By Tommy McGowan, UWEC Sports Information
RIVER FALLS, Wis. (blugolds.com)- The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team defeated UW-River Falls on Wednesday night, 81-73.
Spencer Page (So.-Rice Lake, WI) began the scoring on the night for the Blugolds, knocking down a three. The two teams would remain tight deep into the first half, until Eau Claire pulled away with a 15-2 run. They really shot the ball well from three-point, going 9-18 from downtown.
UWEC maintained a comfortable lead the first 12 minutes of the second half, until River Falls cut things down to 62-60. A three from Cole Rabedeaux (Sr.-Poulsbo, WA/North Kitsap) gave them a five-point edge, but the bigger shot came from Page minutes later, hitting another three-pointer to make retake a 68-65 lead.
Eau Claire would knock down free throws to seal the game in the remaining minutes. Page and Blake Wacholz (Sr.-Lakeville, MN/South) both iced the game at the stripe.
Defense was a major reason for the Blugold victory, as they scored 25 points off turnovers on the night. They also went 29-59 from the field, finishing shooting over 49 percent.
Cam Kuepers (Jr.-Madison, WI/Lakeside Lutheran) ended up as the leading scorer for Eau Claire, as he went 4-7 from three-point, scoring 20 points. Page ended up with 16, while both starting guards (Rabedeaux and Wacholz) had 13.
The win was Eau Claire's second of a road trip that leaves the Blugolds 12-5 overall and 3-3 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. They return to Zorn Arena this weekend, squaring off against UW-La Crosse on Saturday. The game will also serve as Youth Night, scheduled to tip off at 5 PM. Follow the action on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app from your mobile device.
