Hot-Shooting Eagles Hold Off Wisconsin Lutheran's Late Run

MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College cut a 19-point deficit down to six points late in the second half, but Edgewood answered the run for an 80-72 win over the Warriors on Saturday at the Time of Grace Center.

The Warriors (3-4, 1-1 NACC) scored the first points of the game on a three-point play from junior Jacob Stoltz (Kewaskum, Wis.) for an early lead, but it would be the only lead for WLC the rest of the way. The Eagles (1-5, 1-1 NACC) responded with a 10-2 scoring run for a five-point lead at the 15:30 mark.

WLC trailed by two points at 26-24 following a three-point play from junior Ryan Broeckel (Chilton, Wis.) with 4:43 remaining in the first half. EC built its lead back up to a first-half best nine points at 36-27 with just under a minute to play before heading into halftime in front 36-31.

A pair of Edgewood three-pointers within the first minute-and-a-half of the second half gave the visitors an 11-point lead, forcing Wisconsin Lutheran into a timeout. The Eagles' lead hovered between eight and 15 points below the 10-minute mark and reached a game-high 19 points with 7:27 left to play.

The Warriors got back into the game behind a 17-4 scoring run, capped by a three-pointer from junior Jacob Hefle (Germantown, Wis.), to trail by just six points with 2:48 remaining. Both teams exchanged three-point buckets, but EC scored four straight after another Hefle three to lead by 10 points with just 0:19 seconds left.

Stoltz led a balanced WLC attack with 16 points. Junior Grayson Goetz (Aurora, Ill.) finished with 14 points, while Hefle added 12 points on four three-pointers. Senior Simeon Strauss (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in with 11 points and Broeckel posted his second straight double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds. 

Wisconsin Lutheran shot 41.9 percent from the floor for the game and made at least 10 three-pointers for the sixth time this season.

Trey Traeder scored a game-high 29 points on eight three-pointers for EC, which also got 15 points from Jake Schroeckenthaler and a double-double of 12 points and 10 assists from Caden Nelson. Edgewood shot 54.4 percent from the floor, including 52.4 percent from beyond the arc. 

The Warriors next travel to Lisle, Illinois on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. NACC game against Benedictine (3-5, 1-1 NACC). Live coverage links will be available for the contest at WLCSports.com.