The UW-Platteville men's basketball team did not break into the classic Prince song on its way home from Menomonie Saturday, but it still was one happy ride back.
The Pioneers claimed their 19th Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and first since since the 1998-99 season with their 56-51 win at UW-Stout in the afternoon, coupled with UW-Oshkosh's 74-59 win over UW-Stevens Point that night.
The Pioneers and Pointers tied for the league title with 13-3 records. UW-Platteville will take the top seed into the league's post-season tournament, which begins Tuesday. The Pioneers, 18-6 overall, will host eighth-seeded UW-River Falls at 7 p.m. in Williams Fieldhouse.
UW-Platteville wrapped up its regular season with its 11th win in its last 12 games, a 56-51 victory at UW-Stout Saturday.
Brad Reitzner scored 21 points, with 18 coming in the second half, and Brandon Temperly added 12 points for the Pioneers. Mark Gossens totalled nine points and eight rebounds.
The Pioneers shot 38.8 percent from the field, but held the Blue Devils to even less than that at 27.9 percent.
Terry Farmer led the pesky Stout club with 13 points, while Greg Chaisson added 10. UW-Stout dropped to 13-10, 8-8. The fifth-seeded Blue Devils will play at fourth-seeded UW-Whitewater Tuesday.
UWP earns the top seed through the league's tie-breaking procedures. The Pioneers, who split their regular-season matchups with the Pointers, won by virture of their sweep of fourth-place UW-Whitewater. The Pointers split with the Warhawks.