EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The UW-Eau Claire men's basketball team won their second-straight game Saturday night, flying past UW-La Crosse, 69-52.
Jacob Kohner (Jr.-Bloomington, MN) had the hot hand for the Blugolds, scoring their first 10 points. The Eagles were still able to keep it close and neither team could build a lead of more than five points.
Another Kohner score tied the game for the fifth time with 3:01 left in the half. Eau Claire took the lead following a Kurtis Moody (Jr.-Pequot Lakes, MN) lay-up that would stand until the end of the half, as the home squad took at 30-28 lead into the locker room.
For the half, the Blugolds shot 45.5 percent from the field and from behind the arc while the defense held the Eagles to 32.1 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three.
Eau Claire controlled the second half, never relinquishing the lead and held a double-digit lead for the final three minutes following a Lewis Mau (Sr.-Colfax, WI) three-pointer.
The Blugolds were 10-for-10 from the free throw line in the final minutes to cruise to a 69-52 win.
Kohner finished with a game-high 21 points while George Diekelman (Fr.-Stevens Point, WI) chipped in 14 points and tied Mau for a team-high nine rebounds. Mau also tallied 10 points and two steal while Moody added eight points.
Eau Claire finished the game shooting an even 50 percent from the field (21-of-42) and 41.2 percent from the three-point line. The Blugolds were also impressive from the free throw line, converting on 20 of 23 attempts (87 percent).
The Eagles were held to 33.3 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from the three-point line.
Eau Claire also controlled the paint, out-scoring La Crosse 28-10 while the Blugold bench out-scored the Eagle bench 34-14.
The Blugolds (10-13, 6-8 WIAC) will travel to River Falls on Wednesday to take on the Falcons at 7 p.m.
-JM-
