UWSP men’s basketball opens season at home Wednesday night
Portage County Gazette
By John Kemmeter
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) men’s basketball team will tip off the 2019-20 season at home Wednesday, Nov. 13, when it takes on St. Olaf (Minn.) at 7 p.m. at Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse.
“St. Olaf is a very difficult opening game,” said UWSP men’s basketball head coach Bob Semling. “They are one of the better offensive teams that we’ll play, and they seem to always be in mid-season form, right out of the block.”
The Pointers are expected to start the season with five seniors in the starting lineup in guards Ethan Bublitz and Aaron Knez, forwards Blake Ehrke and Brandon Spray, and forward/center Matt Koerner.
Last season, UWSP won 54-41 at St. Olaf, which went on to finish 13-13 in 2018-19, after a trip to the second round of the NCAA Division III a year earlier.
St. Olaf opened this season with a 63-57 win at UW-Stout Friday, Nov. 8, while it won 60-45 at Quandt Fieldhouse in the 2017-18 season opener, and 63-55 at home over the Pointers in the 2016-17 season opener.
“They have really smart, skilled players, and they can screen and move very well, and they can make shots,” said Semling. “They really like to take about 30 threes a game, they also are good enough to beat you at the rim, they’ll pick and roll or slip guys to the rim, and post guys up for easy baskets and trying to get fouls.
“But when they get offensive rebounds, they’ll pitch it right back out to the three-point line and lift another three on you,” he said. “So we’re going to have to defend the three-point shooter without fouling, that’s going to be a key for that game.”