LA CROSSE, Wis.- Michael Metcalf-Grassman (Shawano/Waukesha/Shawano Community) and
Logan Rindfleisch (Milwaukee/Wisconsin Lutheran) both scored double-digit points in La Crosse on Wednesday night (Feb. 18), however UW-Oshkosh men's basketball was defeated by UW-La Crosse, 82-63, in a battle between a pair of top 25 teams.
Metcalf-Grassman scored eight points from the line on nine attempts and added a 5-for-13 mark from the field including a 3-pointer for a team-high 19 points. Rindfleisch scored 13 points off the bench by going 4 of 7 from the field, 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and 2 of 2 from the line.
Jonah Rindfleisch (Milwaukee/Wisconsin Lutheran) led the Titans with six rebounds,
Joey LaChapell (Appleton/Appleton East) dished out four assists,
Nate Nazos (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) blocked two shots, and
Carter Thomas (Neenah/Neenah) stole three Eagle possessions.
Sam Grieger, the WIAC's leading scorer, tallied a game-high 26 points and JJ Paider, the league's best rebounder this season, pulled down 11.
UW-Oshkosh (17-7, 8-5 WIAC), ranked No. 25 in the nation by
D3hoops.com, fell into a four-way tie for second in the WIAC standings with a game to go in the regular season. The Titans shot 31.3 percent (21-67) from the field, 22.0 percent (9-41) from 3-point range and 66.7 percent (12-18) from the line. No. 21 UW-La Crosse (18-6, 8-5 WIAC) led in all three shooting categories by going 44.6 percent (29-65) from the field, 26.7 percent (4-15) from 3 and 95.2 percent (20-21) from the line.
The Titans led the hosts in assists (13-11), blocks (8-4) and bench points (23-18). The Eagles held additional edges in rebounds (49-36), fastbreak points (13-11), points off turnovers (13-6), points in the paint (44-24) and second chance points (14-7). Both teams committed 12 turnovers, and Oshkosh owned an 8-7 edge in steals.
The Eagles jumped out to a four-point edge to open the game with a pair of quick baskets. They never trailed in the contest. After a 10-0 La Crosse run, Oshkosh climbed back within six points at 14-8 when
Logan Rindfleisch (Milwaukee/Wisconsin Lutheran) and
Oskar Kangas (Iron Mountain, Mich./Iron Mountain) hit back-to-back 3s. Rindfleisch converted consecutive 3-pointers and Metcalf-Grassman converted a layup across 1:20 to cut the deficit down to two points with 7:24 left in the first half. The Eagles immediately responded with six points and eventually led by 15 points until Rindfleisch connected on a contested buzzer-beater to send the teams into the half at 39-27.
Nate Nazos (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) and Metcalf-Grassman combined for eight points in a row to make the score 48-41 at 13:11, but La Crosse held the Titans without more than three points at a time for the next six minutes. LaChapell made a layup and collected a block during a 6-0 spurt by Oshkosh that decreased the Eagles' edge to 65-54 with 5:44 remaining. La Crosse jumped out to 21-point leads twice in the last five minutes of play and each time, the Titans brought the deficit back under 20 points.
The Titans wrap up the regular season at home on Saturday (Feb. 21). They host UW-Stevens Point (18-6, 8-5 WIAC) in Kolf Sports Center at 7 p.m. following pregame Senior Night celebrations.
Stevens Point won the season's first matchup, 84-73, on Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse on January 10.
