The men’s basketball team battled UW-Superior in the first round of the WIAC tournament Tuesday in a rematch from last Saturday.

Unlike Saturday’s game, a 79-63 Warhawks victory, more was at stake.

The winner of the WIAC tournament will receive an automatic bid in the NCAA tournament, and  with a 17-8 record, the ’Hawks may need assurance.

Head coach Pat Miller said he feels the team must do well in order to make the NCAA tournament.

The ’Hawks have been led by the stellar play of senior guard DJ Dantzler, who is averaging 11.5 points per game heading into the tournament.

The WIAC tournament began Tuesday and features the top six teams from the conference. The ’Hawks are the third seed and Superior is sixth. Before Tuesday’s game, they were 2-0 against Superior this season.

“Every game’s different, but it’s an advantage in that we’re at home, and from a preparation standpoint, we’ve just prepared for them,” Miller said.
The ’Hawks entered the tournament on a three-game winning streak and looked to continue their success by a balanced attack.

“Winning our last three games at home has given us momentum, and to play well in the tournament we’re going to have to play well defensively, shoot well and get solid play from a number of people,”  Miller said. “We need to have some balance and everyone to play well at the same time.”

The other side of the bracket features the No. 1 seed, UW-Stevens Point, the favorite in the tournament. They will play the winner of UW-La Crosse and UW-Platteville in the semifinals. The ’Hawks will not see the 22-3 Pointers unless they both make it to the championship.

If the ’Hawks won Tuesday, they travel to River Falls to play No. 2 seed UW-River Falls in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Thursday. The championship will be played at 3 p.m. Saturday.

“Our team can get hot for a week; beat River Falls at River Falls and if we’re lucky enough to get to that point, we’re looking forward to the chance to play Stevens Point again,” Miller said.