EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team held off a late push from UW-Stevens Point to defeat the Pointers 80-72 on Senior Night at Zorn Arena on Saturday. The Blugolds won their final home game of the regular season behind strong shooting and some ferocious dunks throughout the night.
The two sides were tough to separate throughout the first half. It was a one-possession contest for the vast majority of the opening period, with neither side able to pull away from the other. The Blugolds found some separation in the final two minutes before the break though. Spencer Page (Sr. - Rice Lake, Wis.) hit a 3-pointer to start a 9-0 run which sent UW-Eau Claire into the locker room with a 37-32 advantage.
UW-Eau Claire ran out to a 15-point lead in the opening nine minutes of the second half. The Pointers were able to get back within striking distance with an 8-0 run immediately after to cut their deficit to seven. The Blugolds had another run in them though, this time embarking on a 7-0 spurt to re-establish a 14-point advantage with eight minutes left.
A 14-3 run for the Pointers made it a three-point game at 70-67 with 3:52 remaining. However, the Blugolds finished by scoring 10 of the final 15 points of the contest to secure a victory.
Brock Voigt (Sr. - Sun Prairie, Wis.) led the Blugolds with 25 points, six rebounds and three steals. He threw down several dunks to ignite the Blugolds in the midst of their runs. Carter Hanke (Sr. - Marathon, Wis.) had 13 points and three assists, and Page finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Carter Huschka (Jr. - Farmington, Minn.) had 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists off the bench. The Blugolds shot 53% from the field.
The Blugolds out-rebounded the Pointers 31-25. They dominated the interior, scoring 54 points in the paint compared to 34 for UW-Stevens Point.
UW-Eau Claire finishes out its regular season with a road game at UW-Stout on Wednesday, Feb. 15. The game is set for 6 p.m. in Menomonie.
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