Eagles Sweep Season Series with Blugolds

For Immediate Release: Saturday, January 26, 2008

Eau Claire , Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team earned a regular-season sweep of UW-Eau Claire with a 72-65 victory over the Blugolds Saturday night in Zorn Arena. The Eagles, who earned a 64-49 win over the Blugolds earlier this season in La Crosse, improved to 9-9 overall and 4-5 in the WIAC with their victory Saturday. The Blugolds fall to 10-8 overall and 4-5 in the conference.

UW-Eau Claire led by as many as four points in the first half before UW-L took its first lead of the game at 14-13 with 12:35 remaining on Billy Kegler's three-pointer. The contest was later tied 22-22 with 8:18 left in the opening half when the Eagles went on an 8-0 run to lead 30-22 and UW-L would never trail again. The Eagles led 39-31 at halftime.

UW-L led by as many as 11 at 50-39 with 15:25 left on Derek Wilcox's layup. UW-Eau Claire later cut the lead to three points three different times, including 62-59 with 4:53 remaining. Chris Fehrenbach hit a three-pointer for the Eagles with 4:27 left to make it a six-point lead and Tony Mane made it a nine-point game with 2:30 remaining after hitting a pair of free throws. The Blugolds could get no closer than seven the rest of the game.

Mane led UW-L with 21 points, going six-of-12 from the field (two-of-seven from three-point range) and seven-of-eight at the line. Brandon Brown added 14 points for the Eagles, finishing six-of-10 from the field and two-of-five at the free throw line. Kegler finished with 10 points and Wilcox nine. Andrew Haass led the Eagles with six rebounds while also totaling five points.

UW-L shot 55.6% from the field, including 60.9% (14-of-23) in the first half. The Eagles were six-of-14 (42.9%) from three-point range in the contest and 16-of-26 (61.5%) at the line.

Dan Beyer led UW-Eau Claire with 25 points and eight rebounds. The Blugolds shot 58.0% from the field, including 65.0% (13-of-20) in the first half. The team was three-of-15 (20.0%) from three-point range in the game and four-of-seven (57.1%) at the free throw line.

UW-L returns to action Wednesday, January 30 at UW-Whitewater at 7 p.m.