STEVENS POINT, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team used a big run in the second half to break a tie and defeat UW-Stevens Point 75-65 on Wednesday at Quandt Fieldhouse. The Blugolds outscored the Pointers 15-3 over a period of nearly six minutes to pull away and earn a third consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) victory.
The Blugolds (11-13, 4-9) led for nearly the entire first half, but the Pointers (12-12, 6-7) stormed back to tie the game early in the second. Some sharpshooting from 3-point range helped UW-Eau Claire recover though and roll to another win, finishing off a season sweep of UW-Stevens Point.
Michael Casper (Sr. – Merrill, Wis.) had 19 points to lead the Blugolds, and
Carter Huschka (Sr. – Farmington, Minn.) posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Huschka nearly had a triple-double, dishing a career-high eight assists too.
The Blugolds got off to a strong start, opening the game on an 18-8 run across the first seven-plus minutes. UW-Eau Claire never trailed in the first half and led by as much as 13. The Blugolds operated at will on the offensive end, shooting 60% from the field and 42% from deep. They took care of the ball too, limiting themselves to three turnovers before halftime. They took a 41-34 advantage into the break.
A 10-0 Pointers run early in the second half knotted the score at 44 with 16 and a half minutes to go, but UW-Eau Claire had an answer.
Drew Maloney (Jr. – St. Charles, Minn.) and Casper hit back-to-back 3-pointers as part of 15-3 stretch to re-establish a comfortable lead for the Blugolds.
The Pointers never recovered from the surge. UW-Eau Claire kept them at arm's length the rest of the way to pick up their fourth WIAC victory of the season.
Maloney finished with 12 points.
Cade Hall (Sr. – Mauston, Wis.) had eight points and four boards.
Carter Lichtsinn (So. – Olathe, Kan./Olathe West) chipped in with seven points. In all, eight Blugolds scored five points or more. UW-Eau Claire finished with a 56% shooting percentage, and the team dished a season-high 19 assists.
Due to results elsewhere in the WIAC on Wednesday, the Blugolds were knocked out of contention for the 2024 WIAC Tournament. UW-Eau Claire sits two games behind sixth place in the standings with only one game left to play, and only the top six teams make the tournament.
The Blugolds will wrap up their season with a final home game at Zorn Arena on Saturday, February 17. They host UW-La Crosse in the final college basketball game that will ever be played at Zorn Arena, which opened in 1952 as the home of the Blugolds. Tip-off is at 5 p.m., and the Blugolds will host Senior Night.
