SUPERIOR, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The UW-Eau Claire men's basketball team traveled to UW-Superior to face off against the Yellowjackets but came up just short, losing 67-61.
The Blugolds entered the game on a three-game winning streak, tied for their longest of the season.
The two teams exchanged leads in the first half, with neither team leading by more than six points in the opening half. UW-Superior went on a late run to take a 29-24 lead at halftime.
The then 7-11 Yellowjackets came into the second half inspired. They went on a 24-7 run in the first 11 minutes of the second half to take a 20-point lead.
In the last nine minutes, the Blugolds slowly chipped away at that lead to eventually cut it down to a mere six-point loss. Eau Claire ended the game outscoring the Yellowjackets 28-14.
Despite shooting just 3-for-11 from the field, Dustin Kalien (Sr.-Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chi-Hi) led the Blugolds with 13 points. Eric Effertz (So.-Ladysmith, Wis.) and Nick Craggs (Sr.-Kimberly, Wis.) also scored 12 for the Blugolds.
Craggs and Jordan Petersen (Sr.-Strum, Wis./Elva-Strum) led the Blugolds with eight rebounds apiece.
Peterson had a relatively cold night, shooting just 1-for-6 from the field, including going 0-for-2 from the arc.
The loss put the Blugolds at a 9-10 record. It also continued their in-conference struggles, falling to 3-7 in WIAC play. The Yellowjackets are now 8-11 and 4-6 in the WIAC.
The Blugolds' next game will be at home against UW-Whitewater. The game will be played this Saturday at 3 p.m. in Zorn Arena.
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