DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - A massive first half lead provided all the gap that was needed for the Loras men's basketball team, as the Duhawks claimed its 11th consecutive win, defeating the Spartans, 87-58. Sophomore
Josh Ruggles scored a game-high and career-high 27 points to lead the effort for Loras.
MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDÂ
First Half
- Loras came out of the gates in cut-throat style, jumping out to an early 19-3 lead forcing a Dubuque timeout. The Spartans failed to cut the deficit to less than 10 the rest of the day.
- In the first five minutes of the half, sophomore Ryan DiCanio paced the Duhawks with six points, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.Â
- DiCanio passed the torch to fellow sophomore Josh Ruggles who had eight points by the halfway mark of the first half. The Wheaton, Ill. native made his first three baskets, two of which came from downtown.Â
- Loras kept the pedal to the metal, extending its lead to as many as 23 with 5:58 to play, ending a 12-0 run for the Duhawks.
- Dubuque traded baskets with Loras for the remainder of the half, sending the Duhawks to the locker room with the lead at 48-25.
Second Half
- Out of the break, Dubuque tightened its defense, but could not find a way to build a substantial run, as both sides traded baskets back and forth.
- Beginning at the 9:25 mark of the second half, Loras powered its way to a 36-point lead thanks to a 20-5 run.Â
- During the 5:52 stretch of play, the Spartans shot 1-of-8 while the Duhawks were 4-of-6 from the floor and 10-of-10 from the line.
- With the game in comfortable hands, Loras emptied its bench and soaked in the sizable win over its longtime rival, sealing the deal at 87-58.
NOTABLES
- Loras won the board battle today by a 53-49 margin
- As a team, the Duhawks continued to excel at the free-throw line, finishing 28-of-33 for 84.8 percent
- Dubuque was held to a season-low 58 points and finished 17-of-64 from the floor
- Loras' win matches its longest since the 2007-08 season
- The Duhawks shot above 40 percent from beyond the arc for the seventh time this season and increased their season shooting percentage to 37.4
FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAMEÂ
Josh Ruggles I Ruggles picked up where he left off in the first half, pouring in 12 in the second half. The guard finished the game with a career-high 27 points and was 5-of-8 from the three point line.
SOUNDBITES | Christian Mathis, Danny Quinn and Josh Ruggles
SOUNDBITES | Chris Martin
UP NEXTÂ
Loras will look to extend their win streak to 12 when they travel to Indianola on Wednesday to take on Simpson. The Storm will come in with momentum after beating Coe on the road Saturday, 67-62. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
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