ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team had its five-game win streak snapped with a 78-67 defeat to Bethel (Minn.) on Saturday at the Robertson Center Gym. The Royals built a 15-point lead late in the first half and the Blugolds weren't able to overturn it down the stretch.
Baskets were hard to come by on a day where the Blugolds shot at a 39% clip, including a 23% mark from 3-point range. That, coupled with a 54% field goal percentage for Bethel (4-4), made it difficult to climb out of the first-half deficit.
Carter Huschka (Sr. - Farmington, Minn.) had a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds for the Blugolds (6-4), who had won their previous five contests by double figures.
Gunnar Tebon (Sr. - Sturgeon Bay, Wis.),
Michael Casper (Sr. - Merrill, Wis.) and
Cade Hall (Sr. - Mauston, Wis.) all scored in double figures as well, with Tebon tallying 12 points and Casper and Hall scoring 10 apiece.
Bethel led by one point after 10 minutes had passed in the opening half, but began putting together scores and stops across the final 10 minutes to take a 14-point advantage into halftime. The Royals used a 19-6 run across a span of about six and a half minutes to go up by 15, and led 44-30 at the break.
The Blugolds were unable to cut the lead to single digits in the second half. The deficit grew to 21 points with 12 minutes remaining, although UW-Eau Claire immediately responded with an 8-2 run to trim it back down to a 15-point gap. The closest they got the rest of the way was within 11 when
Drew Maloney (Jr. - St. Charles, Minn.) made a 3-pointer in the final five seconds of the contest.
Nolan Blair (Sr. - Stevens Point, Wis.) had five points, five assists and four rebounds. Maloney finished with five points. Huschka and Tebon had two steals each, and Hall made a pair of blocks.
UW-Eau Claire doesn't play again until the end of the month. The Blugolds' next game is Saturday, December 30, at home against St. Olaf. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. at Zorn Arena.
