The UW-Superior men's basketball team came into Wednesday's game needing a victory against UW-Eau Claire to stay in the WIAC playoff picture. Eau Claire had other ideas, however. Superior just wasn't able to get over the hump, as the Yellowjackets fell behind early and couldn't overcome some hot Blugold shooting as the they fell at home 80-69.
 
The Yellowjackets and Blugolds played a back-and-forth game for a good portion of the first half. Superior took a 13-11 lead with 12:51 left on a Brian Lindblom (Spooner, Wis./Spooner) jumper. That would be the last basket the Yellowjackets would make for the next six minutes. The Blugolds had no trouble hitting shots during that stretch, and used an 11-0 run to take a 22-13 lead with 6:31 left. The Yellowjackets would get back on the scoreboard courtesy of Cole Minnich (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park) free throw, but Eau Claire had all the momentum. The Blugolds would close the half on 14-9 run to take a 36-24 lead into the locker room.
 
The Yellowjackets had their work cut out for them.
 
Ty Ketz (Clayton, Wis./Clayton) started off the second half on a good note, drilling a three-pointer to cut the deficit to nine points. Superior got the lead down to eight with a free throw from Zach Schradle (Clayton, Wis./Clayton). A jumper from Tyson Kailen extended Eau Claire's lead back to 10 points. The Blugolds built their lead back to 12 points, but Superior's Taylor Mattison (Sturgeon Lake, Minn./Moose Lake-Willow River) answered with five straight points to cut the lead down to seven with 15:24 left.
 
That was as close as Superior would get for a while. Eau Claire kept its lead between seven and 12 points for the majority of the half. Two free throws by Lewis Mau extended the lead to 16 points with 10:09 left.
 
Superior would battle back. A three-pointer by Schradle cut the lead to nine points with just over eight minutes left.
 
And again Eau Claire built the lead back up. With 3:37 left, a jumper and foul by Minnich cut the deficit to seven points, 69-62. Minnich drilled the free throw to pull Superior within six. But a three-pointer by Eric Effertz would end just about all comeback hopes for Superior. Caleb Burch (Eau Claire, Wis./Altoona) hit a jumper to make it a seven-point game, but Superior was running out of time.
 
Credit Eau Claire, for when the pressure was dialed up, it drilled its free throws. The Blugolds hit six-of-eight free throws in the last few minutes to seal the game.
 
Ketz led the Yellowjackets with 19 points. Lindblom and Burch added 13 and 12, respectively. Burch also had six rebounds and three assists.
 
Eau Claire shot 57.1 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from three (7-of-13). Superior shot 46.9 percent and 35.3 percent from three.
 
The loss drops the Yellowjackets to 2-10 in the WIAC (8-13 overall), and they are now in serious danger of missing the playoffs for the second year in a row. They return to action when they travel to UW-La Crosse on Saturday. Tip is set for 3:00 p.m.