Gallatin, Tenn. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team improved to 8-2 on the season with a 73-52 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham (N.J.) in the Music City Classic being played at Volunteer State Community College. The Devils drop to 0-10 on the year.
UWL never trailed in Friday's contest, scoring the first 10 points of the game.
Milton Cummings and
Tanner Bruchs each hit a three-point field goal in the first 2:00 of the game. The Devils cut the lead to 12-6 on a Darren Davy layup with 14:51 left in the first half, but the Eagles responded with a 17-2 run to lead 29-8 with 6:36 remaining. UWL made its first six shots in the run and seven of nine overall while FDU-Florham (N.J.) went one-of-12 from the field.
The Eagles led 40-23 at halftime.
FDU-Florham (N.J.) cut the lead to 53-42 with 9:27 remaining on a Oliver Ortman three-pointer, but the Devils could get no closer the rest of the game. A pair of layups from
Jack Kortes and a jumper by Bruchs gave UWL a 59-42 lead with 7:32 left.
UWL shot 52.6% from the field, including 59.3% (16-of-27) in the second half. The Eagles shot 35.3% (six-of-17) from three-point range in the game and 77.8% (seven-of-nine) at the free throw line.
Bruchs led UWL with 17 points and seven rebounds, finishing six-of-nine from the field, including three-of-five from three-point range. He was two-of-two at the line. Cummings finished with 16 points and six rebounds, going seven-of-12 from the field, including one-of-three from three-point range. He finished one-of-two at the line. Kortes,
Terek Nesheim,
Nolan Wright and
Brendon Manning each had six points.
FDU-Florham (N.J.) shot 32.7% from the field, including 22.2% (four-of-18) from three-point range, and 70.6% (12-of-17) at the line.
Davy led the Devils with 17 points while Anthony Mitchell finished with 13 points and Ortman 10. Rajaan Dixon had a team-high five rebounds.
UWL returns to action Saturday, December 30 facing Lynchburg College (Va.) at 5 p.m. on the second day of the Music City Classic.
