12/12/06

In a non-conference match-up Tuesday night, the Saints fell to UW-Eau Claire 72-60 on the Blugolds' home court. The loss snaps a two game win streak for the Saints in which they averaged more than 95 points a game.

Eau Claire raced out to a 9-2 lead in the opening minutes of the game but the Saints battled back to tie the score at 27 on Derek Johnson's jumper with 1:37 to play in the first half. The Blugolds responded with the next six points to carry a 33-27 lead into the intermission, though.

After Johnson's 3-pointer opened the scoring in the second half to cut the Eau Claire lead in half, the Saints managed to close within one point on three separate occasions.

The last, 42-41 at the 14:33 mark in the second, was as close as the Saints would get as Eau Claire broke the game open with a 15-0 run through the next seven minutes. The closest the Saints would get after that was within nine with 2:22 to play.

Will Maupins led the Saints in scoring, rebounding and assists as he passed the 20-point mark for the second game in a row and third this season. His 22 points tied for the game-high, and he pulled down seven rebounds while doling out three assists. Brady Zubke pitched in with 16 points and Johnson ended with 11.

St. Scholastica (3-6) shot only 35 percent from the field in the second half after hitting 12-of-24 in the opening half. Eau Claire (5-3) shot 50 percent for the game in registering their third straight win.