WAVERLY, Iowa — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire edged Concordia Wisconsin 61-59 in a neutral-site contest at Levick Arena during the Buzz Levik Tournament Championship on Saturday. Eau Claire held a narrow lead at halftime, 26-22, and maintained their advantage in a closely contested second half. The Blugolds dominated the paint with 32 points and capitalized on turnovers, scoring 15 points off mistakes by the Falcons. Concordia Wisconsin made a late run, outscoring UWEC 37-35 in the second half, but fell short in the final moments.
The game commenced with the Blugolds securing an early lead, as
Kenji Scales and
Carter Lichtsinn contributed layups to establish a 4-0 advantage.
Andre Renta played a pivotal role, recording assists on key plays and netting a 3-pointer at the 16:14 mark. Concordia Wisconsin countered with a layup to keep the score tight, but Eau Claire maintained momentum with
Will Boser's 3-pointer, extending their lead. Despite the Falcons' efforts, including a jump shot to close the gap, the Blugolds concluded the half ahead 26-22, highlighted by Lichtsinn's free throws in the final seconds.
Eau Claire's balanced offense led the way in the second half, securing a narrow 61-59 victory over the Falcons. The half commenced with a layup by Luke Eggemeyer, giving Concordia an early edge, but a strong response by the Blugolds saw
Carter Lichtsinn and
Andre Renta contributing crucial points. At the 11:57 mark,
Henry Hoel extended the visitors' lead to 43-32 with a three-pointer. Despite a late surge by Concordia, capped by free throws reducing the deficit to one, Renta's free throw with seven seconds left sealed the win for UW-Eau Claire.
Carter Lichtsinn scored 16 points, hitting 6 of 10 field goals and recording two steals.
Will Boser added 11 points, converting three of nine attempts from beyond the arc and collecting six rebounds.
Roan Demovsky tallied four points and dished out five assists.
Xavier Lewis contributed six points and secured seven rebounds.
UW-Eau Claire holds a 4-0 overall record. The Falcons stand at 1-2 overall.
Looking ahead, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire team will travel to face North Central University (Minn.) on Friday, Nov. 21. The game is set for 6 p.m. at the venue in Indianola, Iowa at Simpson College.
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