Box Score
Sometimes, one win in three games is more than enough.
The No. 2 seeded Falcon men's basketball team topped No. 1 seed UW-Whitewater, 64-58, at Kachel Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon.
The Falcons used a strong second half, overcoming an eight point halftime deficit to claim the win. The victory gives UWRF its first ever WIAC Tournament Championship, and ensures the Falcons a second consecutive berth in the Div. III National Championship Tournament.
"It was a total team effort today," said a happy Falcon Coach
Jeff Berkhof after the game. "We had different players step up for us throughout the game."
Wade Guerin led the effort for the Falcons (20-7). The senior center scored 18 points and secured nine rebounds, while connected on 7 of 11 field goal attempts.
Brian Kimble had a strong effort as well, posting 13 points, including three three-pointers, he also tallied three steals.
Taylor Peterson provided a spark off the bench, with nine points and hitting two three pointers. The Falcons leading scorer in the regular season,
Shane Manor, scored eight points (including six in the final 1:38), and added three assists and two thefts. Manor also connected on 4-4 free throws, correcting one of the major flaws that cost UWRF the regular season WIAC title during a 55-53 loss to Whitewater (23-4, #8 D3Hoops.com Poll) last weekend.
The Falcons hit only 8-17 (47.1%) of their free throw attempts in that game. Today, they hit 15-23 (65.2%), while Whitewater made 11-17 (64.7%). The Falcons also limited Whitewater to just 7-22 (31.8%) from three-point range, while knocking down 7-15 (46.7%) of their shots from behind the arc.
The most telling stat in the game was the Falcons torrid shooting in the second half.
The Falcons shot only 33 percent (7-21) in the first half, though that did include four three-point baskets to keep the game within reach. In the second half, it was a total reverse of the first half, as they connected on 14-21 field goals.
In the first half, they turned the ball over 14 times, but they cut that in half in the second. While Whitewater used a strong shooting performance (13-28, 46.4%) to surge to a 34-26 halftime lead, the Warhawks suffered a similar reversal of fortune, or in their case, misfortune, in the second half. UWW connected on only 7-19 field goal attempts in the second half, in addition to committing 10 turnovers, after only five in the first half.
The Falcons used a quick 13-4 run at the opening of the second half to seize the lead, 39-38, after a Kimble three-pointer at the 16:48 mark, and the Falcons kept their foot on the accelerator, running the lead up to as many as 10, 55-45 by the 7:10 mark.
However, the Falcons suffered a reversion to the first half for the next 5:32, as they failed to score a single point, and all seven of their second half turnovers came within that stretch.
The Warhawks used the drought to pull within one, 55-54, before Manor pulled the Falcons out of their stupor, nailing jumpers on two consecutive possessions to keep the Warhawks from reclaiming the lead.
After Quardell Young missed a pair of free throws on the Warhawks next trip down court, WIAC Player of the Year (and River Falls nemesis last week) Chris Davis fouled out after a charge. The critical turnover, with the shot clock off, forced UWW to foul, and the Falcons made them pay, hitting five of the six critical freebies to salt the game away.
"We did a much better job in the second half of doing what we do well," said Berkhof. "The guys really showed some toughness down the stretch."
The entire NCAA field, including match ups and where games will be played will be announced on Monday. But the Falcons have no worries right now knowing they will get to play again this coming weekend.
Box Score
