MENOMONIE (January 7, 2015) - UW-Stout had the opportunities, but allowed UW-Eau Claire to go past them as the Blugoldsdowned the Blue Devils, 75-72, Wednesday at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Stout (3-10, 0-4 WIAC) carried an early lead throughout the first 10 minutes of the game, only to see the Blugolds' Tyson Kalien scored seven consecutive points to give Eau Claire jump out to a 24-20 lead with 6:53 remaining in the first half. Eau Claire would jump to a four to six point lead several times before halftime, only to see Stout pull to within easy striking range. Brett Ahsenmacher (So, Annandale, Minn) dropped in a 3-pointer with 57 seconds remaining to pull Stout to within 38-35, only to see Kalien hit another bomb for a 41-35 halftime lead.

The Blugolds (6-9, 2-3 WIAC) held the lead for the first seven minutes of the second half before the Blue Devils' Jarvis Ragland (Sr, Milwaukee) went on his own seven point run around the 13 minute mark to give Stout a 53-50 lead. Stout pulled out to a six point lead, then went cold for a three minute spurt and the Blugolds grabbed a 61-59 lead on Lewis Mau's bucket at 7:46.

John Lahti (Fr, Turtle Lake) tied the score at 6:37, but Stout could not regain the lead. Stout pulled to within 73-72 on Sam Ortmann 's (Fr, Buffalo, Minn) 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining. Jacob Kohner hit a pair of 3-ppointers and the Blue Devils missed two 3-pointers before the buzzer.

The Blue Devils pretty much shut down Kalien in the second half. But the reigning WIAC player of the week scored 20 points in the first half and finished with a game-high 25 points. Jack Matinek added 16 points, 12 in the second half, for the Blugolds and Kohner finished with 14.

Ragland led Stout with 23 points. Ahsenmacher and Jalen Patterson (Fr, Lauderdale, Minn) each added 10 points.

Stout will be at UW-Whitewater, Saturday, Jan. 10 at 5 p.m., then return home to host UW-Oshkosh, Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m.