DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras men's basketball team struggled to find its offensive rhythm on Saturday, suffering a 77-62 setback to the University of Dubuque. Junior Justin VanWambeke led the scoring efforts for the Duhawks, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

TURNING POINT
In the first half, Dubuque senior Andre Norris scored 11 straight points for the Spartans, nine coming on back-to-back-to-back attempts from beyond the arc. This stretch allowed Dubuque to extend their lead from eight to 15 with 4:22 remaining in the half.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Saturday's contest was kept close for a majority of the first half, prior to Dubuque ending the half with a 40-28 advantage. Loras kept their deficit under double-digits for the first 14 minutes of the half, prior to a 10-2 run from the Spartans.  

Shooting from deep was the difference maker throughout Saturday's action, but it was especially prominent in the first half of play. Dubuque hit 8-of-17 attempts from deep in the first half as opposed to just three on Loras' end.

The Duhawks' dynamic duo of Justin VanWambeke and Mirko Grcic was stymied offensively, kept off-balance and unable to get open looks. Combined, the two managed to contribute 12 points in the first half and 19 overall. Freshman Ryan DiCanio was the offensive leader during the first half, scoring nine points on 50 percent shooting.

For Dubuque, Andre Norris scored a half-high 19, the lone Spartan to reach double-figures in the first half. Loras attempted to put extra pressure on Norris, but the senior continued to find looks both inside and outside of the paint.

Second Half
Loras was held scoreless for nearly the first eight minutes of the second half, while Dubuque opened on a 12-0 run. The Spartans maintained a lead of over 20 points for a majority of the second half, but Loras' youthful bench brought the deficit to a little as 11 with 1:46 remaining in the action.

George stood out in the second-half, recording four steals which helped Loras cut into the Spartans lead. The freshman went on to finish the game with five steals, tying his career-high.

Defensively the Duhawks stepped up in the second half, limiting the Spartans to 37.5 percent shooting from the floor. However, Loras remained unable to capitalize on offense, hitting 32.4 percent of their shots.

Outside of shooting percentages, Loras scored more points in the paint, off turnovers, off the bench and on fast breaks than the Spartans.  

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Demond George | George scored 11 points in 16 minutes of action on Saturday, providing a spark in the closing moments of the game. The freshman tied a career-high in steals with five, which he has done three times this season. Previous instances came against Carroll and Rockford.

UP NEXT
On Wednesday, the Duhawks travel to Waverly, Iowa for a clash against the Wartburg. Earlier in the season, Loras bested the Knights by an 84-75 margin. Justin VanWambeke and Mirko Grcic combined to score 49 points against the Knights, while Loras held the Knights top scorer, Jordan Cannon, to three. Wartburg recently had a three-game winning streak ended by Coe, losing 77-68 in overtime.