Oshkosh, Wis. - In a match-up of top-20 ranked teams, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team completed its non-conference schedule with an 81-66 victory over Keene State University (N.H.) in the UW-Oshkosh BSN Winter Classic Monday afternoon at the Oshkosh Arena.

The Eagles, ranked 20th on the D3hoops.com Top-25 Poll, improve to 9-2 on the season while the Owls, ranked 12th on D3hoops.com, drop to 6-3.
 

In the first-ever meeting between the teams, UWL trailed, 7-6, with 16:36 left in the first half after JJ Paider's layup. Keene State (N.H.) used a 8-0 run to take a 15-6 lead with 14:42 remaining after back-to-back three-point field goals from Octavio Brito and Mitch Shettles. The Owls later extended their lead 25-13 with 10:03 left on Siow's layup.

The Eagles scored the game's next six points to cut it to 25-19, but four straight points by the Owls gave Keene State (N.H.) a 29-19 lead with 5:45 remaining. UWL responded with a 16-0 run to end the half to take a 35-29 halftime advantage. Karter Thomas scored eight points in the run, including a go-ahead layup with 1:11 left to make it 31-29. Will Fuhrmann's layup with :42 remaining provided a 33-29 lead and Thomas finished the first half scoring with two free throws with :02 left.

UWL shot 53.8% (14-of-26) from the field in the first half.

Keene State (N.H.) scored the first four points of the second half to cut the lead to 35-34, but layups from Paider and Sam Grieger gave UWL a 39-34 lead. Mason Jean Baptiste later cut the deficit to 43-38 with 15:41 left with a layup for the Owls, but the Eagles went on a 6-0 run to lead 49-38.

Joshua Williams' layup cut the lead to 51-43 with 12:35 remaining, but Keene State (N.H.) would get no closer the rest of the game. UWL went on a 10-2 run to make it 61-45 with 9:40 left on a jumper from Thomas. The Eagles took a 72-50 lead after a Khris Green three-point field goal and UWL led by as many as 25 points at 78-53 with 4:23 remaining on Green's three-point play.
 

UWL shot 51.8% from the field, including 38.5% (five-of-13) from three-point range, and 60.0% (18-of-30) at the free throw line. After missing all four of its three-point shots in the first half, UWL went five-of-nine (55.6%) in the second half.

Grieger led four players in double figures, finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds. He went seven-of-11 from the field and two-of-four at the free throw line. Carter finished with 15 points and six rebounds while Fuhrmann and Paider each had 12 points. Paider recorded a double-double with a game-high 14 rebounds. Dustin Derousseau and Green each scored nine points.

Grieger and Thomas were named to the All-Classic Team.

UWL outrebounded Keene State (N.H.), 49-28.

Keene State (N.H.) shot 36.2% from the field, including 28.0% (seven-of-25) from three-point range, and 69.2% (nine-of-13) at the line.

Brito led the Owls with 21 points and four rebounds while Williams finished with 13 points.

UWL returns to action Saturday, January 4 hosting UW-Eau Claire at 5 p.m. in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) opener for both teams.