EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — Spencer Page (Sr. – Rice Lake, Wis.) surpassed 1,000 career points as the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team held off UW-River Falls 76-69 in a thriller on Wednesday at Zorn Arena. The Blugolds trailed by 13 early in the first half, stormed back to build a 16-point second-half lead, and held off a final charge from the Falcons to secure a win.
Page needed nine points to hit 1,000 for his career, and eclipsed the mark with a jump shot in the second half.
"It's definitely something that's been in the back of my mind for quite some time, but especially the last couple of weeks," Page said. "I'm just super grateful that it could happen tonight at home. It's a huge credit to all the teammates over the years that I've been able to play with."
The Falcons ran in front early thanks to a flurry of makes from the perimeter. They hit four 3-pointers in the first five-plus minutes to build an 18-5 lead. The Blugolds were able to narrow the gap with a run of their own past the midway point in the half. UW-Eau Claire outscored UW-River Falls 25-15 across the final 14 and a half minutes of the half to cut the deficit to 33-30 by halftime.
The Falcons shot 55% from beyond the arc in the first half, but the Blugolds countered by forcing nine turnovers before the break. The closest UW-Eau Claire got to the Falcons after falling behind early was when Brock Voigt (Sr. – Sun Prairie, Wis.) made a layup to pull the Blugolds within one at 31-30 with 4:14 left.
The Blugolds took their first lead since the opening minutes when Page hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 13:44 remaining to make it 41-39. It was the start of a huge surge which saw the Blugolds go ahead by as much as 16. UW-Eau Claire scored 15 straight points at one point to turn a 46-45 advantage into a 61-45 lead with just under eight minutes to go. Michael Casper (Jr. – Merrill, Wis.) made a pair of 3-pointers in the sizzling stretch, and Carter Huschka (Jr. – Farmington, Minn.) added five points of his own.
UW-Eau Claire maintained a healthy lead until the final minutes. The Falcons made a late push to get within five points of the Blugolds at 71-66 with 1:39 left, but UW-Eau Claire made five free throws in the final minute and a half to hold on.
Voigt finished with a double-double for the Blugolds, posting team highs with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Casper added 18 points — with 15 coming in the second half — and Page finished with 12 points and three rebounds. Huschka had 10 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and three assists.
After shooting 36% from the floor in the first half, the Blugolds recovered and hit 52% of their shots after the break. The defense forced 19 turnovers over the course of the night, and limited the Falcons' perimeter shooting to 20% in the second half.
The victory was the Blugolds' second across their last three games. The Blugolds have a week until their next contest. They visit UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at Blugold Game Day or on our app, UWEC Blugolds.
