LA CROSSE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team got out to a hot start, but ultimately fell to fourth-ranked UW-La Crosse 84-77 on the road on Saturday. The Blugolds built a 16-point lead toward the end of the first half, but couldn't quite hold on to pull off an upset.
UW-Eau Claire went on a 14-2 run early in the first half behind a barrage from 3-point range. David Ijadimbola (Jr. - Brooklyn Park, Minn./Park Center), Michael Casper (Jr. - Merrill, Wis.) and Spencer Page (Sr. - Rice Lake, Wis.) each made a shot from long range to quickly build the Blugolds' lead in a matter of minutes. Ijadimbola made a pair of 3s later in the half to put the Blugolds ahead 36-20. UW-Eau Claire made 8 of its 14 3-point attempts in the first half.
The Eagles made a push late in the first half to narrow the gap a bit entering the break. They closed the period on a 14-3 run to cut the deficit to five at 39-34.
The Blugolds remained ahead until the 17:29 mark in the second half, when the Eagles made a layup to get in front. UW-La Crosse led the rest of the way, although UW-Eau Claire continued to battle. Brock Voigt (Sr. - Sun Prairie, Wis.) scored nine of 12 points in a Blugolds run to shrink the Eagles' lead to 60-58 with 10:33 left. However, UW-La Crosse scored seven straight points from there to pull away.
UW-Eau Claire's final push came in the final minute, when Alex Voigt (Sr. - Sun Prairie, Wis.) made a 3-pointer to pull the Blugolds within five of the Eagles with 31 seconds left. But the Eagles made a couple of free throws in the closing seconds to hang on.
Brock Voigt finished with 22 points and four rebounds for UW-Eau Claire. Casper scored 20 points and made five 3-pointers. Ijadimbola had 16 points and made four shots from long range. Alex Voigt had nine points.
The Blugolds finished the early period of WIAC action with a 1-1 record. They return to non-conference play until January, with a home game against Wartburg coming up next. The Blugolds (5-3, 1-1) host the Knights on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m.
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