NORTHFIELD, Minn – Senior Nate Albers had a career-high 27 points, but the St. Olaf College men's basketball team fell to UW-Eau Claire, 76-70, in a non-conference contest on Monday night at Skoglund Center.

Albers posted a career-high 27 points and had his sixth career game with over 20 points, including 22 in the second half. Junior Dominic Bledsoe reached double figures with 14 points and added six assists.

St. Olaf (5-4) cut a 16-point second half deficit down to three in the final 30 seconds of the game after three free throws from Albers, but UW-Eau Claire (9-2) held on as the Blugolds' Spencer Page sank three free throws in the final 26 seconds to secure the victory.

Albers scored 14 of his 27 points in the final 8:48 of the game to bring the Oles within three points of the Blugolds in the final 30 seconds of the game after UW-Eau Claire opened the second half with an 18-7 that resulted in a 16-point lead. 

A Bledsoe basket gave St. Olaf an early lead in the first half before UW-Eau Claire went on a 12-0 run and took a 15-5 lead with 15:11 remaining the half.

A three-pointer from first year Jake Weber cut the deficit to five with just under 14 minutes remaining, but a pair of free throws from Cam Kueoers extended the Blugolds' lead back to double figures at 26-12 halfway through the period.

After UW-Eau Claire held a double-digit lead for over five minutes, St. Olaf went on an 8-0 run that included six points from Bledsoe to get back within three at 1:42 in the first half. A layup from Kuepers gave the Blugolds a five-point lead heading into the break.

UW-Eau Claire opened the second half with an 18-7 run and took a 16-point lead, it's largest of the game, with just under 15 minutes left in the game. St. Olaf answered with a 17-6 run and got back within five at 60-55 and 7:33 left to play, after back-to-back jumpers from first year Charlie Haff and Bledsoe.

The Blugolds extended the lead back to seven twice before a three-point play from Albers cut the deficit to four with 5:25 to play. A jumper from Spencer Page extended UW-Eau Claire's lead back to 10 with two and a half minutes remaining, but a layup from Bledsoe, followed by a pair of free throws from Weber got the Oles back with four.

Albers was fouled shooting a three-pointer and sank all three to bring St. Olaf within three at 73-70 with 30 seconds remaining, but three free throws from Page in the final 26 seconds kept UW-Eau Claire on top.

The Blugolds were led by Cole Rabedeaux with 26 points and Kuepers with 17 points. Haff added nine points for the Oles, along with five rebounds.

The Oles are back in action on Monday, Jan. 6 for a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) contest against Saint John's at Skoglund Center at 7 p.m.