STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Senior Nate Albers scored a game-high 19 points, but UW-Stevens Point shot 52.7 percent from the floor and sank 12 three-pointers to defeat the St. Olaf College men's basketball team, 77-59, on Wednesday night at Quandt Fieldhouse.

Albers scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half for St. Olaf (1-1), but UW-Stevens Point (1-0) shot over 50 percent in both halves to win its season opener. Blake Ehrke, Ethan Bublitz, Zach Mootz and Brandon Spray combined to score 64 of the Pointers' 77 points in the game.

In addition to his 19 points, Albers contributed five rebounds, three assists and three steals, while senior Noah Beck reached double figures with 12 points and three steals. First year Michael Meriggioli hit a pair of three-pointers off the bench to add eight points.

A four-point play by Nathan Hendler and five early points from Meriggioli put the Oles up 12-10 before back-to-back three-pointers by Ehrke and Aaron Knez swung the lead in the Pointers' favor. Later in the half, a three-pointer by first year Mac Hubbard brought St. Olaf within two, 19-17, with 8:51 to go in the half, but UW-Stevens Point answered with a 15-6 run over the next four-plus minutes to take a 34-23 lead.

The run was part of a stretch that saw UW-Stevens Point out-score St. Olaf 25-8 after Hubbard's three-pointer to go ahead by 44-25 with 2:16 remaining before halftime. Erhke had 13 of his team-high 18 points before the break, as the Pointers hit eight three-pointers in the opening half to take a 46-29 lead into the break.

Beck scored the Oles' first two baskets in the second half, but Bublitz scored six points in an 8-0 run that pushed UW-Stevens Point's lead to 23, 56-33, with 15:33 to play. Meriggioli and Albers hit consecutive three-pointers on St. Olaf's next two possessions before an Albers layup made it a 15-point game two minutes later.

With 6:43 to go, a three-point play by Albers and a layup from junior Dominic Bledsoe brought St. Olaf within 14, 65-51, but that was as close as the Oles would get, as the Pointers led by as many as 24 down the stretch.

Ehrke recorded a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds for UW-Stevens Point, while Bublitz shot 7-for-13 from the field on his way to 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. Mootz came off the bench to add 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting, including 4-for-4 from behind the arc, and Spray contributed 13 points and six boards.

St. Olaf looks to bounce back in its home opener against Bethany Lutheran on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m.