OSHKOSH, Wis.- Collin Madson scored 19 of his game-high 32 points in the second half as UW-Whitewater overcame a double-digit halftime deficit and defeated nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh men's basketball, 101-91, on Wednesday (Jan. 28) in Kolf Sports Center.
Whitewater (14-5, 5-3 WIAC) trailed, 58-47, at intermission but held the Titans to 28.6 percent (8-28) shooting from the field during the final 20 minutes after Oshkosh went 22-for-34 (64.7 percent) in the first period.
The Warhawks, who eclipsed 100 points for the third time this season, reclaimed the lead for good at 67-65 following a Madson layup with just over 13 minutes remaining.
Oshkosh (14-5, 5-3 WIAC), ranked 20th in the NCAA Division III by
D3hoops.com, pulled within 74-73 with 8:32 to go, but the Warhawks responded with seven consecutive points to extend their lead to 81-73 at the 7:07 mark and maintained a cushion of at least six points the rest of the way.
Whitewater evened the regular season series after falling, 90-78, at home against Oshkosh on Jan. 3. The Titans and Warhawks are now among a four-way tie atop the WIAC standings.
Madson shot 11-for-16 from the floor, including 5-for-7 from 3-point range, on the way to finishing one point shy of his season high.
Whitewater starters accounted for all but six of the team's points as Isaac Verges added 23 points, Luke Bara and Brock Marino 15 apiece, and Richie Warren 10.
Joey LaChapell (Appleton/Appleton East) led four Titan double-digit scorers with 21 points to go along with a game-best six assists. The active NCAA career leader in free throw percentage, LaChapell had his string of consecutive makes at the foul line end at 38.
Cater Thomas added 15 points for the Titans, who also received 12 points from
Aiden Hawkinson (Waupun/Waupun) and 10 from
Jonah Rindfleisch (Milwaukee/Wisconsin Lutheran). Hawkinson went 4-for-4 from 3-point range in the first half.
Whitewater, which shot 16-for-29 (55.2 percent) from the field during both halves, went 10-for-19 (52.6 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc and 27-for-34 (79.4 percent) at the foul line. The Warhawks had advantages of 11-15 in turnovers, 10-7 in steals and 2-1 in blocks.
Oshkosh concluded the contest shooting 48.4 percent (30-62) from the floor, 35.5 percent (11-31) from 3-point range and 80 percent (20-25) at the free throw line while holding edges of 34-33 in rebounds and 17-11 in assists.
The Titans led by as many as 16 points at 53-37 after a
Jay Dalton (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) layup with 2:21 left in the first half. Dalton's basket in the paint capped a 15-1 scoring run during a span of three and a half minutes.
The Warhawks opened their second-half comeback with an 18-5 scoring run to pull within 65-63 with just under 15 minutes to go. Madson later accounted for all eight of the Warhawks' points during an 80-second stretch to up their lead to 73-68.
AJ Ohrmundt's (Hartland/Arrowhead Union) layup cut the Oshkosh deficit to 74-73, but Verges drilled a 3-pointer on the next Whitewater possession. The Warhawks then owned a cushion of at least six points the rest of the way after a Madson layup for a 79-73 advantage with 7:17 left.
First place in the league standings will be on the line when Oshkosh heads to UW-Platteville (13-6, 5-3 WIAC) next Wednesday (Feb. 4) for a 7 p.m. tip. The Titans defeated two-time defending WIAC regular season and postseason champion Platteville, 86-76, at home January 14.
