Box Score
Box score
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. - The Wisconsin Lutheran
College men's basketball team was defeated 82-60 by Wis.-Superior
(3-2) Saturday night in its first game of the Wis.-Platteville
Thanksgiving Classic at Bo Ryan Court in Platteville, Wis.
The Warriors held their only lead of the game through the first
eight minutes of the game, leading by as many as five. With 12:34
remaining in the first half, Wis.-Superior tied the game and went
on a 19-0 run over the next 9:12 to take a commanding 32-13 lead.
WLC would cut the lead down to 17 by the end of the first half,
trailing 38-21.
Andy Thusius (Kenosha, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) and Alex Merbach
(Kaukauna, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) led the Warriors scoring
attack in the first half by contributing seven points each. WLC
shot 23.1 percent in the first half on 6-for-26 shooting, including
1-for-11 on three-pointers and went 8-for-13 from the charity
strip. Ben Aalfs led Superior with seven points in the opening
half.
The Warriors came out after halftime and trimmed the lead down
to just 10 points four minutes in, but that was as close as they
would get throughout the rest of the game. The lead continued to
fluctuate, climbing to as high as 27 before the Warriors closed it
to 22 at the end of the game.
Merbach led all scorers with 20 points, while adding six
rebounds. Thusius finished with nine, while Russell Strutz
(Sturtevant, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran), Tim Demuth (Franksville,
Wis./Racine Lutheran) and Cody Jackson (Fond du Lac, Wis./Winnebago
Lutheran) each added seven points. The Warriors shot much better in
the second half at 49 percent (18-for-37), while finishing the game
at 38 percent (24-for-63). Superior also shot the ball much better
in the second half, going 17-for-26 and finishing the game at 61
percent (33-for-54) and 8-for-19 from beyond the arc.
WLC was able to capitalize on 21 Superior turnovers with 17
points, while Superior scored 11 points off 13 WLC turnovers. The
Superior bench outscored WLC 41-15 while also out-rebounding WLC,
47-24.
Trent Davis scored 15 points and Aalfs added 13 points and 10
rebounds to lead Superior offensively. A total of five players
finished in double figures for the Yellowjackets.
WLC (1-3) will return to the court tomorrow afternoon as it
faces non-conference opponent Wis.-Platteville (3-2) to finish out
the Thanksgiving Classic. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 3
p.m. on Bo Ryan Court inside the Williams Fieldhouse.
