Box Score Cedar Rapids, Iowa - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team fell 76-70 at Coe College (Iowa) Friday night in Eby Fieldhouse. The Eagles drop to 3-4 on the season while the Kohawks improve to 3-2. In the first meeting between the team since 2005-06, Coe (Iowa) now leads the all-time series with UWL, 2-1.
The Eagles took an early 4-2 lead Friday night before the Kohawks scored the next eight points to lead 10-4 with 14:35 left in the first half on a Marshall Shedeck layup. An
Austin Fritz jumper and
Devin Yurk three-pointer for UWL cut the deficit to 10-9.
Jared Staege gave UWL a 14-13 lead on a three-point play with 10:47 remaining, but Coe (Iowa) used a 7-1 run to lead 21-14.
UWL cut the lead to 26-24 with 4:28 left on a pair of Staege free throws, but Coe (Iowa) ended the half on a 9-2 run to lead 35-26.
UWL opened the second half scoring the first eight points to cut the lead to 35-34 as
Ben Meinholz hit a pair of three-point field goals. Matt Meyer later gave the Kohawks a 40-36 lead with 16:18 left on a layup, but back-to-back three-pointers from Meinholz gave the Eagles a 42-40 advantage with 15:34 left. A pair of Yurk free throws with 12:49 remaining gave UWL a 46-42 lead, but Coe (Iowa) scored six consecutive points to lead 48-46.
The game was later tied 50-50 with 10:09 remaining when the Kohawks went on a 7-0 run to lead 57-50 with 8:38 left. Coe (Iowa) led 63-53 left with 5:14 remaining, but UWL scored seven straight to make it 63-60 with 2:49 remaining. The Eagles could get no closer the rest of the way. Yurk's layup with 1:31 remaining cut the lead to 67-63 and Meinholz' jumper with :38 left made it 69-65, but Trevor Halland's free throws with :32 remaining gave Coe (Iowa) a 71-65 advantage.
UWL shot 45.3% from the field Friday, including 37.5% (nine-of-24) from three-point range, and 86.7% (13-of-15) at the free throw line.
Meinholz led the Eagles with a career-high 26 points, finishing 10-of-16 from the field, including six-of-eight from three-point range. He also had six rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks. Staege totaled 14 points and game-high eight rebounds and four steals while Yurk finished with 13 points.
Coe (Iowa) shot 47.2% from the field, including 35.3% (six-of-17) from three-point range, and 90.9% (20-of-22) at the line. Matt Vonderhaar led four Kohawks in double figures with 18 points while Shedeck finished with 17 points. Lincoln Vorb and Meyer each finished with 11 points.
UWL returns to action Saturday, December 5 at Central College (Iowa) at 3 p.m.
