2019-20 UW-La Crosse Men's Basketball Schedule

La Crosse, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has announced its 2019-20 men's basketball schedule.  The Eagles start the season Friday, November 1 at the University of Wisconsin in an exhibition contest. The game is part of the annual Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC)-Wisconsin exhibition game in the Kohl Center.  It will be the second-ever exhibition game held between the two clubs. 

In the previous game, held November 6, 2010, the Badgers won 84-59.  Tony Mane led UWL with 24 points while Michael Hanson added 17.  Wisconsin leads the all-time regular season series, 3-0.  The teams played in 1912-13, 1920-21, and 1921-22. 

UWL opens its 2019-20 regular-season at Bethel University (Minn.) on Tuesday, November 12. The Eagles will host 11 games, including Augsburg University (Minn.) on Tuesday, November 26 in the home opener in Mitchell Hall.  

The Eagles travel to Oregon for a pair of games this season, facing Williamette University (Ore.) on Friday, December 20 and George Fox University (Ore.) on Saturday, December 21. UWL will finish non-conference play hosting Augustana College (Ill.) on Sunday, December 29. Augustana (Ill.) finished fourth in the final 2018-19 D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll while advancing to the third round of the NCAA Division III Championship. 

"Each year the make-up of our schedule brings on new challenges and different experiences," says UWL head coach Kent Dernbach. "One thing that will remain constant is our commitment to play against some of the best programs in the country.  This year is no different as we start with an exhibition versus the Badgers and ends with hosting Augustana, a program that has made the Sweet 16 each of the past five seasons.

"In between, we will face multiple teams who have a history of making the NCAA tournament and a player who has already won the player of the year in their respective league. In addition, for the second year in a row our program will experience a different part of the country when we travel to Portland, Oregon.  These two true road games will certainly be an opportunity for our team to grow prior to Christmas."

UWL opens WIAC play on Saturday, January 4 at defending NCAA Division III champion UW-Oshkosh.  The Titans finished first in the final 2018-19 D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll. The Eagles host UW-River Falls on Wednesday, January 8 in their league home opener.

Along with UW-Oshkosh finishing first in the final 2018-19 D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Platteville were receiving votes.

Dernbach starts his third season as UWL's head coach in 2019-20. He is 30-23 overall and 15-13 in the WIAC in his first two seasons.  The Eagles finished 17-10 overall and 10-4 in the WIAC in 2018-19, placing second in the league standings.  It was the Eagles' highest finish in the WIAC since capturing the regular-season crown in 2015-16.  UWL also hosted a WIAC Tournament Semifinal in 2018-19 for the first time since 2015-16.  The 17 victories in 2018-19 were the most since finishing 17-10 in 2013-14.

The Eagles earned an at-large bid to the 2019 NCAA Division III Championship under Dernbach, the team's second appearance (2006, 2019) in school history.  UWL was one of 20 teams to earn an at-large bid to the national championships.  

The team went 4-3 against nationally-ranked opponents in 2018-19, including a 66-61 victory over third-ranked UW-Oshkosh.  The win snapped UW-Oshkosh's 21-game winning streak and handed the Titans their first league loss of the season. UWL also secured the second-seed for the WIAC Tournament with the win.  The Eagles led the WIAC in steals (7.56 per game) and three-point field goal percentage defense (31.7%) in 2018-19 while ranking second in scoring defense (65.5), blocks (3.00 per game) and turnover margin (+2.37).  The team was also third in free throw shooting (76.2%).  The 76.2% shooting at the free throw line is tied for third in single-season school history.