For the first time in program history, the UW-La Crosse men’s basketball team is WIAC Tournament champions.
The 18th-ranked Eagles secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament Saturday afternoon with an 81-78 thriller over top-seeded and 22nd-ranked UW-Whitewater.
The victory completed a historic weekend sweep for UW-L basketball, following the women’s first-ever conference title win on Friday night.
Saturday, UW-L junior Sam Grieger, who broke the school’s single-season scoring record earlier this week, continued his historic tear with a game-high 33 points.
The Eagles trailed by six with under 4 minutes to play before Grieger scored four straight to tie the game late.
A Jacob Butler layup with 59 seconds left gave UW-L its first lead of the closing minutes, and a clutch three-point play by JJ Paider with 16 seconds remaining helped stretch the lead to four.
The Eagles survived a contested three-point attempt by the Warhawks at the buzzer to seal the win.
UW-L shot an impressive 60% from the floor in the second half to overcome a cold day from beyond the arc.
Paider finished with 18 points, while Dustin Derousseau added 17.
The Eagles now head to their fifth NCAA tournament in school history. They will find out their first-round opponent and destination during the NCAA selection show at noon Monday.
