris Kopp (12) and Greg Berlin (11). Aubrey Lewis-Byers led UW-Whitewater with 28 points, including 10-of-10 shooting from the field and 8-of-12 from the free-throw stripe. The Warhawks’ Danny Saunders distributed a tournament-record 13 assists. UW-La Crosse exploded for 62 points in the second half to break open a 46-38 halftime advantage.

1999 Tournament

UW-Platteville (#1) captured the first-ever tournament championship with a 90-88 overtime win over UW-Stout (#6) at Williams Fieldhouse with 1,489 onlookers in attendance. Aaron Olson's three-point shot with 1:35 remaining in the extra session gave the Pioneers an 87-84 lead, and his two free throws with four seconds remaining gave the Pioneers a 90-86 advantage. The Blue Devils rebounded from a 14-point deficit to take an 80-78 lead with 48 seconds remaining in regulation. But UW-Platteville got the ball inside to Mike Jones, and his layup tied the score with 35 seconds left. Blake Knutson poured in a game-best 32 points, including 12-of-14 shooting from the field, while Olson, Jones and Merrill Brunson each added 15 points. Brunson also partially blocked a three-point attempt with nine seconds remaining in overtime and the Pioneers holding a 88-86 lead. Dan Wargolet rebounded the ball and passed it to Olson, who then made the pair of free throws with four seconds left. Jeremy Leibfried led the Blue Devils with 24 points.

UW-Platteville, UW-Stout, UW-Oshkosh (#2) and UW-Stevens Point (#5) recorded their first tournament victories in quarterfinal matchups. The Pointers and Blue Devils posted the first “upsets” in tournament history as UW-Stevens Point beat UW-Whitewater (#4), 77-67, and UW-Stout upended UW-Eau Claire (#3), 70-60.

UW-La Crosse (#8) claimed the win in the first-ever tournament game with a 70-54 triumph over UW-River Falls (#9) in the play-in game. Eddie Hebert led UW-La Crosse with 19 points, while Steve Tracy added 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. UW-River Falls’ Pat Ptacek had 13 points and five rebounds.

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