DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras men's basketball team lit the lamp for the second straight game on Saturday, defeating Wartburg 84-75. Led by junior Justin VanWambeke, the Duhawks hit 13-of-26 shots from beyond the arc. VanWambeke led the team in scoring for the third straight game, collecting 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting, alongside six rebounds, and four assists.

TURNING POINT
Loras built a 20-point lead in the second, due in part to senior Mirko Grcic's 13 point second half performance on 6-of-7 shooting. Grcic brought the fans to their feet numerous times in the half, first on a dunk in transition and later via a 3-pointer from the right wing. This insurmountable lead gave Loras enough of a cushion to bring in the bench with three minutes remaining.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Loras torched the Knights offensively in the first, shooting 48.4 percent on 15-of-31 from the field. The Duhawks were led by VanWambeke's 16 points of 5-of-7 shooting. VanWambeke also contributed four rebounds and two assists in the first stanza.

The Duhawks dug deep into their bench in the half, with eight players recording points. Freshman Michael Mims led all bench scorers with six points and an assist in nine minutes of play. Alongside Mims, freshman Demond George contributed a 3-pointer of his own. Overall, Loras' bench contributed 11 points in the half.

Defensively Loras stymied the Knights leading scorer, Jordan Cannon, who was limited to just two attempts, converting on one for two points. Nick Webber saw success for Wartburg however, scoring a team-high eleven points in the first.

An area of concern for the Knights was in the passing game, where they were held without an assist in the first half due to their style of play which emphasizes attacking the rim.

What separated the teams throughout the half was rebounding, an area in which Loras has leaned on for success this season. The Duhawks out-rebounded the Knights 22-14 in total, with Loras hauling in seven offensive rebounds. Senior Justin Schneider and freshman Nolan Timp recorded two offensive boards apiece.

Second Half
Loras dominated the first 17 minutes of the second half, prior to surrendering seven straight points to the Knights as the game drew to a close. Grcic stole the show offensively, scoring 13 of his 21 points in the half. The senior finished the night with 21 points, six assists and three rebounds. His six assists was a career-high for Grcic.

The Duhawks' prolific perimeter defense returned in the second, resulting in Wartburg being limited to just 2-of-13 shooting from deep. Overall, the Knights 25 percent shooting performance from deep ranked as their second lowest in conference play. Wartburg was forced to take more shots from deep due to the Duhawks interior pressure, which limited the Knights ability to attack the basket.

Wartburg's top scorers struggled against the Duhawks suffocating defense, resulting in the duo of Webber and Cannon combining to score three points in the second half. In total, the duo managed just 16 points, well below their season average of 28.6 per game.

Loras continued to crash the boards in the second, with Schneider grabbing his third and fourth offensive rebounds of the game. In total, Schneider finished with a game-high eight rebounds and two blocks. With 14 offensive rebounds in total, the Duhawks cashed in, resulting in 13 second-chance points.

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Justin VanWambeke | VanWambeke continued to take the conference by storm on Saturday, recording his fourth conference game of at least 20 points. Alongside a 28-point performance, VanWambeke hauled in six rebounds while dishing out four assists. With a combined performance of 53 points this week, the junior had his best week of the season in terms of scoring.

SOUNDBITES | Justin VanWambeke & Nolan Timp


SOUNDBITES | Greg Gorton


UP NEXT
Loras will stay in Dubuque next week, facing off against crosstown rival University of Dubuque. Last season the Duhawks were swept by the Spartans, but will enter Stoltz Sports Center on Wednesday riding a two-game winning streak. The Spartans are led by senior Andre Norris, who leads the Iowa Conference in scoring with 23.5 points per game. On Saturday, the league-leading Spartans were defeated on the road by Coe, 71-53.