Blue Devils get in gear to run past Silver Lake College, 87-64

UW-Stout 87, Silver Lake College 64 | Photo Gallery | Archived Video

MENOMONIE (January 3, 2017) - UW-Stout and Silver Lake College have not met in Johnson Fieldhouse since the 2010 season, but when they met Tuesday, the 2017 version started off similar to the 2010 version before Stout finished with an 87-64 win.

The underdog NAIA Lakers (3-12) stayed in the game throughout the first half and into the early part of the second half. Silver Lake took a 28-27 lead with five minutes remaining in the first half. Stout (9-2) rebounded and took the halftime lead at 34-32. 

Silver Lake knotted the score a minute into the second half at 35 apiece before the Blue Devil spurted out to a seven point lead on free throws by Jacob Nordstrom (Sr, Melrose), a 3 pointer by Brett Ahsenmacher (Sr, Anandale, Minn) and a layup by Sam Ortmann (Jr, Buffalo, Minn).

Stout built the lead up to 12 points at 56-44 with 11 minutes left, then put the Lakers away with a 19-5 run over the next six minutes. Stout would hold as much as a 32 pont lead with five minutes left.

Neither team seemed to gain much momentum in the first half, with Stout shooting at a 39.4 percent clip (13-33) and Silve Lake shooting at 38.9 percent (14-36).

The Blue Devils' John Keefe (Jr, Medford)  flirted with a double-double the first half, scoring eight points and nine rebounds before the halftime buzzer. Keefe would go on to claim his second double-double of the season, leading all scorers with 24 points and a career-best 15 rebounds. Keefe flirted with a triple-double, finishing with seven assists.

Isaac Elliott (Jr, Stevens Point) came off the bench to score 14 points, nine in the second half, dropping four 3-pointers. Cory Speer (Sr, Elgin, Minn) also came off the bench to score 12 points, eight in the second half.

Stout controlled the boards, pulling down a season-high 51 rebounds, highlighted by Keefe's 15. Ortmann finished with seven rebounds and Nordstrom and Speer finished with five rebounds.

The Lakers got 16 points from Freddy Cook and 12 points from Stevens Alexis. Alexis also recorded a double-double, adding 12 rebounds.

Stout opens WIAC play Wednesday, Jan. 4 when they host UW-Platteville at 7 p.m.