NORTHFIELD, Minn. – First year Kobe Kirk scored 18 points off the bench to lead four scorers in double figures for the St. Olaf College men's basketball team in a 73-69 win over UW-Eau Claire in the Oles' home opener on Wednesday evening.

Kirk was 5-for-11 from the field, including 3-for-5 from behind the arc, and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line to pace St. Olaf (2-0) with 18 points in 26 minutes. Fifth-year senior Nathan Hendler, junior Connor Martin, and senior Josh Albers were also in double figures for the Oles, who downed UW-Eau Claire (1-2) for the second-straight season.

St. Olaf led for 31:42 in the game, compared to just 5:00 for UW-Eau Claire, and shot 48.1 percent (26-for-54) from the field in the win. The Oles were also 7-for-18 (38.9 percent) from behind the arc and held the Blugolds to 4-for-23 (17.4 percent) shooting from three-point range.

Hendler was 5-for-10 from the floor on his way to a 15-point performance, while Martin recorded 13 points and six assists. Albers chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds. Senior Charlie Haff pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds to help the Oles to a 41-37 advantage on the glass.

After the Blugolds scored the game's first five points, St. Olaf scored 17 of the next 19 to build a 17-7 lead seven minutes into the game. All five starters scored for the Oles in the run, which included six-straight made shots. A layup by senior Michael Meriggioli with 11:37 remaining till halftime game St. Olaf its largest lead of the game at 21-9.

UW-Eau Claire responded with a 12-5 run to get back within five on a Carter Huschka three-pointer with eight minutes to go in the half and eventually took its first lead since the opening minutes at 31-30 on a layup by Brock Voigt with 14 seconds to go. St. Olaf took a 33-31 lead into the locker room after Kirk hit a deep three-pointer in the final seconds following Voigt's bucket.

As they did in the first half, the Blugolds opened the second half on a quick 5-0 run, starting a stretch that saw neither team lead by more than four points until a three-pointer by Kirk with 9:15 remaining put the Oles on top by five, 58-53. St. Olaf kept UW-Eau Claire from getting any closer than three points the rest of the way to see out the win.

A Voigt layup with 3:27 cut the Oles' lead to 64-61, but St. Olaf answered two possessions later on a putback by Kirk that made it a two-score game at 67-61. Kirk had 15 of his 18 points in the second half, as the Oles made enough free throws down the stretch to close out the victory.

St. Olaf hosts Saint John's University in its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) opener on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m.