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Behind a record-breaking performance from Sam Grieger, the UW-La Crosse men’s basketball team moved one step closer to its first-ever conference tournament title.
The 18th-ranked Eagles never trailed Thursday night, defeating No. 23 UW-Stevens Point 82-63 in the WIAC tournament semifinals at Bennett Court.
The win sets up a championship showdown at UW-Whitewater at 3 p.m. Saturday., where UW-L (21-6) will seek its first WIAC tourney championship in program history and secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. The Eagles and Warhawks split regular-season meetings, both winning by three points.
Meanwhile, Grieger helped get UW-L to the title game with a historic 29-point performance. The 6-foot-4 junior guard reached 669 points on the year with free throws in the second half, breaking Tony Mane’s single-season school record of 666 points set during the 2010-11 season.
In addition to Grieger’s 29 points and seven rebounds, Derousseau finished with 18 points and six assists, while J.J. Paider added 17 points and seven boards.
UW-L shot 53.8% from the floor and held the Pointers (19-7) to just 37.3% shooting.
The Eagles have now won 16 of the last 17 meetings against the Pointers. In WIAC championships, they’re 0-3, losing in 2007, 2021 and 2025.
TOP PHOTO: UW-L’s Sam Grieger goes for a layup against UW-SP on Feb. 26, 2026 (PHOTO: Emma Moseley, UWL Athletics) |
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