DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) – In search of their first win of December, the Loras College Men's Basketball team welcomed Carroll University to the Athletic & Wellness Center on Saturday afternoon. In the team's first meeting, Loras' comeback attempt fell short despite a double-double from junior Mirko Grcic and hot three-point shooting by senior Aaron Schueller as the Duhawks fell 73-63 to the Pioneers.

After trailing by as many as 11, a steal by sophomore Justin VanWambeke set up a transition layup by sophomore Domonique Criss. Criss' basket brought the Duhawks (3-6) within one with less than a minute remaining in the half. Fouled on the play, Criss stepped to the line looking to convert the and-one opportunity. His shot bounced off the rim and into the hands of Grcic. Without an open lane to the basket, Grcic dribbled to the baseline, drawing several defenders. With a double team approaching, the Lake Zurich, Illinois native kicked to Schueller for an open three-pointer from the wing.

Schueller's three gave Loras a 31-29 lead, their first since they led 5-4 at the 16:58 mark. Carroll (5-2) answered on their ensuing possession, leveling the score at 31 as the teams headed to the break.

In the second half, it seemed as though the Duhawks had found their groove. With the score tied at 33, a steal by VanWambeke ended with two free throws by Grcic. Solid defense by the Duhawks on the ensuing possession forced the Pioneers to settle for an off-balance three-pointer, resulting in a rebound by VanWambeke. Pushing the pace, VanWambeke's quick pass up court led senior Bobby Harmening to a reverse layup, putting Loras in front 37-33. The momentum shifting basket brought about a timeout by the Pioneers with 17:33 to play.

Unfortunately for the Duhawks the timeout proved pivotal, squashing the momentum from the play prior. Carroll used a 13-2 run over a six minute span following the timeout to take a commanding 52-39 lead. From that point on Loras' attempts to chip away at the lead fell short as defensive stops were few and far between, allowing the Pioneers to control the remainder of the game as the Duhawks fell 73-63.

Game Changer
A six minute stretch in the second half saw the Duhawks four point lead turn into a 13 point deficit, being held to just two points over the stretch.

Key Stat
The Duhawks committed 20 turnovers compared to Carroll's 13, leading to nine point advantage in points off turnovers (23-16).

Notables

• Junior Mirko Grcic recorded his third double-double of the season, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds
• For the second straight game, Loras shot over 50 percent from the field
• Senior guard Aaron Schueller bounced back from a two game lull with five three-pointers, scoring 17 points in the loss
• Loras has lost five straight, four straight by double digits

Quotable
Head Coach Greg Gorton
"Carroll played a great game tonight and we made too many mistakes. We're not playing like ourselves right now and we need to figure things out before the conference season starts. We need to go back and watch some film from earlier this season, get back to the things that made us a successful. We're in a dark place right now but I'm confident that we'll turn it around."

Next Up
The Duhawks will enjoy a short holiday break before traveling to Daytona, Florida to take part in the Land of Magic Classic. Loras kicks off the tournament with a game against Lebanon Valley on Sunday, December 28. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.