Freshman forward Brandon Beck scored a career-high 21 points as the UW Oshkosh men’s basketball team took down Calvin University (Michigan) 73-69 at the Kolf Sports Center Dec. 5.
Beck went 8-for-14 from the floor and added four 3-pointers to help the Titans (7-1) get the series sweep over the Knights (1-6) after UWO beat Calvin, ranked No. 9 in the nation at the time, 75-67 on the road Nov. 15.
As a team, the Titans shot 36.1% from the field and 34.5% from behind the arc. UWO scored 21 points off 18 Calvin turnovers and the Titans finished with 11 steals.
Michael Metcalf-Grassman finished the contest with 15 points and two rebounds on 4-for-14 shooting while Carter Thomas added nine points.
Calvin was led by Owen Varnado, who scored 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds while Ty Horky scored 11 points off the bench.
The Knights finished the contest shooting 46.3% from the floor and 26% from behind the arc. Calvin outrebounded the Titans 42-32 and led in points in the paint 26-24.
After a back-and-forth first half, two straight layups from Metcalf-Grassman gave the Titans a 6-point edge coming out of halftime. UWO claimed at least a 6-point advantage for the first nine minutes of the second half until a 3-pointer from Horkey and a layup from Felton to pull Calvin to within three points.
Oshkosh responded with a pair of layups from Metcalf-Grassman, and Thomas connected on a 3-pointer to give the Titans a 54-46 lead. Reed Seckar nailed a 3-pointer with 6:17 left in the contest to build UWO’s advantage to 10 points, but a 3-pointer from Daane Harvey sparked a 10-4 Knights run that pulled Calvin to within four. The final two minutes of the game turned into a foul fest, and with 29 seconds left Varnado hit a pair of free throws to cut Calvin’s deficit to two points. Oshkosh was able to draw a foul on its next possession and connect on the ensuing free throws to hold on for the 4-point victory.
The two teams traded baskets to begin the first half until a 7-0 Calvin run put the Knights up 9-2. The Titans responded with a 10-0 run behind five straight points from Beck midway through the period to take a 15-13 advantage. UWO increased its lead to eight points with 5:57 to go in the half after Thomas was fouled, nailed a layup and converted on the 3-point play. Calvin responded with a 9-0 scoring run and took a 30-29 advantage after a 3-pointer by Trevin Winkle, but Nate Nazos hit a jumper at the buzzer to give the Titans a 2-point lead going into the break.
The Titans will hit the road to De Pere to take on St. Norbert College (4-1) Dec. 21 at the Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center, with tipoff scheduled for 1 p.m.
