The Falcon men's basketball team battle to a 56-53 WIAC win over UW-Platteville on Saturday afternoon at the Karges Center.

The biggest lead by either team was eight points. The game was tied seven times in the first half and four times in the second. 

With the Falcons leading, 56-53, UWP's Joe Allen took a 24-foot shot at the buzzer that rattled off the rim. 

The first half ended with the Falcons holding a slim 27-25 lead. UWRF had five five-point leads in the first 20 minutes. The last came with 6:50 to play, 20-15, when Aaron Anderson (Stillwater, MN, Stillwater HS) hit a three pointer. Anderson was a perfect 4-4 from the field and 2-2 from behind the arc in the first half. He led the Falcons with 10 first half points. UWP went on a 8-2 run to take a 23-22 lead with 3:08 to go. UWP's Brett Stangel hit two free throws to give his team the lead. Stangel finished the first half with 10 points. With 2:30 to play Jake Voeltz (River Falls, River Falls HS) hit 1-2 free throws to tie the game, 23-23, for the seventh time in the first half. Voeltz then converted two layups to put UWRF ahead, 27-23. The first came with 2:02 to play the the second with 33 seconds to go. Stangel made it a two point game hitting a jumper with just one second to go. UWP's Nick Allen led the Pioneers with 11 first half points. Nick Allen and Stangel combined for 21 of UWP's 25 first half points. 

UWRF went on a 7-1 run to start the second half. Anderson hit another three to put the Falcons ahead, 34-26, with 16:58 to play. But UWP scored the next six points over a 1:15 span to make it a 34-32 game. Neither team could take control of the contest and with 9:35 to play the game was tied, 42-42, for the last time. There were four lead changes over the next six minutes. UWP took a 49-46 lead with 6:35 to go when Joe Allen hit a layup. After Voeltz hit 1-2 free throws, Chase Cross went 1-2 at the line to give UWP a 50-47 lead with 6:14 to go. 

Voetlz was fouled with 4:53 to go and hit hit both free throws to cut the UWP lead to 50-49. UWRF took the lead for good when Shane Manor (Altoona, UW-Superior) scored on a layup to give UWRF a 51-50 lead with 3:56 to go. Voeltz scored the team's next three points hitting 1-2 free throws with 3:43 to go and hitting a layup with 3:29 to play. That gave UWRF a 54-50 lead. 

But UWP's Joe Allen hit a three with 1:07 to play to cut the Falcon lead to 54-53. That's how the game stayed until, with five seconds to play, UWP was forced to foul putting Jontae Koonkaew (Apple Valley, MN, Apple Valley HS) at the line. The senior, a 76 percent season free throw shooter, calmly stepped to the line and made both free throws to put the Falcons ahead, 56-53. That set up Joe Allen's final shot that missed.

Manor led the Falcons with 18 points and six assists. He also had two blocks and two steals. Anderson finished with 13 points and finished 5-6 from the field and 3-3 from beyond the arc. Voeltz also had 13 points. He led the Falcons with six rebounds and he had two blocks and two steals. 

Both teams turned the ball over 19 times. The 19 turnovers by UWRF was the second time the Falcons had that many, a season high, this year. The 19 turnovers is the third most by the Pioneers this year.

UWP, now 10-6 overall and 3-4 in the WIAC, was led by Nick Allen who scored 14 points. Eric Wall finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. Stangel had 10 points, four assists and three steals.

The Falcons have now won 11 straight games and finish the first half of WIAC play with a perfect 8-0 record. UWRF is ranked No. 12 in the D3hoops.com poll.

UWRF. 15-2 overall, will next play on Saturday, Jan. 22 at UW-Stout. Action starts at 3 p.m.

Box Score