MENOMONIE (November 30, 2013) - While UW-Stout held a double-digit lead through the later part of the second half, the Blue Devils were not able to to put Ashford University away until the final three minutes when Stout finished the game on a 9-2 run to take a 56-41 win at the UW-Stout Thanksgiving Turkey Shootout Saturday at Johnson Fieldhouse.

The Blue Devils (4-1) came back from a deficit in the first half to take a five point, 23-18, hafltime lead.

The Saints (7-2) stayed within an arms reach on the strength of Damon Overton's 10 points in the second half.

The Blue Devils reached an 11 point lead at 11:28 in the half on a layup by Jimmy Whitehead (Sr, La Crosse). Whitehead would be key in Stout's second half run, scoring 13 of his game-high 15 points after the break.

Stout held an eight to 12 point lead over the next nine minutes following Whitehead's basket.

Alex Oman (Sr, Lake Elmo, Minn), who left the game in the first half with an injury, returned in the second half and scored 10 of his 14 points after intermission.

Oman would begin the final run for the Blue Devils, draining a 3-pointer at 2:30. Whitehead added a layup with two minutes remaining, and added two more in the run.

Aaron Jenny (Sr, Spicer, Minn) contributed 13 points, nine in the first half.  Josh Kosloske (Sr, Oakfield) pulled down a game-high wseven rebounds as the Blue Devils controlled the boards, 35-21.

The Saints shot only 30.9 percent (17-55) from the floor, with much of that coming from 1-of-14 shooing from beyond the arc. Stout shot 40 percent (20-50) from the floor and connected on 8-of-17 3-point shots.

Stout will host Wartburg College, Sunday, Dec. 1 at 4 p.m. in the final game of the tournament. Ashford will meet UW-River Falls at noon.