EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – While the game went back and forth in the opening half, the UW-Eau Claire men's basketball team took control in the second half to defeat Crown College (Minn.) 87-73 on Ken Anderson Court in Zorn Arena tonight.
Over the first 18 minutes of the game, the lead changed hands 13 times while the score was tied five other times. With just over two minutes to play in the opening half, the Blugolds used a 10-2 run to help work their way to a 37-34 lead by halftime.
The Blugolds opened the second half with a 13-6 run to build a 10-point lead (50-40). Midway through the half, Crown worked its way to just a four-point deficit but the Blugolds then went on a 15-4 run to get up by 15 and led by at least 12 the rest of the night.
Adam Hjelter (So.-Hutchinson, Minn.) led the game with a career-high 34 points, 15 of them coming in the first half. He finished the game going 8-for-11 from beyond the arc, just one basket away from the school record for most three-pointers made in a game.
Eric Effertz (Jr.-Ladysmith, Wis.) led the game with eight rebounds while also scoring 17 points.
As a team, the Blugolds hits 55.7 percent of their shots (34-for-61) from the field, going 14-for-25 from beyond the arc. The last time the Blugolds scored 87 or more points was on Jan. 18, 2012 in a 95-82 win over Finlandia University (Mich.).
Eau Claire is now 4-2 on the season while Crown drops to 1-6.
The Blugolds will be home again Wednesday for Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night, taking on UW-Stevens Point for a game beginning at 7 p.m. It will also be the first conference game of the season.
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