Box Score La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team dropped its 2016-17 home opener Saturday night with a 88-79 loss to Loras College (Iowa) in Mitchell Hall. The Eagles fall to 5-3 on the season while the Duhawks improve to 4-4. UWL now leads the all-time series, 19-18, with Loras (Iowa).
The game featured eight lead changes in the first half. UWL took its largest lead of the game with a 7-0 run to lead 22-15 with 9:48 left in the first half. The Eagles led 32-27 with 3:36 remaining when the Duhawks went on a 16-4 run to lead 43-36 with :41 left. Justin VanWambeke had eight points in the run while Demond George had six. Loras (Iowa) led 45-38 at halftime.
The Duhawks used an 11-3 run to open the second half to lead 56-41, their biggest lead of the game. Loras (Iowa) led 64-50 with 11:01 remaining after a George layup, but UWL went on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to 64-60 with 8:52 left on a
Zach Schradle jumper. Loras (Iowa) quickly responded with an 8-0 run to lead 72-60 with 7:16 remaining after Ryan DiCanio hit back-to-back three-pointers. The Eagles could get no closer than six points the rest of the game at 85-79 with :31 remaining.
UWL shot 43.5% from the field Saturday, including 23.5% (four-of-17) from three-point range, and 87.5% (21-of-24) at the free throw line. The Eagles missed all five of their three-point attempts in the first half, but were 12-of-12 at the line.
Schradle led UWL with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five steals while
Austin Fritz finished with 14 points anf five rebounds.
Ben Meinholz and
Ryan Kruser each had nine points.
Loras (Iowa) shot 55.1% from the field, including 48.0% (12-of-25) from three-point range, and 88.0% (22-of-25) at the line. The Duhawks had 20 assists and their 27 field goals. DiCanio led four players in double figures with 24 points while also finishing with 11 rebounds and seven assists. VanWambeke finished with 17 points for the Duhawks while George had 16 and Matt Dacy-Seijo 15.
The teams combined to shoot 87.8% (43-of-49) at the line.
UWL returns to action Tuesday, December 13 hosting Augustana College (Ill.) at 7 p.m.
