By Alex Richert, UWEC Sports Information
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team battled the UW-River Falls Falcons (11-13, 4-9 WIAC) at home, but fell short losing 66-62 on Wednesday night.
Competing shot for shot in the first half, the Blugolds and Falcons saw nine lead changes. River Falls and Eau Claire fought a defensive battle in the first half, but Eau Claire came out ahead by one at the end of the half.
The Falcon offense struck early in the second half, tallying a 9-0 run. That lead was sustained by River Falls until just over three minutes remained in the game. A three-point shot by Wilyam Wright (Sr. – Bolingbrook, IL/Plainfield East) sparked a solid run for the Blugolds, but the run fell short during their come-from-behind attempt. Eau Claire would eventually reduce the Falcons' lead by two points, but River Falls converted key free throws with little time remaining to seal their victory.
Scoring leaders for the Blugolds were Cole Rabedeaux (Jr. – Poulsbo, WA/North Kitsap) (18) and Ben Widdes (Sr. – Rice Lake, WI) (13). One Falcon, Julian Jackson, rose above the rest as he tallied 27 points during the contest.
Both teams shot well from the floor with Eau Claire converting 46.6 percent versus River Fall's 43.3 percent. The Falcons were able to out-rebound the Blugolds 42-25 which resulted in 17 second-chance points versus Eau Claire's two.
The Blugolds (14-10, 7-6 WIAC) will compete in their last WIAC regular season game this Saturday as they host the No. 3 UW-Oshkosh (22-2, 12-1 WIAC). Follow the action on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app' on your mobile device.