OSHKOSH, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – Leading for the first 14 minutes and scoring 13 points in the first nine minutes, the UW-Eau Claire men's basketball team had trouble making baskets the rest of the night in a 64-32 loss at UW-Oshkosh tonight.
Eau Claire led during the first 14 minutes of the game, getting up by as many as seven points (13-6) nine minutes into the contest. After Eau Claire got up by seven, the Titans steadily worked their way back into the game, outscoring the Blugolds 10-2 over the next five minutes to take their first lead of the game at 16-15 with less than six minutes to play in the first half.
After the 11-minute mark in the opening half, the Blugolds had trouble scoring the rest of the game, hitting just one basket the rest of the first half, including a scoreless stretch over the final 8:30 of the half. Eau Claire trailed the Titans 26-15 at halftime.
The second half didn't go much better for Eau Claire, shooting 7-for-26 from the field. The Titans had a double-digit lead the entire second half and used a 22-0 run over a seven-minute stretch to reach their largest lead of the night of 36 points (62-26) with just over three minutes to play.
Shooting 22.6 percent (12-for-53) from the field, Eau Claire accumulated its fewest points since a 50-31 loss to UW-Stevens Point on Feb. 16, 1985. It was also the fewest points the Blugolds had against the Titans since a 25-24 victory in 1938. The shooting percentage was also the Blugolds' lowest since a 42-41 loss to UW-River Falls on Jan. 18, 2005.
Jack Martinek (Fr.-New Brighton, Minn./Irondale) led Eau Claire in scoring with six points while three Blugolds each pulled down five rebounds to lead the team.
Eau Claire drops to 8-9 overall and 1-7 in the WIAC while Oshkosh improves to 7-9 on the season and 3-5 in conference play.
Saturday, the Blugolds will be home for a doubleheader with women against UW-Stout. The women will face the Blue Devils at 3 p.m. and the men's game will follow at about 5 p.m.
-KM-