DULUTH, Minn. – The UW-Superior men's basketball team shot 54 percent after halftime, pulling away for a 77-63 victory over St. Scholastica at Reif Gym on Wednesday.
The win for the Yellowjackets (15-7, 12-1 UMAC) completed a regular-season series sweep of the Saints for the first time since the 2014-15 season and moved UWS just a half game behind Northwestern for the top spot in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference standings.
Senior
Allen Anderson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Osseo) and freshman
Eli Vogel (Appleton, Wis./Appleton West) each scored 21 points on seven field goals apiece and senior
Vid Milenkovic (Zurich, Switzerland/DSB Belgrade (Serbia)) chipped in with 13 points and nine rebounds as Superior outscored St. Scholastica (12-11, 9-5 UMAC), 45-32, in the second half to put the game away after no fewer than 12 tie scores and 19 lead changes.
UWS made 13 of its 24 shots in the final 20 minutes while limiting the Saints to 11 makes in 29 attempts for 38 percent. Anderson and Vogel poured in 15 and 10 points, respectively, keying the separation.
'Jackets held a 32-31 edge at the break and the teams continued to trade baskets for the first seven-plus minutes of the second half before Superior used a quick 5-0 spurt on free throws from Anderson, Milenkovic and Vogel for a 50-45 advantage with 11:22 left.
A
Mac Reykdal (Washburn, Wis./Washburn) 3-pointer with 9:01 to play pushed the lead to eight at 57-49. Three minutes later Milenkovic grabbed a rebound and finished in transition of the other end of the floor for a 60-51 lead. Anderson then stripped Jack Silgen of the ball and knocked down a jumper for a double-digit margin with 4:38 on the clock.
St. Scholastica worked the deficit back to six on two occasions on free throws from Cade Goggleye and Nick Carlson, but the 'Jackets hit six of their own down the stretch and Vogel and
Colton Williams (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) added breakaway layups in the final seconds.
UWS returns home Saturday to host Martin Luther at 3 p.m., at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.
