Titans End Holiday Trip With Loss To Duhawks

Loras College (Iowa) allowed just one field goal in the last 11 minutes of the first half during its 87-71 win over the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team on Thursday (Dec. 22) in Las Vegas, Nev.

UW-Oshkosh ended its three-game trip to Las Vegas with a 2-1 record after defeating the College of Mount St. Joseph (Ohio), 75-64, on Monday (Dec. 19) and Benedictine University (Ill.), 84-70, on Tuesday (Dec. 20).

The first 10 minutes of play were back-and-forth, including six ties. Following a three-point basket by Dylan Wurtz (So. • Kimberly), Martell Hutchinson (Jr. • Milwaukee) recorded two lay-ups and a dunk to give UW-Oshkosh an 18-17 lead.

After falling behind 20-19, Loras College (3-8) scored 23 of the game's next 30 points. UW-Oshkosh (4-6) made 1-of-10 shots to close the half, while also committing seven turnovers. Marking nine points during the scoring run, Tim Kelly sank consecutive lay-ups to give the Duhawks a 42-27 lead with two minutes left in the opening period.

A total of 24 players scored in the game, with Kelly counting 32 points and six rebounds. Kelly made 9-of-11 shots from the field and all 11 free throws. Brian Gaughan added 12 points and three rebounds for the Duhawks, who took a 44-32 lead to intermission on 65.4 percent (17-26) shooting from the field.

The Titans got within 47-37 early in the second half, but they could never close the gap. Greg Schrimpf (Sr. • Manitowoc) drained a pair of long jumpers to make it a 56-42 UW-Oshkosh deficit with 14:52 remaining.

Kelly tallied 12 points during a 14-2 scoring run that put the contest out of reach. Following a three-point basket, Kelly drilled seven straight foul shots, with his final conversion putting the Duhawks ahead 81-55 with 6:04 left.

John Flanigan (Sr. • Oshkosh) paced the Titans with his 16 points and five rebounds. Hutchinson and Schrimpf both scored 11 points and Wurtz seven.

UW-Oshkosh shot 37.5 percent (21-56) from the field and 88.9 percent (24-27) from the free-throw line. The Titans were 5-of-19 shooting (26.3 percent) behind the three-point arc.

Loras College, which posted a 34-30 rebounding edge, shot 53.4 percent (31-58) from the field. The Duhawks shot 80 percent (16-20) from the free-throw stripe and 50 percent (9-18) from the three-point area.

UW-Oshkosh heads to Wisconsin Dells for a meeting with Concordia University Wisconsin next Thursday (Dec. 29).