By Tommy McGowan, UWEC Sports Information
DE PERE, Wis. (blugolds.com)- The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday, losing on the road to St. Norbert 70-58.
St. Norbert got going quickly, building an 11-0 lead within the first five minutes. They would maintain that lead the rest of the first half, heading into the break with a 32-22 lead. After missing their first six shots, Eau Claire found their range, going 9-19 (47 percent) for the remainder of the first.
Cam Kuepers (Jr.-Madison, WI/Lakeside Lutheran) was the leading scorer at half for the Blugolds, with seven, while Cole Rabedeaux (Sr.-Poulsbo, WA/North Kitsap) added six.
The second half was competitive the whole way. St. Norbert got in the scoring column first, but Kuepers responded with a layup. The Knights lead hovered right around ten the rest of the way, even with Eau Claire upping the pressure. At the seven-minute mark, a made three from Kuepers cut the lead to just five. However, St. Norbert responded the next time down the court, nailing a three-pointer to stop the momentum.
The Blugolds were never able to get the game back in single digits again, with the Knights holding on to take the 12-point win. Eau Claire still shot the ball very well during the second, going 7-11 from downtown, but St. Norbert's 64% field goal shooting was too much.
The top scorer for the Blugolds ended up being Spencer Page (So.-Rice Lake, WI) who finished the action with 14 points. Kuepers and Rabedeaux were right behind him, both totaling 12 points. Rabedeaux also helped Eau Claire in a variety of other ways, contributing seven rebounds and five assists as well.
While the loss snaps the winning streak, Eau Claire still stands 8-2 overall. They play one more game in the year 2019, going on the road December 30th to square off against St. Olaf (Minn.). That will be their final action before Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play tips off on January 4th against UW-Whitewater at Zorn Arena.
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