MENOMONIE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team narrowly defeated UW-Stout, 68-66, at Johnson Fieldhouse on Saturday. The visiting team held a slim 31-29 lead at halftime and maintained their advantage through a tense second half that saw nine ties and 13 lead changes. The Blugolds capitalized on 15 points off turnovers and outscored UW-Stout 36-32 in the paint to secure the win.
The first half saw a competitive start between Eau Claire and Stout. The Blue Devils opened the scoring with a free throw, but
Andre Renta quickly responded with a steal and fast-break layup, keeping the game close. Notably, Renta's performance in this game far exceeded his usual scoring output, as he scored a total of 22 points, well above his season average of 10.85.
Carter Lichtsinn contributed significantly for the Blugolds, scoring back-to-back three-pointers midway through the half, pushing their lead to 20-12 by the 9:17 mark. Despite UW-Stout's efforts to close the gap, Renta's free throws and
Roan Demovsky's late layup helped the Blugolds maintain a narrow 31-29 lead at halftime.
In a tightly contested second half, UW-Eau Claire and Wis.-Stout each scored 37 points, resulting in a nail-biting conclusion.
Xavier Lewis sparked UWEC with a layup just seconds into the half, bringing the score to 33-29. The home team responded quickly with a 3-pointer, narrowing the gap to one point. Throughout the half, Renta was instrumental, scoring a crucial layup with 43 seconds remaining, giving UW-Eau Claire a 66-63 lead. Despite two late free throws by Stout to tie the game,
Andre Renta's step-back jumper with 10 seconds left secured UWEC's 68-66 victory.
Andre Renta led the team with 22 points, converting 9 of 10 free throws.
Carter Lichtsinn added 12 points, shooting 5-for-7 from the field and grabbing eight rebounds.
Xavier Lewis contributed 15 points and collected seven rebounds.
Kenji Scales recorded six rebounds, surpassing his season average of 3.54, and scored seven points, completing 3 of 4 free throws.
The Blugolds hold a 12-2 overall record and stand at 1-2 in WIAC competition. Wis.-Stout is now 5-9 on the season with a 1-2 record in WIAC play.
The next challenge for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire will be on the road against UW-River Falls. They will face off on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. at Don Page Arena in River Falls, Wisconsin.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at
Blugolds.com or on our app,
Blugold Sports, and on social media on
Twitter,
Instagram, and
Facebook.
