EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team dropped a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) contest to No. 21 UW-Whitewater 80-58 on Saturday at Zorn Arena. The game was tied at 35 at halftime, but the Warhawks used a second-half flurry to claim the victory.
UW-Whitewater (14-5, 4-4) shot 71% from the field in the second half to pull away. The Warhawks outscored UW-Eau Claire (8-11, 1-7) 45-23 after halftime.
The Blugolds used an impressive run at the end of the first half to bring some momentum into the break. They trailed 35-25 with just under two minutes remaining in the half before embarking on a furious 10-0 run to knot the game up at 35 by the buzzer.
Caiden Lecce (So. - Kenosha, Wis./St. Joseph Catholic) and
Carter Lichtsinn (So. - Olathe, Kan./Olathe West) hit back-to-back 3-pointers with a minute to go. They then teamed up again in the final 10 seconds, with Lichtsinn hitting a shot with 10 seconds left and Lecce tipping in a shot at the buzzer to tie the game.
The momentum wouldn't last though, as the Warhawks used a 16-4 run across the first five-plus minutes of the second half to pull ahead. The Blugolds weren't able to recover, and the deficit remained in double figures the rest of the way. Any time the Blugolds took a swing, the Warhawks had an answer to the tune of a 17 for 24 shooting performance after the break. That included six makes from behind the 3-point line.
Carter Huschka (Sr. - Farmington, Minn.) led UW-Eau Claire with 14 points. Lecce and Lichtsinn finished with 12 points apiece. The Blugolds shot 40% overall and 20% from 3-point range.
UW-Whitewater held a 33-27 edge in rebounding. The game was well-played with only 18 total turnovers between the two sides.
UW-Eau Claire will get another chance to knock off a ranked opponent when it visits No. 11 UW-Platteville on Wednesday, January 31. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Bo Ryan Court.
