PHOENIX (Duhawks.com) - The Loras College men's basketball team moved to 5-6 on the season following a shootout against Keene State lasting three overtimes. A slew of Duhawks recorded career-highs in points on the night, but were trumped by the play of junior Justin VanWambeke. VanWambeke tallied a career-high 34 points, one-upping his performance against Illinois Wesleyan on Dec. 12.

TURNING POINT
Heading into the final overtime, junior Danny Quinn had a lone point to his name on the night, but his inspired play turned the tides and led the Duhawks to victory. Quinn recorded 10 of his 11 points in the final period and added two rebounds. His rebounding led to freshman Ryan DiCanio's fastbreak layup to put Loras up by 10 with 2:35 to play.

HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
Both teams struggled shooting-wise in the first half, with neither side shooting above 40 percent from the floor. Two Duhawks kept Loras alive, putting up double-digit scoring efforts in the half. VanWambeke and freshman Ryan DiCanio combined to score 25 of the teams 38 first half points on 22 attempts. The duo shined from beyond the arc, netting a combined five 3-pointers.

Defensively, the Duhawks held two of Keene State's main threats in check throughout the first half. Nate Stitchell had an efficient half with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting, but three fouls resulted in just 10 minutes of playing time for the Owls leading scorer. Center Nate Howard was also limited, despite a distinct size advantage at 7-foot-0. VanWambeke made a nuisance of himself throughout the half, reaching into passing lanes to collect three steals.

Keene State led by as much as nine points in the half, but strong play from freshman Nolan Timp helped the Duhawks tie the game at 22 with 7:10 to play.

SECOND HALF
Both teams shot lights out in the second half, as defenses adjusted to each others game-plans, scoring chances became a dime a dozen. The front court's of each side had success, with Keene State's Howard posting a second half stat line of 15 points and eight rebounds.

Three Duhawk forwards saw success, with Timp and senior Justin Schneider each posting nine points in the half on a combined 6-of-6 shooting. Senior Mirko Grcic had his most effective period of the game, recording six points and two rebounds.

VanWambeke continued to steal the show in the second, adding 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists to his final line. With seven seconds left, VanWambeke dished to Timp for a 3-pointer from the corner to put Loras ahead 77-74. Off the inbounds pass, Keene State went the length of the court and Nate Stitchell drained a 3-ball at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.

Timp finished the game with a career-high 15 points alongside three rebounds, and three assists.

OVERTIME
Keene State built a four-point lead in the opening two minutes of the first overtime, but the play of DiCanio held the Duhawks above water. Six points from DiCanio in the period put Loras up two, prior to a Ty Nichols layup with 10 seconds to play. VanWambeke attempted a game-winner at the buzzer, but was unsuccessful. Strong overtime play led DiCanio to a career-high 24 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor.

SECOND OVERTIME
Both offenses cooled down in the second overtime period, resulting in a combined eight points, split evenly. VanWambeke contributed three points for the Duhawks, including the game-tying layup with 00:40 seconds to play.

THIRD OVERTIME
Loras opened the third overtime period on a 10-0 run, taking the momentum and the win with them. The third overtime was highlighted by Quinn, who registered 10 of the teams 22 points in the final period on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting. Quinn once again provided the team with much needed energy, getting the bench on their feet with a fastbreak dunk as the game wound to a close.

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Justin VanWambeke | The junior tallied a career-high 34 points against Keene State while providing the Duhawks with consistent play over 48 minutes of play. Once again VanWambeke produced a balanced stat line, tallying seven rebounds, five assists and five steals.

UP NEXT
Loras opens Iowa Conference play at home next week with games against Coe and Buena Vista. Last season the Duhawks went a combined 0-4 against next weeks opponents, but look to turn the tides in 2015.