MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) - The 15th-ranked Wisconsin Lutheran College men's basketball team ended the game on a 14-4 scoring run to close out the Elmhurst Bluejays 84-74 on Friday in a season-opening clash of two NCAA Tournament teams from last year at Time of Grace Center.

A back-and-forth start saw the Bluejays holding a 10-7 lead after three-and-a-half minutes of play. The Warriors responded with an 11-0 scoring run, the largest of the game, behind five points from graduate Jacob Stoltz (Kewaskum, Wis.). EU cut its deficit down to two with a four-point play, before back-to-back layups from graduate Grayson Goetz (Aurora, Ill.) and Stoltz gave WLC a 22-16 advantage with 9:30 remaining. Each team exchanged buckets before Elmhurst went on an 8-0 run to put them ahead 30-27 with 4:40 left before halftime. Wisconsin Lutheran finished the final minutes of the opening half strong, scoring nine of its final 11 from the charity stripe for a five-point advantage. A Bluejays three in the final seconds had the Warriors clinging to a 38-36 lead at intermission.

WLC used a 15-4 scoring run early in the second half to build its first double-digit lead of the contest at 55-44 at the 14:03 mark. EU answered back with its own 13-5 run to close within three points at 60-57 with just over eight minutes left. Both teams continued to go back-and-forth and a three from senior AJ Vos (Lombard, Ill.) put Wisconsin Lutheran in front 69-63 with under six minutes to play. Elmhurst used a 7-1 spurt to even the score at 70-70 with just 3:08 on the clock. Goetz came up big for the Warriors in the closing minutes, scoring nine of the team's 14 points over the final 2:08. A slam from graduate Ryan Broeckel (Chilton, Wis.) put the icing on WLC's 84-74 season-opening triumph.

Goetz paced four players in double figures with a game-high 21 points and five assists. Stoltz finished with 20 points, Broeckel added 17 and a game-high nine rebounds, and Vos chipped in 11 points. Wisconsin Lutheran forced 24 turnovers, outscoring the Bluejays 21-2 in points off turnovers. The Warriors shot 43.3 percent (26-for-60) from the floor and 70.6 percent (24-for-34) from the free throw line.

Tagen Pearson poured in a team-high 20 points to lead three in double figures for EU (0-1), which shot 51 percent from the field and outrebounded WLC 37-29.

Wisconsin Lutheran (1-0) remains home on Wednesday for a matchup against another CCIW opponent, North Park (0-0). Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.