Pride stave off Waldorf second half comeback to win 68-64

FOREST CITY, Iowa - Looking to return home to Dubuque with a win, the Clarke University men's basketball team did just that by way of a 68-64 victory over Waldorf University on Saturday evening.

The Pride led by nine at halftime with a 39-30 lead but the Warriors came storming back to outscore CU 17-4 to start the first 7:39 of the second half to lead by a 47-43 score. 

Waldorf's largest lead was a five-point advantage that they had on multiple occasions in the second frame with their latest coming at a 57-52 advantage with just over seven minutes to play. 

That's when Keith Johnson went on a bit of a run himself, scoring six of the Pride's next nine points as that helped CU gain a two-point advantage. A Jacob Fierst jumper and a Jordan Lake three, his only basket of the second half, helped the Pride maintain that lead as Biggie Luster hit one late free throw to put it to the final of 68-64.

Johnson finished with a team-high 17 points despite struggling from three-point range as he went 5-of-18 from the field while going a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Lake and Fierst both had double figures as Lake finished the game with 13 points and seven assists while Fierst added 11 points and six rebounds.

Leading the way for Waldorf was Bryanth Farr who had a game-high 23 points and 13 rebounds for the double-double as WU ended the game with four players in double figures.

Clarke men's basketball will now head into the start of Heart of America Conference play when they travel on the road to take on Peru State College at 7:30 p.m. CT next Tuesday, Nov. 23.