Box Score
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Edgewood College men's basketball team did not start the way they started a season ago, with a win. The Eagles fell to Loras College 83-74 and only made one three-point shot all night long as they shot nine percent from behind the arc after leading the Northern Athletics Conference in three-point shooting a season ago.
After the first 11 minutes were played to a 21-21 tie, the Eagles (0-1) pulled ahead by a slim margin of four points after a couple free throws by Josh Veldhuizen and a layup by Michael Gehring. Loras (1-0) then responded with a 9-0 run which was started with two three-point baskets from Jason Abbuhl and Mike Gleason to take a 30-25 lead.
Edgewood College came back and shrunk the deficit to one before the Duhawks scored 13 consecutive points and 18 of the last 19 points in the final five minutes of the first half to take a 50-32 lead into the break.
The Eagles came out of the locker room firing as they chipped away at the Duhawk lead and got it to single digits just five minutes into the frame at 54-46. Jeff Barczak tallied 10 of the Eagles 14 points on their 14-4 run to cut the lead to eight.
After Loras lengthened their lead, the Eagles continued to scratch and claw their way back, and finally after Derek Nkemnji hit two free throws, got the deficit to just one point with 4:17 to play. Edgewood College struggled offensively from that point on as the Duhawks scored 16 of the final 22 points to take the game 84-73.
Nkemnji scored a game and career high 20 points in the loss with 15 of the 20 coming in the second half. Barczak was not far behind as he poured in 19 points. Ben Wisniewski led the Eagles with six rebounds and added 11 points. Kent Faurote finished with seven points and five boards while making the Eagles only three-point basket of the night. Edgewood College shot just nine percent from behind the arc (1-11).
Edgewood College will next be in action on Friday when they travel to Albion, Michigan to play in the Albion College Tipoff Tournament. The Eagles will face the host Albion College at 6:00 p.m. eastern time on Friday night. Edgewood College will provide live audio for the tournament, links can be found on EdgewoodCollegeEagles.com.
