Despite allowing 15 first-quarter points and falling behind visiting Richland Center by 10 points early in the opening quarter of Friday’s Southwest Wisconsin Conference boys’ basketball game, Mike Huser’s Platteville Hillmen stayed the course.
     Junior Nick Tashner scored of his game-high 15 points in a key 13-4 second-quarter run that gave the Hillmen a 21-19 lead, and later scored Platteville’s final basket on a tough driving layup with 1:27 left to play in the game.
     Following Tashner’s layup the Platteville defense forced the Hornets into four straight misses from behind the arc in the final 1:12, each of which could have tied the game, as the Hillmen escaped with a 38-35 defensive-minded victory.
     “Friday was another exciting win for us,” said Platteville head coach Mike Huser. “It was good to beat a team that beat us earlier this season especially after we were able to overcome a really poor start. I also thought our fans had a real impact on the game especially in the second half with their noise and enthusiasm on Pack the House Night.”
     Senior Jesse Heer’s pull-up jumper in the final minute of the third quarter gave Platteville (7-8, 3-3 SWC) a 30-28 lead, and Tashner opened the final period with a 3-pointer to make it a five-point game. After the Hornets (11-5, 3-3) tied the game with five straight points, Platteville’s Logan Emendorfer buried a clutch 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 36-33.
     Last Tuesday night Jesse Heer saved the game and Dylan Tranel won it. Heer made a game-tying 3-pointer with nine seconds left in regulation and Tranel made one of two free throws with 2.8 seconds left in overtime to lift Platteville to a 46-45 non-conference victory over visiting Mt. Horeb.
     Heer also buried another triple early in the extra session as Platteville built a 45-40 lead.
     Mt. Horeb’s Alec Collins converted an old fashioned three-point play with 20 seconds left, then Willie Fish stole Platteville’s ensuing inbound pass and converted a layup to tie the game.
     Tranel then raced the length of the floor and was fouled going to the basket a last-second shot. After he made 1-of-2 from the line Mt. Horeb’s last-second, three-quarter court pray fell short and Platteville escaped with the win.
     This past Saturday Platteville suffered a 60-36 non-conference loss to Cascade (IA) at the Star Restaurant/Crust Italian Kitchen Shootout at the University of Dubuque.
     Tashner scored a team-high 10 points in the blowout loss as the Hillmen fell to 7-9 overall.

Platteville 46, Mt. Horeb 45
(from Tuesday, Jan. 24 @ Platteville)
Mt. Horeb     7    13    10    6      9    -  45
Platteville    14    10    4     8     10    -  46
Mt. Horeb (8-7) - S. Collins 12, A. Collins 9, Lesure 3, Bollig 6, Jerdee 15. Totals - 15 11-20 45.
Platteville (6-7) - Jesse Heer 9, Logan Emendorfer 2, Derek Schambow 5, Dylan Tranel 7, David Bast 8, Nick Tashner 15. Totals - 15 10-17 46.
3-point goals - MH: 4 (A. Collins 3, Bollig); P: 6 (Heer 3, Tashner 3). Team fouls - MH: 19; Pla: 16. Fouled out - none.

Platteville 38, Richland Center 35
(from Friday, Jan. 27 @ Platteville)
Richland Center    15     6    7    7     -   35
Platteville               8    13    9    8     -   38
Richland Center (11-5, 3-3) - Sosinsky 4, Hassell 7, Gainor 2, Adsit 12, Wienkes 7, Mortimer 3. Totals - 15 11-15 35.
Platteville (7-7, 3-3) - Jesse Heer 6, Logan Emendorfer 6, Garrison Jones 2, Dylan Tranel 5, David Bast 4, Nick Tashner 15. Totals - 14 5-15 38.
3-point goals - RC: 2 (Wienkes 1, Mortimer 1): P: 5 (Emendorfer 2, Tashner 3). Team fouls - RC: 16; Pla: 14. Fouled out - none.

Star Restaurant/Crust Italian Kitchen Shootout
Cascade 60, Platteville 36
(from Saturday, Jan. 28 @ U. of Dubuque)
Cascade (IA)    18    11    20    11     -   60
Platteville           6    11    10      9     -   36
Cascade - Gehl 5, McCabe 3, Takes 7, Kleitsch 12, Noonan 2, Reiter 2, Frey 17, nepper 12. Totals - 23 8-12 60.
Platteville (7-8) - Jesse Heer 6, Logan Emendorfer 6, Derek Schambow 3, Dylan Tranel 2, David Bast 7, Nick Tashner 10, Shane Ferrari 2. Totals - 13 4-7 36.
3-point goals - C: 6 (Gehl, McCabe, Takes, Kleitsch 3); P: 6 (Heer, Jones 2, Schambow, Tashner 2). Team fouls - C: 12; P: 10. Fouled out - C: Reiter.