UW-Platteville Runs the Table

By Pat Coleman
Editor, D3hoops.com

SALEM, VA. -- The nation's best defense showed up for all 40 minutes tonight as Wisconsin-Platteville finished its second undefeated season in the last four years, defeating Hope 69-56 in front of 3,915 at the Salem Civic Center.

The Pioneers (30-0) scored the first seven points of the game and 23 of the first 32 as they pressured Hope (26-5) into eight first-half turnovers.

"We felt it was a factor to get an early lead," said Platteville head coach Bo Ryan. "We knew if they got an early lead they could stretch it with the style they play. We wanted to get an early lead and hold on."

In all three championship bracket games, one team jumped out to a large early lead. Hope took a 13-2 lead in the semifinal game against Wilkes and coasted the rest of the way, while Williams had Platteville on the ropes early at 11-0 but couldn't hold the lead.

Hope battled back to cut the lead to 7-6 four minutes into the game on layups by Joel Holstege and Chris Vander Slice and a jumper by Dan Van Hekken, but the Pioneers took it back to a 14-point advantage by the midway point of the half. The Flying Dutchmen never got back within 11 points, despite 15 second-half turnovers and only nine field goals by Platteville.

Platteville's senior-laden backcourt was key to their success this season. Seniors Ben Hoffmann and Ryan Fuhrmann started, while Andre Dalton, the hero against Williams, came off the bench in all 27 of his appearances. Fuhrmann scored 10 in the title game, while Hoffmann and Dalton each scored nine.

The key to the Platteville offense, however, was sophomore guard Merrill Brunson. Brunson came off the bench to score 15 points in 16 minutes of action and led the Pioneers with six field goals in eight attempts. Brunson, who was Platteville's second-leading scorer during the season, had been held scoreless against Williams.

For Hope, it was another disappointment on championship Saturday. "Congratulations to Platteville on winning the championship," said head coach Glenn Van Wieren. "Right now we are feeling a lot of pain."

Senior guard Joel Holstege, who led Hope with 26 points and four assists, was happy his career ended in Salem. "It was a fun ride, that's the way I look at it now."

Notes: Holstege, Dalton, Wilkes' Dave Jannuzzi and Williams' Michael Nogelo were named to the All-Championship team, while Hoffmann was named Most Valuable Player. . . Williams won the third place game behind Nogelo's 38 points and 13 rebounds, defeating Wilkes 105-93. Nogelo's final point, a free throw with 24 seconds left, gave him 2,000 for his career. Jannuzzi had 32 points and eight assists for the Colonels. . . Neither team shot well from long range in the championship game -- Platteville shot 4-for-16 from beyond the arc while Hope was 4-for-23. "How many times will Hope go 0-for-5 from three-point territory," asked Ryan, as they did in the first half. . . Platteville leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing opponents only 51.7 points per game.