Print Story | Email Story

Issued: December 4, 2006

FIRST HOME GAME FOR MEN’S BASKETBALL UPCOMING

EAU CLAIRE – The UW-Eau Claire men’s basketball team will host its first game of the year this Wednesday when it faces Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) rival UW-River Falls.

Eau Claire is 2-3 this season and 0-2 in the conference. The Falcons are also 2-3 but have gone 1-1 in conference play. They beat UW-Superior 90-65 and fell to ninth-ranked UW-Stevens Point 81-73.

As a team the Blugolds have been shooting 39.6% this season and have averaged 58.4 points per game. Opponents have averaged 63.8 while shooting 45.1%. Eau Claire is 32-of-88 on threes for 36.4%. They have also hit 67.4% from the line. The Blugolds hold the rebounding margin at +3.4 but are down -2.8 in turnovers.

Jared Bardon (Jr.-DeForest) has scored 58 points and has averaged 11.6 per game to lead in both categories. Matt Riley (Sr.-Cadott) and Dan Beyer (Jr.-Waukesha/Catholic Memorial) have scored 52 and 51 points, respectively. They have also averaged 10.4 and 10.2 points each game. Beyer’s 29 rebounds and 5.8 boards per game are best for the team. Bardon has averaged 5.4 per contest with a 27 total while Riley has collected 24 on the year for a 4.8 average.

River Falls is shooting 47.5% and averaging 82.4 points. Their opponents have shot 48.3% and have scored an average of 86.2 points per game. They have shot 68.6% on free throws while going 36-of-97 from long range for 37.1%. The Falcons are down one in rebounding margin and down 1.2 in turnovers.

Courtney Davis has led the River Falls charge with 81 points and 16.2 points per game. Ryan Thompson (79, 15.8), Jontae Koonkaew (71, 14.2), and Nate Robertson (70, 14.0) have also been key to the Falcon attack. Robertson has been big down low collecting 42 boards for 8.4 each game. He has gone just 12-of-30 from the line, however, while Koonkaew is 21-for-26.

The next game for Eau Claire after the home opener is at Northland College in Ashland on Sunday. The team is 2-2 with a 72-65 win over Superior and a 78-51 loss to UW-Stout. Aaron Arneson has been a key component to the team’s offense.

Eau Claire is 21-2 against Northland all-time with the last loss coming in 1963-1964. Against the Falcons Eau Claire is 101-77. Its last loss was by two points last season. The Falcons have won five of the last seven matchups.

The home opener starts up at 6:00 p.m. this Wednesday in Zorn Arena.

Go Back