Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team secured a narrow victory over UW-Stout with a final score of 80-79 at Johnson Fieldhouse. The win marked a season sweep for the Blugolds, who have now won five consecutive games.

Carter Lichtsinn played a crucial role in the Blugolds' comeback, hitting a decisive 3-pointer with just 12 seconds left on the clock. "The Blugolds (14-6, 6-3) trailed for the first 33 minutes of the contest," but managed to close the gap as time dwindled in the second half.

UW-Stout led by as much as 13 points during the first half, capitalizing on their shooting advantage. The Blue Devils shot an impressive 52% from the field compared to UW-Eau Claire's 32%. Despite this disparity, UW-Eau Claire narrowed the lead to seven points by halftime.

As play continued into the second half, Carter Huschka tied the game at 65 with under seven minutes remaining. His tip-in layup shortly after gave UW-Eau Claire their first lead of the night. The two teams exchanged leads until Lichtsinn's late-game heroics secured victory for his team.

Andre Renta was instrumental in UW-Eau Claire's performance, scoring a career-high 28 points along with five rebounds and five steals. He also assisted Lichtsinn's game-winning shot. Huschka contributed significantly with 17 points and surpassed 500 career rebounds during this match.

Cade Hall added another dimension to their offense with his contribution of 13 points. Overall, UW-Eau Claire shot an improved rate of 50% from the field and performed well at free throws, converting on 20 out of their attempts.

Looking ahead, "the Blugolds are back at home when they host No. 6 UW-La Crosse on Saturday," February 8th at Sonnentag Event Center.

For more updates throughout their season journey follow them online via Blugolds.com or through social media platforms including Twitter and Instagram.