Yellowjackets 61, Stout 54
Box Score

Following Wednesday night's conference tilt, the Yellowjacket men's basketball team finds themselves on a winning streak in a place that, over the years, has been less than hospitable.  Last season, the Yellowjackets won at UW-Stout's Johnson Fieldhouse for the first time since 1995-96.  They made it two-in-a-row on Wednesday.  Clutch shooting allowed the Yellowjackets to blow the game open early en route to a 64-51 win over the Blue Devils.

The Yellowjackets started fast, shooting 63% from the field in the first half in building a lead that went as high as 21 points before the break.  The shooting cooled considerably in the second half, but the damage had been done and the Yellowjackets were able to fend off repeated attacks by the Blue Devils in the second half, picking up their first conference win of the year. 

The first six points of the game went the way of the Yellowjackets, who never trailed on this night.  The Yellowjackets made six of their first ten shots, getting points from four different players in building a 13-5 lead in the first seven minutes.  A Dustin Ritchie (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) three-pointer stretched the lead to 16-5, giving the senior from Superior seven points less ten minutes into the game.  Minutes later, Ben Aalfs (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) would hit a jumper, stretching the lead to 13 points before the Blue Devils even reached double digits.  The shots continued to drop for the Yellowjackets, who went up 20 at 36-16 on a Brendan Bauer (Eleva, Wis./Gilmanton) three-pointer with 2:44 to play in the half.  With 38 seconds to play in the half, Aalfs made hit a jumper and was fouled, then drained the free throw to make it a 21-point margin.  Stout would hit a pair of free throws in the closing seconds, but the Yellowjackets were in command, leading 39-20 at the break.

Aalfs and Bauer enjoyed big first halfs, scoring 12 and ten points, respectively.

In the second half the Yellowjackets weren't as consistent with their shooting as they were in the first half, hitting only 35% of their shots.  The Blue Devils were slightly better after the break, but they were unable to mount enough of an attack to get any closer than seven points.  They opened the half on a 19-5 run to pull to within 46-39.  The Yellowjackets would again build the lead ot 13 points, capped by an Adam Hjelter (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) three, but the Blue Devils came right back and again shaved the lead to seven points, trailing 58-51 with 4:33 to play.  From there it was all Yellowjackets and all about the seniors, as Aalfs and Ritchie combined to score the final six points of the game to put things away and earn the road win.

Aalfs led the Yellowjackets with 22 points, the second time this season that he's cracked the 20-point barrier.  He also had a team-best six assists.  Ritchie added 14 points and Bauer had ten.  Bronson Byrne (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) led the Yellowjackets with eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

Erik Olson had 15 points in the game to lead Stout, who also got 14 points from Jarvis Ragland.

The Yellowjackets (6-3, 1-1 WIAC) stay in WIAC play when they travel to UW-La Crosse on Saturday, December 10.  Opening tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.