MENOMONIE, Wis. — Powered by a dominant effort on the offensive glass and multiple momentum-swinging runs, UW-Stout pulled away in the second half for a 75–64 victory over North Central (Minn.) on Wednesday night at Johnson Fieldhouse. The win keeps the Blue Devils perfect all-time against the Rams, improving to 8–0 in the series.
After a tightly contested opening half ended tied 36–36, the Blue Devils seized control with an 8–0 burst out of the locker room, featuring six straight points from Aiden Shore and punctuated by an emphatic two-handed dunk off a feed from Tyrel Creger. The surge pushed Stout ahead 44–36 and forced a North Central timeout.
The Rams countered with a run of their own to trim the margin to 53–50, but Stout responded immediately. A 9–0 run, capped by a Domanyck Schwarzenberger triple, stretched the lead to 62–50 — the largest advantage of the night for the Blue Devils.
Stout's timely runs were fueled by relentless offensive rebounding, generating second and third chances throughout the contest. Aiden Shore set the tone inside, delivering a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) along with four blocks, including a highlight rejection with six minutes left that sent the ball into the stands and another with 1:32 remaining that effectively sealed the game.
North Central had cut the deficit to four late, but Wesley Mboga delivered a dagger — a clutch three with 1:53 left off a well-timed find from Collin Vick to push the lead back to seven. Moments later, AJ Uttech came up with a key steal with 46 seconds remaining as the Rams attempted to extend the game, and Stout knocked down free throws to close out the win.
Creger led all scorers with 19 points, while Mboga added 14 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double of his own. Stout's bench contributed 23 points, highlighted by Justin Nelson's 13 on 5-of-9 shooting.
By the Numbers
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50 – Stout's total rebounds, including 20 offensive boards that changed the game.
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16 – Second-chance points for the Blue Devils compared to just six for the Rams.
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14 & 13 – Double-doubles for Aiden Shore (14 pts, 10 reb, 4 blk) and Wesley Mboga (14 pts, 13 reb).
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9–0 – Stout's biggest run of the night, pushing the lead to 12 with seven minutes left.
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8–0 – UW-Stout's all-time record against North Central.
Up Next
The Blue Devils hit the road for a Division II exhibition matchup, traveling to Houghton, Michigan, to take on No. 11 Michigan Tech. Tip-off is set for Sunday, and the contest will serve as a key measuring-stick test heading into the holiday break.
