EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team made its first playoff game at the Sonnentag Event Center a memorable one, defeating UW-Oshkosh 66-56 in the first round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament (Presented by Culver's) on Monday. The third-seeded Blugolds clamped down defensively to get past the sixth-seeded Titans and return to the WIAC Tournament semifinals for the second time in the last three seasons.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UW-Eau Claire (17-9) finished off a season sweep of the Titans (13-13) by holding UW-Oshkosh to 39% shooting from the field. The Blugolds held the Titans to 56 points or fewer in all three of their meetings this winter.
- Andre Renta (Jr. - Hudson, Wis.) and Carter Huschka (Sr. - Farmington, Minn.) led the Blugolds offensively, combining for more than 60% of UW-Eau Claire's scoring. Renta had a game-high 21 points and Huschka added 19.
- UW-Eau Claire had a sluggish start on offense, but a sterling defensive performance negated any damage. The Blugolds held the Titans to five points across the first 10-plus minutes of the game. It allowed UW-Eau Claire to build a 10-point lead by the 10-minute mark of the opening half.
- UW-Oshkosh pulled within seven at halftime, where the Blugolds entered the locker room leading 32-25.
- The Titans trimmed the deficit to four on two occasions in the second half, but never got any closer. UW-Eau Claire led 46-42 with 7:30 to go when it embarked on a 7-2 run to build a cushion. The Blugolds led by six or more the rest of the way.
- UW-Eau Claire made 17 of 18 attempts at the free throw line. The Blugolds shot 15 of 16 from the stripe in the second half to close out the game.
- The Blugolds shot 44% overall and knocked down nine 3-pointers. They held a 35-28 rebounding advantage on the glass.
UP NEXT
UW-Eau Claire will visit second-seeded UW-La Crosse in the WIAC Tournament semifinals on Wednesday, February 26. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. at Mitchell Hall in La Crosse.
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