SAINT PAUL, MINN.--The Hamline University men's basketball team fell to No. 20 UW-La Crosse 70-63 on day one of the UW-Oshkosh Tournament at Oshkosh Arena, home of the NBA G League's Wisconsin Herd, on Sunday evening. This marked the sixth all-time meeting between the two teams, and the first since 2000-01 when the Eagles defeated the Pipers 70-58.
Hamline falls to 6-5, while nationally-ranked UW-La Crosse improves to 8-2.
UW-La Crosse 70, Hamline 63
La Crosse took an early 7-0 lead with 18:38 on the clock behind Will Fuhrmann's layup and Sam Grieger's three-pointer. That lead grew to eight courtesy of Torin Hannah's jumper at 13:02 that made the score 21-13 before the Pipers narrowed the gap.
Camden Holecek capped a 13-2 Hamline run with a three-pointer at 8:01, which gave them their first lead of the game at 26-23. The frame ended with the Pipers in the driver's seat at 34-33.
The Eagles outscored Hamline 37-29 in the second frame, securing a victory with a strong offensive performance. Early in the half,
Raoul Vaidya hit a three-pointer to extend the Pipers' edge to 37-33 with 19:07 left, but La Crosse quickly responded with a 15-2 run, including three-pointers from Sam Grieger and Will Fuhrmann to gain a 48-39 advantage at the 14:06 mark. Karter Thomas played a pivotal role for the Eagles, contributing key points and assists, including a layup and a three-pointer that helped push their lead to 56-51 with just over four minutes remaining. Hamline's efforts, led by
Austin Holt and
Brendan Ebel, kept the game competitive, but La Crosse's consistent scoring, capped by Torin Hannah's free throws, sealed the win at 70-63.
Bradley Cimperman led Hamline in scoring with 16 points, making 7-of-17 field goal attempts.
Raoul Vaidya contributed significantly with 13 points, hitting 5-of-10 shots, including one 3-pointer.
Austin Holt grabbed nine rebounds and added 10 points to his performance.
Daniel McCarrell provided support on the perimeter, dishing four assists alongside his six points.
Brendan Ebel also made his presence felt, scoring seven points and securing seven rebounds.
Hamline held an advantage in field goal percentage with a .450 (27-of-60) mark against La Crosse's .422 (27-of-64) figure. It was the Eagles' .474 (9-of-19) three-point field goal percentage that sealed them a victory.
Karter Thomas led the Eagles with 22 points, bolstered by two 3-pointers along with two steals. Ben Goedheer showed efficient shooting, making five-of-six field goal attempts, contributing a total of eleven points and six rebounds. Sam Grieger was impactful with his defensive presence, recording two blocks while also scoring six points and dishing out three assists. Dustin Derousseau contributed significantly on the boards with nine total rebounds, while adding 12 points and three assists. Khris Green made his mark on defense with three steals.
The Pipers will face tournament host UW-Oshkosh tomorrow, Monday, December 30 at 5 p.m.
