RIVER FALLS, Wis. (uwrfsports.com) - UW-River Falls had a 21-point first half lead cut down to one point in the final minutes of the game against UW-Stout on Wednesday night. Jack Stensgard knocked down a big three-pointer with 1:20 left to go up by four points, and both teams were held scoreless in the final minute of the game. Luke Geiger, who had a game-high 20 points for the Blue Devils, missed a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the game as the Falcons picked up their first WIAC win of the season.

The Falcons started off on a 17-3 run to begin the game by knocking down three three-pointers. The stretched their lead to 31-10 after a layup from Alex Ohde, but the Falcons only made one field goal in the final eight minutes of the first half. Geiger made a three-pointer in the final seconds of the first half to make it a 34-27 halftime lead for the Falcons. Ohde led the team with nine points at halftime, and the Blue Devils only shot 24 percent in the first half. 

A free throw from Austin Heidecker pushed the Falcons' lead to 46-35 with 14 minutes remaining, but the lead was back to six with only 10 minutes left. Julian Jackson responded by throwing down a posterizing dunk to get Page Arena on their feet and made a basket on the following possession to push the lead back to 10 points, Jackson sat almost the entire first half due to foul trouble, and four forwards for UWRF finished with at least three fouls. The Falcons couldn't extend the lead past 10 in the following minutes, and the Blue Devils chipped away at the lead until it was 66-61 with 2:33 remaining. Jalen Greenlee turned the ball over on the ensuing play and picked up a flagrant foul as D'Marcco Patrick made the layup. Patrick made both free throws and the Blue Devils also got the ball, suddenly down only one point. However, the Falcons held the lead the rest of the way and held on for a wire-to-wire victory by two points.

Stensgard was one of four Falcons to finish in double figures with a team-high 13 points on 3-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Heidecker finished with his 10th double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Greenlee was 4-6 from the field for 12 points in his first game as a starter.  After a dismal first half of shooting only 2-7 from the free throw line, the Falcons were 13-17 in the second half. UW-Stout kept the game close by outscoring UWRF 22-10 in points off of turnovers.

UWRF is now 8-8 and end a four-game losing streak with the win over the Blue Devils. They will next host UW-Whitewater at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Page Arena.