DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Loras College men's basketball team took down the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves, 72-66, in a hard-fought battle inside the Lillis Athletic & Wellness Center on Saturday afternoon.
This game had major postseason implications as the Duhawks came into Saturday's matchup ranked No. 2 in the A-R-C and the Prairie Wolves ranked No.1 the top-seed still in contention.
Loras (18-6 overall, 12-3 A-R-C) started the game off hot with a 7-2 run in the first two minutes of play. The run was capped off by a deep ball from Gavin Sarvis followed by a tip-in layup from Sarvis the next possession. The Prairie Wolves fought back quickly and tied the game at 10-10 within a few minutes. Nebraska Wesleyan (17-6, 12-2) went on to take the lead and were able to extend the lead up to four (20-16) halfway through the first half.
A clutch three-pointer from junior Connor Mosele tied the game back up at 21-21 with just under eight minutes to play in the first half. The Prairie Wolves quickly regained the lead, however, and were able to extend it back to four (25-21). The Duhawks kept it within a point for the remainder of the first half, tying it up twice before heading into the halftime break down 32-31.
Jack Haynes got the scoring started in the second half with a tip-in layup to give the Duhawks a one-point lead (33-32). The second half was hard-fought and closely contested from start to finish. The lead changed nine times over the course of the second half and the score stayed within one possession for the majority of that time. Made free throws by Mosele, Sarvis, and Nolan Berendes late down the stretch solidified a huge victory for the Purple and Gold on Senior Day.
The Duhawks were led by huge performances from Sarvis, who had 21 points on 53.8 percent (7-of-13) shooting to go along with five assists and four rebounds. Haynes contributed 21 points and nine rebounds, while Berendes finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. As a team, Loras shot 42.9 percent (24-of-56) from the field and 20.8 percent (5-of-24) from beyond the arc.
Up Next: The Duhawks travel to Storm Lake, Iowa to take on the Beavers of Buena Vista University on Saturday, Feb. 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. from Siebens Fieldhouse.
