Eau Claire, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team opened its 2024-25 season with a 81-77 victory over Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) Saturday night in the Market Johnson Blugold Tip-Off Tournament held at UW-Eau Claire. The Gusties were also playing their season opener.

Both teams are receiving votes on the D3hoops.com Top-25 Preseason Poll.

Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) took a 3-2 lead, but UWL used an 8-0 run to make it 10-3 after four straight points from Dustin Derousseau. The Eagles led, 13-7, after Derousseau's jumper, but the Gusties scored the next five points to make it 13-12. UWL responded with an 11-1 run of its own to take a 24-13 lead with 9:55 left in the first half Julian Hodges' three-point field goal.

Adam Biewen's layup with 6:52 remaining for Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) cut UWL's lead to 28-26. The Eagles used an 9-0 run to extend the lead to 37-26 with 3:36 left. UWL led, 41-34, at halftime.

UWL led, 44-41 with 17:24 left, when Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) scored six straight points to take a 47-41 lead on Dawson Kellen's layup. Wyatt Olson's layup with 13:17 remaining gave the Gusties a 51-46 advantage. Olson's two free throws with 10:23 left later gave Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) a 57-54 lead, but layups from Fuhrmann and JJ Paider gave UWL a one-point lead. 

The Eagles later led, 64-63 with 7:48 remaining, when Derousseau and Fuhrmann each connected on three-point field goals for a 70-63 lead. UWL led by as many as nine points in the final 4:00 and Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) could get no closer than the final margin of four. 

UWL shot 48.1% from the field Saturday, including 34.8% (eight-of-23) from three-point range, and 65.7% (23-of-35) at the free throw line. Paider led the Eagles with 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists while going six-of-nine from the field and 10-of-14 at the line. Derousseau finished with 21 points and six rebounds. He was nine-of-11 at the line. Fuhrmann added 11 points, three rebounds and two assists while Hodges finished with nine points. 

Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) shot 45.9% from the field, including 35.0% (seven-of-20) from three-point range, and 66.7% (14-of-21) at the line. Spencer Swanson led four players in double figures with 19 points and eight rebounds. Olson finished with 12 points while Brady Kienitz had 11 and Jake Schmitt had 10. 

UWL returns to action Sunday, November 10 against 14th-ranked Nebraska Wesleyan University. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. in the Market & Johnson Blugold Tip-Off Tournament.