Dubuque Remains Undefeated with 83-60 Win over Willamette

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- University of Dubuque (Iowa) surged out to a 32-10 lead in the first 13 minutes on its way to an 83-60 win over Willamette University in the first round of the Colorado College Thanksgiving Invitational on Friday, Nov. 28. Dubuque improved to 5-0 on the season, while Willamette fell to 1-4.

The Bearcats will take on University of Northwestern (Minn.) in the consolation game of the tournament on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 5 p.m. MST/4 p.m. PST. Northwestern lost to Colorado College, 70-61, in the other first round game. Dubuque will play Colorado College in the championship game on Saturday at 7 p.m. MST/6 p.m. PST.

Against the Spartans on Friday, Brandon Luedtke (Jr., F, Meridian, ID/Mt. View HS) led Willamette with 23 points and 12 rebounds. He was 8 for 10 on shots from the field and hit 7 of 7 free throws. He also earned three assists and blocked one shot.

Kyle McNally (Sr., F, Salem, OR/Sprague HS) chipped in 11 points and grabbed six rebounds. He led Willamette with three steals to go with two assists and one blocked shot. Hayden Russell (So., G, Woodland, Ca/Da Vinci HS) added 10 points.

Andre Norris topped Dubuque with 20 points, as he connected on 7 of 11 field goals, including two 3-pointers. He went 4 for 4 at the line and hauled down nine rebounds. Jacob Mohlis and Brandon Ferguson each contributed 16 points for the Spartans. Lucas Ware earned 10 points, while Gage Heffernan finished with nine points and 12 rebounds.

Dubuque scored the game's first 10 points, including five points from Heffernan and a 3-pointer from Norris. McNally put through Willamette's first basket at the 17:25 mark, but the Spartans tacked on 10 additional points -- starting with a 3-pointer by Mohlis -- for a 20-2 advantage with 13:14 remaining in the half.

WU tallied the next four points on a jumper and a layup by Luedtke, before Dubuque answered with four points of its own to start a 10-4 run. The Spartans led 32-10 with 7:00 on the clock.

The Bearcats scored 10 of the next 12 points to reduce the lead to 34-20. Luedtke made a layup and foul shot to start the run. Jared Baumgartner (So., Albany, OR/Crescent Valley HS) added a free throw, and Luedtke sank another layup.

After Ferguson tallied two points for Dubuque, Russell completed the run with a pair of free throws at the 5:20 mark and a layup with 5:02 to go. A layup by Ferguson 15 seconds later kept WU from continuing the rally.

Mohlis sank three free throws to give Dubuque a 39-20 lead after he was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 4:15 remaining in the half. The Spartans held a 49-31 margin at the intermission.

Willamette cut the lead to 14 points three times in the first seven minutes of the second half, and pulled within 12 points at 55-43 following two free throws by Russell with 12:41 left. Russell brought the Bearcats even closer when he connected on a 3-pointer with 12:00 to go, finishing a 7-0 run and reducing the margin to 55-46.

The Bearcats pulled within nine points on three more occasions, including 63-54 with 6:54 left on a layup by Luedtke. The Spartans countered with five consecutive points, before WU added a free throw by Russell and a layup by McNally to trim Dubuque's lead to 68-57 with 4:50 on the clock.

Dubuque scored 15 unanswered points, as the Spartans ended the game with a 15-3 run. The first nine points were recorded by Norris, while Jeremy Ware tacked on a 3-pointer and Tyler Ware provided a traditional 3-point play.

The Spartans converted 31 of 34 free throws (91.2%) during the game, while shooting 41.1% from the field (23 of 46). Dubuque made 6 of 16 three-pointers (37.5%). Willamette shot 34.4% on field goals (22 of 64), but sank only 1 of 20 three-point attempts. The Bearcats were 15 of 19 at the free throw line (78.9%).

Dubuque held a slim 40-39 edge in rebounds, but WU owned an 11-9 margin in second-change points on the strength of 13 offensive boards. The Spartans gained a 25-23 margin in points off turnovers, with Willamette losing the ball 20 times and Dubuque losing the ball 17 times.