Less than 24 hours after opening the second half of the 2012-13 schedule with a loss to Gustavus Adolphus College, the Yellowjacket men's basketball team got the rebounds and then rebounded from the loss.  All five starters scored in double figures and the quintet played most of the minutes for the Yellowjackets, who came away with a 74-65 win over St. Olaf College in their second game of the 44th annual UW-Eau Claire Holiday Classic.

The five Yellowjacket starters all played at least 25 minutes, with four of them over 30 minutes in the win.  The starting five also accounted for almost 90% of the scoring in the game, totaling 66 of the team's 74 points.

It looked like the Yellowjackets had flipped the script from last night's contest, as they led the majority of the first half after the Oles opened the scoring.  Brendan Bauer (Eleva, Wis./Gilmanton), who was held scoreless on Friday, hit a three pointer with 12:29 to play in the first half to give the Yellowjackets the first of several seven-point leads at 13-6.  The lead fluctuated between four and seven points for the better part of the half, but in the end the Oles made a run and took the lead.  Josh Pratt and Sterling Nielsen provided much of the offense in the waning minutes of the half as the Oles went on a 23-14 run to take a 37-35 advantage to the locker room.

The Ole lead was short-lived. 

Senior guard Trent Davis (Apple Valley, Minn./St. Bernard's) drained a three pointer just 28 seconds into the second half to regain the lead for the Yellowjackets at 38-37.  A minute later Jarrod Peterson (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) made a layup to stretch the lead to three and the Yellowjackets were off and running.  A Johnquez Brooks (Las Vegas, Nev.) three at 3:43 doubled the lead, and the Yellowjackets reinstated their seven-point lead as Bronson Byrne (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) laid one in to make it 49-42.

Bauer made a layup with 11:18 to play to make it a double digit lead.  Minutes later it hit a game-high 14 points when Aaron Corry (Lake Nebagamon, Wis.) slammed the dunk home to make it a 62-48, but the Oles weren't done.  A 14-2 run over a five minute span late in the half saw St. Olaf claw their way back to within two points, 66-64, with 2:45 remaining.

Brooks then hit a three and seconds later followed it with a free throw to make it a five-point game.  Four straight free throws from Brooks and Davis sealed the deal, and the Yellowjackets picked up their fourth win of the season.

Peterson once again led the Yellowjackets, scoring a game high 17 points, while Byrne scored 16, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the field.  Peterson also led the Yellowjackets with seven rebounds, while Davis, Bauer and Corry had six boards apiece.  Austin Cahil (Phoenix, Ariz.) came off the bench to lead the Yellowjackets with four assists. 

Defensively, Byrne had three blocks and Davis had three steals, both team highs. 

Nielsen led St. Olaf with 16 points.

The Yellowjackets (4-8, 1-3 WIAC) will play their final non-conference game of the season on Monday, December 31 when they will play at St. Scholastica.  The two teams met earlier in the season during the Merrill Thompson Tip-Off Classic, where the Yellowjackets won 72-54.  Game time for the rematch at St. Scholastica's Reif Center is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.