WAVERLY, Iowa (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team picked up its fourth consecutive victory by defeating Wartburg 73-59 on Wednesday at Levick Arena. The Blugolds did their damage in the first half to pull ahead early, continuing a trend that has worked well during the win streak.
Michael Casper (Sr. – Merrill, Wis.) poured in a game-high 19 points to lead the way, knocking down five 3-pointers in the process. The Blugolds had four different players score in double figures, and they nabbed a season-best 13 steals on the other end of the court.
The Blugolds (5-3) got out to a strong start for the fourth straight game. After the Knights (1-8) opened the game with a 3-pointer, UW-Eau Claire immediately answered by scoring 16 of the next 18 points in the contest to go ahead 16-5 with 12 minutes until half. The Blugolds remained in the lead until halftime, where they carried a 34-23 advantage into the locker room.
UW-Eau Claire forced Wartburg into 13 first-half turnovers and kept the Knights below the 20-point mark until more than 18 minutes had ticked off the clock.
The Blugolds began the second half with a 10-4 run, spurred by 3-pointers from Casper and
Carter Huschka (Sr. – Farmington, Minn.). It built a 17-point lead. The Knights gave their biggest push a bit later in the half, cutting the deficit to 48-41 with a 14-4 run at the 13:28 mark, but it wasn't enough to overturn the deficit. An immediate 11-0 spurt in response from the Blugolds ensured things wouldn't get too close for comfort.
Cade Hall (Sr. – Mauston, Wis.) posted 14 points and seven rebounds for UW-Eau Claire. Huschka finished with 10 points and a team-high eight boards and four assists.
Nolan Blair (Sr. – Stevens Point, Wis.) had season bests in scoring (10 points), rebounding (five rebounds) and steals (four).
Drew Maloney (Jr. – St. Charles, Minn.) had nine points and four rebounds.
UW-Eau Claire will look for a fifth straight victory when it travels north to take on UW-Superior on Wednesday, December 13. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Superior.
