NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Junior Kobe Kirk scored a game-high 22 points for the St. Olaf College men's basketball team in a 66-56 loss to UW-Eau Claire on Tuesday evening at Skoglund Center.

Kirk shot 8-for-17 from the field in hits third 20-point performance of the season for St. Olaf (1-6,), but UW-Eau Claire (3-3) used a balanced attack with four Blugolds in double figures to pick up the non-conference victory. The visitors scored 40 of their 66 points in the paint, outscoring the Oles by a 40-18 margin around the basket.

In addition to Kirk's 22-point night, sophomore Jachin Mertes scored eight points while knocking down a pair of three-pointers, first year Rex Lamb recorded a season-high seven points, and fellow first year AJ Uhl added six points and a team-high-tying five rebounds.

Kirk scored 12 of his 22 points in the opening half to help the Oles go into the locker room tied at 29-29. Neither team led by more than five in the opening half, as St. Olaf owned the largest lead of the half at 20-15 midway through thanks to a 7-0 run that included a three-pointer by first year Jaxon Strinmoen. The Oles led for 8:14 of the opening half, compared to 6:06 for the Blugolds.

Lamb gave St. Olaf the lead twice with five quick points in the first six-plus minutes of the second half, including a three-pointer with 13:46 to go that gave the Oles a 46-43 edge. After the Lam three-pointer, the visitors held the Oles scoreless for over five minutes while building a 50-46 lead until first year Luther Tostrud sank a three-pointer to make it a one-point game with 8:20 to go.

The Blugolds again responded to the three-pointer by keeping St. Olaf scoreless for over four minutes as part of a 9-0 run that gave UW-Eau Claire a 10-point lead with 5:08 to play. UW-Eau Claire led by at least seven over the final five-plus minutes to seal the victory.

The Oles will take on their fourth Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) opponent of the season with a trip to UW-Stevens Point for a 3 p.m. tip-off on Sunday, Dec. 1.