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Issued: January 17, 2007

LATE SECOND HALF RUN LEADS MEN’S BASKETBALL PAST SUPERIOR

SUPERIOR – The UW-Eau Claire men’s basketball team used a 10-0 run late in the second half to propel itself past UW-Superior and win by a score of 72-65 tonight at the Mertz Mortorelli Gym.

The win gives the Blugolds an 8-8 overall record and a 2-6 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) record. The win also snaps a five-game losing streak by Eau Claire. The Yellowjackets fall to an overall record of 5-10 and a WIAC record of 1-7. The Blugolds have won six of the last eight meetings between the two schools.

Eau Claire jumped out to a 7-2 lead after a Jared Bardon (Jr.-DeForest, WI) three-pointer. Superior answered and took its first lead of the game at 9-7 with 16:17 to play in the first half.

The Blugolds came back and went on a 9-0 run to take a 16-9 lead halfway through the half. A Luke Meier (Jr.-Cross Plains, WI/Middleton) three-pointer gave the Blugolds its biggest lead of the first half at 22-13 with 7:15 to go in the half. Superior would come back out-scoring the Blugolds 13-3 over the next four minutes to retake the lead 26-25. The game remained close the rest of the half and two Yellowjacket free throws with one second left in the half tied the game for the fifth time 34-34.

The Blugolds shot 50% in the first half, while the Yellowjackets were just as good at 48%. Eau Claire was 5-of-12 from behind the three-point line. The Blugolds had 11 points off of Superior turnovers.

Dan Beyer (Jr.-Waukesha, WI/Catholic Memorial) gave the Blugolds the lead early in the second with a jumper. A three-pointer by Superior gave the Yellowjackets the lead right back. The Yellowjackets took a six-point lead with 13:15 remaining. The Blugolds responded with back-to-back three-pointers by Geoff Probst (Fr.-Moose Lake, MN/U. of North Dakota) to tie the game for the eighth time 46-46.

Superior would yet again extend its lead back to six at 52-46 halfway through the second half. Eau Claire came right back with a 7-0 run and a Zack Ryan (Jr.-Lake Elmo, MN/Tartan) jumper gave the Blugolds a 53-32 advantage.

With the score 56-53 Superior with 7:52 left to play, the Blugolds would go on a 10-0 run and take a 63-56 lead with 4:23 remaining. Two Luke Meier three-pointers and two Dan Beyer jumpers made up the run. Eau Claire did not look back the rest of the way as it went on to win by a score 72-65.

The Blugolds shot 47% for the game and Superior finished at 46%. Both teams were 12-for-27 from the field in the second half. Superior had a big advantage on the boards, out-rebounding Eau Claire 39-22.

Jared Bardon led all-scorers with 22 points. Luke Meier and Geoff Probst each had 14 points. Dan Beyer added 11 points. Probst also led the Blugolds with six rebounds. Zack Ryan had a game-high seven assists. Lamar Burton-Norman led Superior with 16 points. Leonard Cobb had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Yellowjackets.

Up next, the Blugolds will host UW-La Crosse on Saturday at Zorn Arena. It will be the first game of a men and women’s doubleheader. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Eau Claire-Superior Box Score

- JR -

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