The 18th-ranked UW-La Crosse men’s basketball team nearly saw a 22-point lead evaporate Tuesday night in the opening round of the WIAC tournament. The Eagles, however, held on for an 87-83 win over UW-Stout and move on to the semifinals looking to get that automatic bid to the Division III NCAA to urnament. UW-L (20-6), which recorded its ninth 20-win season in school history, will host 23rd-ranked and No. 2-seeded UW-Stevens Point (19-6) on Thursday. Jack Crowley led the charge early, scoring 18 of his team-high 21 points in the first half. He finished 7-of-13 from beyond the arc. Behind his hot shooting, the Eagles built a 49-34 halftime lead and eventually extended that cushion to 60-38 early in the second. The Blue Devils (9-17), though, refused to go away. Led by Domanyck Schwarzenberger’s 29 points, Stout used a 10-2 run late in the game to cut the Eagles’ lead to just two points with 4 minutes remaining. UW-L senior Jacob Butler answered the threat with a clutch 3-pointer to push the lead back to five, and JJ Paider sealed the win with a late dunk and a pair of free throws. Paider finished with 19 points and six rebounds, while Sam Grieger — who came in fourth in the nation in scoring — added 18 points and five assists. The Eagles, who have now won 17 of their last 20 meetings against UW-Stout, are still searching for their first WIAC tournament title in school history. TOP PHOTO: Jack Crowley had a team-high 21 points, including 18 in the first half (PHOTO: UW-L Athletics) ...read more read less