Kalien's 23 points Not Enough for Blugolds
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) –Despite a 23-point performance by Tyson Kalien (Jr.-Chippewa Falls, WI) the UW-Eau Claire men's basketball team fell just short of an upset of No. 20th-ranked St. Norbert on Saturday night in Zorn Arena, 66-55.
Box Score | Coach Siverling's recap
Eau Claire played shorthanded as injuries from Wednesday's game sidelined several Blugolds. However, the home squad played tough with the ranked Green Knights, trailing St. Norbert by a basket heading into halftime, 23-25.
The tide turned in favor of St. Norbert late in the second half as the Green Knights went on a 9-0 run that turned a one-point game into a 10-point lead with 6:30 left in the game. St. Norbert never looked back and maintained the lead until the final buzzer.
Points in the paint and from the free throw lines were the key differences in the game. The Green Knights outscored the Blugolds 30-12 in the paint and were 16-for-18 from the line, while the Blugolds were six-for-nine.
Kalien was stellar again for the Blugolds, leading all scorers with 23 points. Jacob Kohner (Jr.-Bloomington, MN) was just shy of a double-double, racking up a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with nine points.
D.J. DeValk paced St. Norbert with 15 points.
The Blugolds (3-7, 0-3 WIAC) will travel south to play in the Tampa Bay Tournament Dec. 29-30 and resume WIAC play in January.
-JM-