MENOMONIE, Wis.- UW-Oshkosh men's basketball traveled up to Johnson Fieldhouse on Saturday (Jan. 4) for the first WIAC contest of the season. The Titans held early leads and fought back from a 13-point deficit in the second half before falling to UW-Stout by a 64-57 score.
 
The Titans, receiving votes in the most recent D3hoops.com poll, shot 32.3 percent (20-of-62) from the field, 19 percent (4-of-21) from three, and 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from the line. Their 3-point percentage was higher than the Blue Devils' 15.8 percent (3-of-19) while Stout outrebounded Oshkosh, 49-40.
 
UW-Oshkosh also recorded seven assists, seven steals, and six blocks. Eighteen points came off turnovers while 28 were scored in the paint and 12 were added on second chances.
 
Michael Metcalf-Grassman (So. • Shawano/Waukesha) registered 25 points, shooting 9-of-20 from the field, including 2-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-12 from the line.
 
Jonah Rindfleisch (Sr. • Milwaukee) was the Titan's top rebounder with 10. Carter Thomas (Jr. • Neenah) notched three assists and Joey LaChapell (Fr. • Appleton) stole the ball four times.
 
Stout scored the first points of the game early and LaChapell tied the score at 2-2 with a pair of free throws. The Blue Devils later went on a 9-0 run over two minutes to make the score 13-6.
 
UW-Oshkosh decreased the deficit to three points just before the halfway mark of the first half on a Thomas layup and a Rindfleisch dunk, however Stout retained the lead.
 
Neither team scored for nearly four minutes until Metcalf-Grassman brought the score to 19-17 with 6:39 to go. He then hit a three to cut the Blue Devils' lead to a point, but Stout kept the edge, leading 30-26 at the half.
 
After Metcalf-Grassman opened second half scoring with a driving layup at 19:42, Stout scored nine straight points for a 39-28 score by 17:47. Metcalf-Grassman tallied four of Oshkosh's five points in a 5-0 spurt that decreased Stout's lead to six points, however the Blue Devils responded with a run of their own for a 13-point lead.
 
Until a Thomas three and two Rindfleisch free throws made the score 56-53 with until five minutes to play, the teams held each other to just two consecutive baskets for most the remainder of the game. Metcalf-Grassman tallied all four of Oshkosh's points the rest of the way while the Blue Devils added eight points to their tally.
 
The Titans will host receiving votes UW-Eau Claire (8-3) in their home conference opener on Wednesday (Jan. 7) at 7 p.m. They are 7-3 against the Blugolds in the last 10 matchups and have taken each of the last four contests.