Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament after defeating UW-Oshkosh 66-56. This victory took place during their first playoff game at the Sonnentag Event Center on Monday.

UW-Eau Claire, seeded third, effectively limited the sixth-seeded Titans to a shooting percentage of 39% from the field. This defensive effort was consistent with their performance in previous meetings this season, where they also held UW-Oshkosh to 56 points or fewer.

Andre Renta and Carter Huschka were key contributors for the Blugolds, accounting for over 60% of their team's total points. Renta scored a game-high 21 points, while Huschka added 19.

Despite a slow start offensively, UW-Eau Claire's defense allowed them to build an early lead by restricting UW-Oshkosh to just five points in the opening minutes. By halftime, the Blugolds maintained a seven-point lead at 32-25.

In the second half, although UW-Oshkosh managed to narrow the gap to four points twice, they could not overcome UW-Eau Claire's lead. A crucial 7-2 run by the Blugolds helped secure their advantage. Throughout the game, they shot an impressive 94% from the free throw line and had a slight edge in rebounding with a count of 35-28.

The win sets up a semifinal matchup against second-seeded UW-La Crosse on Wednesday at Mitchell Hall in La Crosse.

Fans can follow further developments on Blugolds.com or through social media channels like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.