Box Score

AURORA, Wis. – For the second time in as many weeks, the Eagles followed a big win that kept them at the top of the Northern Athletics Conference North Division with a road loss. The Eagles traveled to Aurora University and led for most of the first half before the Spartans took the lead late in the frame. Edgewood College cut a 14-point second half deficit to one, but could not get over the hump, falling 79-75.

Cashton Craig gave Edgewood College (16-5, 10-3 NAC) the lead early in the game as he scored 10 of the Eagles' first 13 points. His jumper six minutes in put the Eagles up 13-10 and sparked a quick spurt. Joe Klocek and Ben Wisniewski followed with back-to-back jump shots to give the Eagles their largest lead of the game, 17-10 nine minutes in.

However, the Spartans (11-10, 7-6 NAC) began to work their way back and finally tied the game at 24 with 6:34 left in the first half. After the Spartans gained a 26-24 lead, Derek Nkemnji answered with his only three-point basket of the game to give the lead back to Edgewood College. The lead then changed hands two more times before Aurora took a 31-29 with 4:33 remaining in the first half. The Spartans extended the lead to six points and held a 37-32 halftime advantage as neither team scored over the final 2:20 of the first stanza.

Aurora came out in the second half and quickly extended their lead to 42-32, not even one minute into the half. Their lead swelled to as many as 14 points twice in the second half, the last coming at 57-43 with just more than 14 minutes to go. At that point, a pair of Kent Faurote free throws sparked a 12-2 Eagle run that cut the deficit to 59-55. Craig hit a pair of three-point baskets sandwiched around a Klocek jumper to cap the spurt.

With just more than six minutes left, Justin Williams converted a conventional three-point play to make the score 61-60, and Nkemnji made a layup on the next possession to get the deficit back to one point. However, Esteban Vega answered with a three-point basket to swing the momentum back to the Spartans with less than five minutes left.

After trailing by seven twice over the final four minutes, Craig cut the deficit to 77-75 when he hit another triple with 27 seconds left. The Spartans then hit a pair of free throws and an Eagle turnover on the other end sealed Aurora's 79-75 victory.

The Spartans shot 50.9 percent, including a blistering 50.0 percent (10-for-20) from three-point land. However, Aurora shot just 52.0 percent (13-for-25) from the free throw line. The Eagles shot 46.4 percent from the floor and 45.0 percent (9-for-20) from long range while going 14-for-17 (82.4 percent) from the charity stripe. Edgewood College outrebounded the Spartans 34-31, but the Eagles committed 18 turnovers to Aurora's 15.

Craig matched a career-high with 24 points while Wisniewski followed with 16 points. Wisniewski became the NAC's all-time leading scorer with those 16 points, passing MSOE's Austin Meier. The New Berlin native now has 1,561 career points, surpassing Meier's 1,560 points. Wisniewski also matched a career-high with six assists. Nkemnji and Klocek chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

For the Spartans it was Ryan Crow who led the way with 20 points while Scot Laskowski and Vega followed with 18 and 15 points, respectively.

With the loss, the Eagles fall into a tie for second place in the NAC North Division with Lakeland College. Both teams are one game behind Concordia University Wisconsin.

The Eagles will try to rebound on Thursday when they travel to Maranatha Baptist. Tipoff from Watertown is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.