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Loras College Athletics

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mbb-vanwambeke3
86
Wis.-Platteville UWPMBB 6-3
88
Winner Loras LORM 5-4
Wis.-Platteville UWPMBB
6-3
86
Final
88
Loras LORM
5-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Wis.-Platteville UWPMBB 36 50 86
Loras LORM 47 41 88

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

VanWambeke's Buzzer Beater Bests Pioneers

Justin VanWambeke became the 40th member of Loras' 1,000-point club

DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - Senior Justin VanWambeke buzzer-beater capped what had already become a special night, capping a 36-point effort for Loras' 88-86 win over UW-Platteville. In addition to his in-game heroics, VanWambeke also wrote his name into Duhawk history as he became the 40th member of the 1,000-point club.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
First Half
  • Looking fresh after a week hiatus from competition, a stifling Duhawk defense forced several early turnovers from UW-Platteville, of which Loras turned into an early 16-6 lead.
  • VanWambeke knocked in his third 3-pointer of the first half at the 3:44 mark, stretching the Duhawk lead to 14.
  • With both teams trading buckets as the first half wound down, sophomore Ryan DiCanio drew a crucial foul from the Pioneers with 0.6 seconds left and his two made free-throws put Loras up 11 at the break, 47-36.

Second Half
  • Kicking off the first half rust, the Pioneers scored seven straight to open the second half, cutting the lead to 47-43 with 18:08 to play.
  • The Duhawks regained control, however, using a layup from senior Christian Mathis to open the margin to eight with the score at 55-47.
  • With 12:27 remaining, UW-Platteville capped off an 11-2 run with a layup from Dan Lowe for the first Pioneer lead of the game.
  • Both sides went back-and-forth exchanging baskets and leads as the game progressed, but two made free-throws by UW-Platteville opened a three-point lead with 1:32 to play.
  • The Duhawks played near-perfect defense down the stretch, forcing turnovers on each of the last four Pioneer possessions.
  • With nine seconds left on the clock, VanWambeke took the inbounds pass and raced down the court, weaving through several Pioneer defenders and just before the buzzer sounded, floated a 10-foot shot over the reach of the UW-Platteville defenders and into the basket for the winner.

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Justin VanWambeke | The senior from Machesney Park, Ill. continued his outstanding career in Purple & Gold, posting 36 points while shooting 19-for-21 from the charity stripe. In the process, VanWambeke became the 40th member of Loras' 1,000-point club and second in as many seasons, joining Mirko Grcic who reached the career milestone last year.

UP NEXT
Loras returns to the hardwood on Monday for a non-conference meeting with Concordia Wisconsin. The Duhawks will be looking to continue the home-court success and build upon the 3-1 record from inside the Athletic & Wellness Center.