DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras men's basketball team closed out the 2017-18 regular season on Saturday with a 95-82 win over crosstown rivals, Dubuque, completing the season sweep for the first time since 2013-14. Ryan DiCanio finished with a team-best 30 points and six rebounds. DiCanio became the 14th member in Loras history to join the 1,000 point/500 rebound club.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
- DiCanio scored the first six points for the Duhawks giving them an early 6-2 lead
- Justin Busch added a quick five points with a 3-pointer and a layup midway through the first half to give Loras a six point lead 18-12
- DiCanio's 3-pointer at the 9:11 mark of the first half gave the Duhawks their first double-digit lead of the day
- Jake Toman's and-1 with 13 seconds left gave Loras a nine-point lead at 42-33, but a pair of free-throw s by the Spartans brought the deficit to seven after 20 minutes
- Loras shot out of the gates in the second half, scoring seven unanswered points to give them a 14-point advantage at the 17:35 mark
- With 3:14 remaining, the Duhawks held their largest lead of the day at 86-65 after four consecutive free-throws by Josh Ruggles
- Dubuque's comeback bid came at Loras with full force, mounting a 17-5 run to cut the deficit to nine, but that was as close as the Spartans could manage
- Ruggles was 12-for-12 from the free-throw line in the last five minutes, helping to maintain the double-digit advantage

TEAM NOTABLES
- Saturday was win No. 1,350 in Loras men's basketball history
- With the win, the Duhawks swept their crosstown rivals for the first time since the 2013-14 season
- Loras awaits the No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup in the semifinal round of the IIAC Tournament

INDIVIDUAL NOTABLES
- DiCanio moved into a tie for 24th all-time in program history for scoring with 1,116 points … He's tied for 17th all-time with 501 rebounds and ranks seventh with 115 3-pointers … Saturday was the second 30-point game of the season for DiCanio
- Demond George struck for 16 points off the bench and tied a career-high with six free-throws … George sits at 690 career points heading into the postseason
- Ruggles surpassed 800 career points and now has 812 to his name … His 16 free-throws set a career-high

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME - Ryan DiCanio
- DiCanio totaled 30 points, six rebounds and four assists … He leads the Duhawks in rebounds (7.0 rpg) and assists with 119 this season … DiCanio became the 14th player in Loras Basketball history to tally 1,000 points and 500 rebounds

UP NEXT
As the No. 2 seed, Loras earned a first round bye in the Iowa Conference Tournament. The Duhawks host the winner of No. 3 Buena Vista and No. 6 Central on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Lillis Court.