The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men’s basketball team achieved its best season start since 1999, winning its eighth straight game by defeating St. Olaf 85-65 at the Sonnentag Event Center on Saturday.
St. Olaf opened the game with a three-pointer, but UW-Eau Claire quickly responded and built momentum with strong play inside the paint. Carter Lichtsinn led the early charge with several layups, contributing to a total of 36 first-half points in the paint for the Blugolds. The team finished the half ahead 40-26 after Andre Renta scored a layup just before halftime.
In the second half, UW-Eau Claire maintained control, outscoring St. Olaf 45-39. Lichtsinn continued to contribute key baskets, including a three-pointer that pushed their lead to 54-38 with just over 13 minutes remaining. Tyler Haney added two consecutive three-pointers during critical moments in the half. Although St. Olaf closed in late in the game, Renta’s free throws and defensive stops secured the win for UW-Eau Claire.
Lichtsinn finished as top scorer with 22 points and collected 11 rebounds on eight field goals made. Renta added 16 points and six assists while converting six of nine field goal attempts. Haney contributed 15 points by making three out of four shots from beyond the arc, and Kenji Scales had 13 points along with seven rebounds.
With this result, UW-Eau Claire improves to an undefeated record of 8-0 overall while St. Olaf falls to a record of 3-4.
The Blugolds will next host University of Northwestern (Minn.) at home on Wednesday, December 10 at Sonnentag Event Center.
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