Eau Claire, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team fell, 82-73, to 14th-ranked Nebraska Wesleyan University Sunday night in the Market Johnson Blugold Tip-Off Tournament held at UW-Eau Claire. The Eagles, receiving votes on the D3hoops.com Top-25 Preseason Poll, drop to 1-1 on the season. The Prairie Wolves, ranked 14th on D3hoops.com, improve to 1-1 on the year.
Nebraska Wesleyan led, 12-11, when it scored six straight points to take an 18-11 lead with 9:44 left in the first half. UWL cut the lead to 24-19 with 7:21 remaining on a
Julian Hodges' three-pointer. The Prairie Wolves used a 7-0 run to take a 31-19 advantage with 3:05 left. Nebraska Wesleyan took its largest lead of the game at 37-23 with :15 remaining on a Carter Glenn three-point field goal. The Prairie Wolves led, 37-24, at halftime.
Trailing 40-26, UWL went on a 11-2 run to cut the deficit to 42-37 on a pair of
JJ Paider free throws with 15:42 remaining. The Eagles later cut it to 52-47 with a Hodges' three-pointer with 11:45 left, but Glenn's three-point play and a pair of free throws from Jack Groeteke extended the Prairie Wolves lead to 57-47.
UWL could get no closer than seven points the rest of the game, coming on two free throws from
Sam Grieger with :25 remaining.
UWL shot 34.8% from the field Sunday, including 29.0% (nine-of-31) from three-point range, and 72.7% (16-of-22) at the free throw line. Hodges led the Eagles with 17 points, going five-of-eight from three-point range. Paider recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds while Grieger finished with 14 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Nebraska Wesleyan shot 42.9% from the field, including 41.7% (10-of-24) from three-point range, and 75.0% (24-of-32) at the line. Glenn led the Prairie Wolves with 22 points while Groeteke (18 points, 13 rebounds) and Conner Brown (11 points, 11 rebounds) each recorded a double-double. Nick Howard added 13 points.
UWL returns to action Saturday, November 16 hosting North Park University (Ill.) at 5 p.m. in the Eagles' home opener.