RIVER FALLS, Wis. - The UW-Eau Claire men's basketball team was back in business this afternoon, winning 78-72 against WIAC opponent UW-River Falls.

The win puts the Blugolds over the .500 mark in conference play with a 7-6 record, and move to 13-8 overall. The Falcons fall to 3-9 in the WIAC and 9-12 on the season.

Eau Claire had the hot hand today from the field, shooting 66.7 percent in the first half, including five for eight from three point land, and 55 percent in the second half. The game went back and forth in the first five minutes with the each team owning the lead throughout. Two free throws from Ryan Shea (So.-Duluth, Minn.) gave the Blugolds a three point lead at the 15:21 mark, which triggered an offensive run by the Blugolds, giving them a 36-20 lead with 6:40 left in the half. The Falcons would cut into that lead at the end of the half, as the Blugolds took a 36-32 lead into halftime.

The second half saw close action, as Eau Claire held just a three point lead four minutes into the half. River Falls eventually took the lead back, and hung on to it until the 8:44 mark in the second when a layup from Amadou Fofana (So.-Appleton, Wis./West) gave Eau Claire a 58-56 lead. The lead would continue to change hands, until the Blugolds took the lead for good with under six minutes left to seal the victory.

Four Blugolds scored in double figures, with Shea leading the way with 15 points to go along with six boards, six assists and three steals. Dan Beyer (Sr.-Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) pitched in with 14 points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, and Geoff Probst (Jr.-Moose Lake, Minn.) and Colin Boone (Jr.-Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) recorded 13 and 10 points, respectively.

The Blugolds are back in action on Wednesday, traveling to third-ranked UW-Stevens Point. The Pointers beat Eau Claire earlier this season by a score of 80-60. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m.

Eau Claire-River Falls Box Score

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