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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Adam Hjelter
Jed Carlson-Superior Telegram

Men's Basketball

Last second shot pushes La Crosse Past Yellowjackets

Adam Hjelter
Box Score
La Crosse 57, Yellowjackets 56
Box Score

A seesaw battle.  A back-and-forth game.  There are multiple ways to describe what transpired in Saturday's men's basketball game between the Yellowjackets and UW-La Crosse.  Neither team led by more than seven points and there were a total of 12 lead changes in the game, with each team having six.  It gave off the feeling that the last team to have the ball was the team that would win the game.  Unfortunately for the Yellowjackets, it was La Crosse that had the ball last, and they made the most of it, squeaking out a 57-56 win.

Brendan Bauer (Eleva, Wis./Gilmanton) hit a pair of free throws with ten seconds to play, staking the Yellowjackets to a one-point lead.  From there, the Eagles took the ball the length of the floor and had the chance at the final shot of the game.  Cory Degner missed the layup with two seconds to play, and Al Chery followed that by missing a tip-in.  With one second left, however, Lucas Morrissey followed up the play and tipped in the shot at the buzzer, giving La Crosse a one-point win at home.

Just over three minutes into the game the score was tied 5-5, but it wouldn't stay that way for long.  La Crosse went on a 7-0 run to build a 12-5 lead, their largest lead of the game.  Adam Hjelter (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) and Ben Aalfs (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) then hit back-to-back three-pointers to trim the lead to one at 12-11.  Hjelter would follow with another jumper to bring the Yellowjackets all the way back.  From there the teams played like it was a heavyweight boxing match, trading punches throughout the rest of the half and they went to the locker deadlocked at 26-26.

In the second half the teams continued to trade buckets in the early going.  The Yellowjackets went ahead 27-26 on a dunk by Aalfs, then proceeded to build a six-point lead as Hjelter hit a three and followed it with a layup.  By the time the game had five minutes left, however, the score was again tied.  Aalfs missed a jumper with 4:09 to play, and that was the last time the Yellowjackets would miss a field goal in the game.  Aalfs and Hjelter continued to hit baskets and go shot-for-shot with the Eagles, but in the end, it was a last-ditch drive to the basket and a tip-in that did the Yellowjackets in.

Aalfs was a one-man wrecking crew for the Yellowjackets, leading them in points (21), rebounds (6), assists (2) and steals (5).  Hjelter tossed in 19 points.

Chery had a team-best 14 points and six rebounds for La Crosse.

The Yellowjackets (6-4, 1-2 WIAC) return to action on Wednesday, December 14 when they host UW-Eau Claire at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.  Game time is 7:00 p.m.
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