Chris Jardine snagged a game-clinching steal with five seconds to play to give Stout a 98-93 win, Wednesday night at Johnson Fieldhouse, preventing a La Crosse second half comback led by Tony Mane's 39 points.

UW-Stout (8-10, 3-7 WIAC), who connected on 23 of 25 free throw attempts in the game, went 8-for-8 in the final three minutes, while Steve Pax (shot 6-for-6 from the stripe in the final 43 seconds to help hold off the surging Eagles (9-10, 4-6 WIAC).

Neither team held more than a four point lead through the first 12 minutes of play.  The Blue Devils were the first to grab a substantial lead, which started to build with four minutes remaining in the first half.  With a 37-34 lead, Stout went on an 11-2 run which include two three-pointers from Alex Oman.  Pax scored the last four points of the half, and the Blue Devils took a 12-point halftime lead.

Stout opened up the second half on a 6-0 run to take a 60-42 lead, their largest of the game.  Within six minutes, however, the Eagles cut their deficit to just six. 

Minutes later, Eric Hostetter hit two free throws after a La Crosse technical foul, giving Stout a 12-point advantage, and with five minutes left to play, hit three free throws to again put his team up by 12.  The Eagles answered with a 11-2 run, in which Mane had seven points.  After Pax made two free throws to put Stout back up by five, Mane connected on a four-point play to pull La Crosse within one.

After teams exchanged free throws, Pax, for the third straight possession nailed both freebies, putting Stout up by three with seven seconds on the clock.  Jardine's ensuing steal and breakaway sealed the victory for the Blue Devils.

Pax and Jardine both ended the game with career highs in points, Pax with 23, Jardine with 13.  Five Blue Devils got into double figures, while two more came up just short with eight points.  Mane, who scored more points in the second half than anyone else did in the game (24), shot 12-27, 5-9 from beyond the arc and a perfect 10-10 from the charity stripe. 

Stout returns to action this Saturday, Jan. 29, when they travel to UW-Whitewater to take on the Warhawks.