La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team, playing its first game in 342 days, opened its 2020-21 season with a 62-43 home victory over UW-Eau Claire Wednesday night in Mitchell Hall. It was also the Blugolds' season-opener. The teams will face off against each other Friday, February 5 in Eau Claire.
All eight teams in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) are divided into two divisions this year with UW-Oshkosh, UW-Platteville, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater in the East and UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, UW-River Falls and UW-Stout in the West. Each team is scheduled to play two games against each divisional opponent, as well as two games against one cross-over opponent, for a total of eight games. All eight teams will qualify for the WIAC Championship beginning March 1. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships were canceled earlier Wednesday.
UWL never trailed in Wednesday's win. The contest was tied, 9-9, with 11:40 remaining in the first half on a pair of free throws by UW-Eau Claire's David Ijadimbola.
Wyatt Cook's jumper with 8:35 left gave UWL a 11-9 lead and the Eagles would lead the rest of the game. UWL led 13-11 when it used a 15-2 run to lead 28-13 with 2:29 remaining in the first half on an
Ethan Anderson three-point field goal. The Eagles led, 32-17, at halftime.
Wyatt Cook totaled 16 points and five rebounds in the win.
UWL shot 41.9% (13-of-31) from the field in the opening half while UW-Eau Claire was held to 25.0% (six-of-24).
UW-Eau Claire cut the margin to 37-27 with 13:51 remaining on Nate Banasik's layup, but jumpers from
Sean Suchomel and Anderson gave UWL a 41-27 advantage. The Blugolds could get no closer than 10 points the rest of the game as the Eagles led by as many as 21 in the second half.
UWL shot 40.4% from the field, including 36.8% (seven-of-19) from three-point range, and 60.0% (nine-of-15) at the free throw line.
Ethan Anderson led the Eagles with 17 points and seven rebounds while Cook finished with 16 points and five rebounds. Suchomel and
Seth Anderson each finished with nine points.
UW-Eau Claire shot 25.5% from the field, including 20.0% (three-of-15) from three-point range, and 76.2% (16-of-21) at the line. Spencer Page led the Blugolds with 13 points.
The teams will play Friday, February 5 in Eau Claire at 7 p.m.
