Box Score
DUBUQUE, Iowa – In their first game in over a week and their last game before Christmas break, the Edgewood College men's basketball team fell to the University of Dubuque 70-64. The Eagles lead most of the first half and recorded their largest lead, of eight, with 17:42 remaining before Dubuque went on a run and took a lead they would not relinquish.
Coming out of halftime, the Eagles (4-5) extended their two-point lead to eight just two minutes into the frame. Dubuque (7-4) began to chip away at the lead and finally cut the deficit to one with just over 12 minutes to play. Then Taylor Blum hit a jumper that gave the Spartans a slim one point lead at 46-45. The Spartans would hold the lead over the final 12 minutes.
After a technical foul on the Eagle bench, Dubuque extended their lead to 12, which was their largest lead of the game with 5:13 to play. However, Edgewood College fought back a whittled the lead to just two at 66-64 with just 25 seconds to play. Just as he did against Benedictine University, Ben Wisniewski made a three-point basket and got fouled. He connected on the free throw for his second four-point play in as many games to cut the deficit to two. It was not enough though, as the Spartans tallied a fastbreak layup and two free throws to seal the win.
In the first frame, Kent Faurote gave the Eagles an early 3-2 lead with a three-point basket, then Wisniewski hit one of his own for a 6-2 Eagle lead just over a minute into the game. After the Spartans scored six consecutive points, Wisniewski struck again with another three-pointer as Edgewood College regained the lead at 9-8.
The two teams would then go back and forth before the Eagles took the lead on a Tony Cates jumper with just over eight minutes to play in the half. Andrew Cobb drained one of his two three-point baskets in the contest to give the Eagles a six point lead, 33-27 with just over three minutes to play in the first half. Dubuque closed the half by scoring five of the final six points to cut the deficit to two at the break.
In the second half, the Eagles obtained their largest lead of eight before the Spartans came back. They would take the lead with just over 12 minutes to play and they would not look back. The Eagles fought back and cut the lead to two, but it was not enough as the Spartans held on for the 70-64 victory.
Wisniewski was the Eagles leading scorer for the third consecutive game, this time with 18 points. Faurote chipped in with 13 points and Cobb scored eight points. Faurote led the team in rebounds with six and Wisniewski handed out five assists in the loss.
The Eagles will next be in action on Tuesday, December 29th when the play the University of Chicago in the Nicolet National Bank Holiday Tournament, hosted by St. Norbert College. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
