WAVERLY, Iowa - The UW-Eau Claire men's basketball team set a program record for points in a game, along with many others, but still fell to Grinnell College (IA) 137-132 in the opening game of the season and the first game of the Wartburg Tournament.

The previous mark was 127 points against UW-Platteville in a 127-67 game during the 1982 season. In the process tonight, the Blugolds broke the record for points in a half with 72 during the second, which beat 67 from the 1982 game. The team made 56 field goals out of 75 for 74.7 percent. The buckets and the percentage are also new highs, with the previous makes being 52 in a 1971 game versus Central State (OH) and the previous shooting clip being 72.9 percent in a 1985 contest against UW-La Crosse. The 41 assists shatter the 34 from a game in 1983 against Marian College. An unfortunate record Eau Claire broke was 33 fouls set in 1975 against UW-River Falls. Tonight's squad committed 36. In total, the Blugolds broke at least six team records tonight.

Individually, Dan Beyer (Sr.-Waukesha/Catholic Memorial) was on fire. He went 15-for-15, a school record for most shots without a miss. The 1.00 shooting percentage ties the previous mark with four others, but the most shots any one of them took was 11. For Division III, the all-time mark is 18-for-18 set by Jason Light in 1995 and Franklyn Beckford in 2004. Including all the divisions, the all-time mark is 20-for-20 by Lance Berwald in 1984. Beyer's night then ranks in a tie for fourth in the history of NCAA basketball with Clifford Rozier also making 15 in 1993.

Tonight's barnburner also sits high in the conference record books. The 132 points are tied for fourth-most with the 1983 UW-Whitewater team. Second is 146 by La Crosse against this same Grinnell team in 2001. Eau Claire's 56 buckets is third all-time with 60 from the 1983 Warhawks being the most. The 74.7 percent ranks fifth. The one number to break all previous games was 41 assists, which now is atop the list above 38 achieved by Whitewater in 1988 and La Crosse in 2001.

As for the action, Eau Claire cruised to a 10-2 start at 18:11 with a Steve Hoelzel (Sr.-Kaukauna) jumper capping it. The Pioneers pulled the deficit to two within the minute and stayed within six for awhile. The scoreboard read 23-22 Eau Claire at 12:42. The Blugolds looked to gain breathing room again when Rashann Goodwin (Jr.-Minneapolis, MN/Holy Angels) and Beyer made back-to-back layups, but Grinnell stuck with Eau Claire and tied it at 27 with 11:43 to go in the half.

After the Blugolds went up by two, Grinnell hit a three to go ahead and start a back-and-forth war. By 6:02, the Blugolds took its first noticeable lead for the first time since Grinnell caught them at 47-42. There were four ties in that span. Grinnell didn't let Eau Claire get far and with another three at 4:18, tied it up at 50. The Pioneers then went on an 18-10 run to close the half with a 68-60 lead.

The Blugolds shot 27-of-33 in the first half for 81.8 percent. Grinnell was less impressive, making 21-of-54 for 38.9 percent, but it did make 10 of their 31 attempted threes. The Pioneers made 16-of-19 at the line.

The first two makes of the second half went to Grinnell as the lead stretched to double-digits for the first time today at 10. At 18:30, Eau Claire had trimmed it to four after Jacob Schlub (So.-Catawba/Phillips) made a layup. Within the next minute and a half, though, the deficit was 10. At 16:27, Grinnell was up 82-69.

The Blugolds went on a 12-0 splurge, making the score 82-81 Grinnell. The Pioneers kept a slim lead until Schlub layed one in that tied it at 87. Two more ties followed soon after, but Eau Claire didn't take the lead. One from long range gave Grinnell a seven-point lead at 9:43.

Eau Claire kept fighting and a Beyer layup at 7:39 tied it again, this time at 105. The Blugolds took their first lead of the half at 6:47 when Beyer made another layup to put Eau Claire on top 109-108. The two teams battled back and forth,