For the second time this year the Yellowjacket men's basketball team took advantage of UW-Eau Claire to snap a losing streak. Back on January 11 they broke a five-game winless drought with a 75-68 win at Zorn Arena. This time around it was a four-game skid that was halted, and the victory came at the friendly confines of Mertz Mortorelli Gym.

But it wasn't easy.

The Yellowjackets trailed at the half and most of the game after the break, despite holding the Blugolds to just 18 points. The Yellowjackets tied the game with 6:27 to play in regulation and took the lead for good with under two minutes to play when Bronson Byrne (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) drained a pair of free throws. The Yellowjackets outscored the Blugolds 7-0 the rest of the way and picked up a hard-fought 70-62 win.

Byrne was a force inside for the Yellowjackets, finishing the game with 16 points, shooting 6-of-11 from the field to go along with two rebounds, two blocks and an assist.

But early in the game, the offense came from Jarrod Peterson (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata). The top scorer for the Yellowjackets was on fire early in the game, scoring ten points in the first six minutes, but the Blugolds were equally as strong and the teams were knotted 14-14.

The Blugolds took off after that and when Lewis Mau made a layup with 8:40 left in the half they led 28-19. Two minutes later Mau made a layup and extended the Eau Claire lead to 12, 35-23. The Yellowjackets trimmed the lead to as little as five points when Johnathan Scott (Paradise Valley, Ariz./Thunderbird Adventist Academy) hit a three with 2:56 to play, but that was as close as they would get and Eau Claire had the lead at the break, 44-35.

Peterson enjoyed an explosive first half for the Yellowjackets, scoring 20 points in the opening 20 minutes, shooting 8-for-14 (.571) from the field. No other Yellowjacket had more than five points in the half.

Eau Claire punched the lead back into double digits early in the second half and led by 11 in the first minute. The Yellowjackets would trim the lead to four points on a couple of occasions, but couldn't seem to get the defensive stop coupled with the basket needed to make it a one-possession game.

That changed when Peterson made a layup at one end and cleaned up the defensive rebound at the other end with under eight minutes to play and the Yellowjackets down 57-53. Aaron Corry (Lake Nebagamon, Wis./Northwestern) made a layup to pull the Yellowjackets to within two and then just over a minute later Caleb Burch (Eau Claire, Wis./Altoona) tied the game, hitting a jumper with 6:27 to play to make it a 57-57 game.

The teams traded points over the next four minutes but the Yellowjackets couldn't get over the hump and regain the lead. Byrne's layup with 2:27 remaining broke the 59-59 tie and gave the Yellowjackets their first lead since they were up 7-5 just 2:21 into the contest.

After Eau Claire regained the lead, Bronson made two free throws to put the Yellowjackets back in front. Corry stretched the lead to 65-62 with a late layup. The Yellowjackets then salted the game away in the final minute with five free throws, four of them coming courtesy of Zach Schradle (Clayton, Wis./Clayton) to make the final margin of victory eight points, 70-62.

Peterson had another big night, leading all scorers with 29 points, shooting 50% from the field. Corry chipped in 10 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Corry also led the Yellowjackets with three assists.

Schradle also had a good night at both ends, scoring six points and pulling down a team-high 13 rebounds, including 12 on the defensive end. The 13 boards was easily a season high for Schradle.

Adam Hjelter scored 19 points to lead the Blugolds, who also got 17 points from Mau and 11 points and 14 rebounds from Kurtis Moody.

The Yellowjackets (6-14, 3-8 WIAC) will be back home on Saturday, February 8 when they host UW-Whitewater at Mertz Mortorelli Gym. The Warhawks come to town as the No. 7-ranked team in the nation and coming off an upset win over UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday night. Game time is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.