Duhawks defeat Falcons in high-scoring contest

DUBUQUE, Iowa – Both teams shot the basketball extremely well on Monday afternoon, but it was Loras' Ryan DiCanio who drilled a 3-pointer with two seconds to play to give the hosts a 102-99 victory over Concordia Wisconsin.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Loras 102, Concordia Wisconsin 99
Location: Lillis Court (Dubuque, Iowa)
Records: Loras 6-4, Concordia Wisconsin 5-4

HOW IT HAPPENED
- It was a battle of wills during the matinee non-conference matchup, as there were 12 scoring ties and seven lead changes alone in the second half. After Jake Jurss sank a pair of free throws to tie the game at 99-99 with 1:41 to play, it wasn't until Loras' Ryan DiCanio sank a game-winning triple with two seconds to play.
- Concordia Wisconsin had a chance, albeit challenging, with an inbounds play near midcourt. The ball was passed in front of the bench to Josh Hau, who had to make an extremely difficult catch, turn and release from 26 feet to tie the game, which was long off the backboard.
- Both teams ended the game shooting over 50 percent (CUW – 55.6; Loras – 53.4) and 3-point makes were falling with 21 combined.
- Minutes into the game, it appeared as if Concordia Wisconsin was going to run away easily, building a 10-point cushion four-and-a-half minutes into the game. However, a 12-3 scoring run by Loras cut the game to two points midway through the opening half.
- The Falcons increased their lead to nine points on several occasions, but the Duhawks responded and knotted the scoreboard at 53-53 at the intermission.
- Senior Eric Kittel (Brillion, Wis.) ended with a team-high 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting and three 3-pointers, to go along with seven assists.
- Jurss (sophomore, Sheboygan, Wis.) had 21 points, including 17 in the first half, and three steals.
- Junior Josh Erickson (Manitowoc, Wis.) scored 16 points and dished out three assists, while Hau (Slinger, Wis.) tallied 13 points (three triples) off the bench.
- Senior Montrell Hobbs (Milwaukee, Wis.) added a season-best nine points and nine rebounds.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Concordia Wisconsin and Loras had nearly identical statistics in the play analysis, with the hosts holding a 40-38 lead in points in the paint and the visitor's bench holding a 26-21 edge. The Duhawks had a 23-8 advantage in second chance scoring after grabbing 16 offensive rebounds.
- It was the third time this season the Falcons scored 90 or more points and shot over 50 percent.
- Jurss and Kittel have scored 20-plus points together in the same game for the second time this season.
- Concordia Wisconsin shot 19-of-21 (90.5 percent) from the free throw line, which is the 10th highest percentage in a game in program history.
- Freshman Dane Fronek (Wausau, Wis.) added a season-high nine points on 3-of-3 shooting in eight minutes of play.

THE OPPOSITION
- Christian Matthis had a huge game with 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting, to go along with 14 rebounds (five offensive) and three assists in just 29 minutes of play.
- Matt Dacy-Seijo added 22 points, including six triples; while Ryan DiCanio recorded 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
- Demond George scored 13 points and dished out five assists off the bench, and Justin VanWambeke had 11 points and two steals.

NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE
- Concordia Wisconsin will return to the court on Saturday, December 31 with a road game at No. 12 Benedictine. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:15 pm.