LINCOLN, Neb. – The UW-River Falls men's basketball team opened competition at the Nebraska Wesleyan University Snyder Classic Friday afternoon with an 82-80 win in overtime over East Texas Baptist University.
 
For the third time this season and second in as many games, the Falcons played past regulation. Junior guard Jake Reeck hit a clutch three-pointer with 21 seconds left in overtime to put UWRF up 82-79, the game-winning basket.
 
The Falcons were strong in the first half, shooting over 50 percent from the floor and 60 percent from beyond the arc.
 
Just past the midway point of the first half, a Rodrick Payne layup extended the Falcons' lead into double-digits. UWRF led by as many as 21 in the first half, as a pair of Bryce Phillips free throws put the Falcons up 38-17 with under a minute left in the first half.
 
It stood as the Falcons' largest lead of the night before the Tigers stormed back into the game in the second half.
 
ETBU improved its shooting numbers by nearly 20 percent in the second half, and put UWRF in foul trouble, converting 20 free throws while outscoring the Falcons 50-34 in the final 20 minutes of regulation.
 
UWRF led by four with just over a minute left in the second half, but the Tigers recorded a pair of free throws and a good jumper with under a minute left to force overtime, tied 72-72.
 
The Tigers took the first lead in the overtime period before triples from Noah Hanson and Reeck, helping secure the Falcons' third overtime win of the season.
 
Hanson led the Falcons with 25 points, shooting 8-of-13 from the field and 4-of-7 from long-range. Payne followed with a season-high 17 points while Marshall Holland led with a team-high nine rebounds. Dylan Parker logged a team-high five assists.
 
UW-River Falls, now 4-2 overall, concludes play at the NWU Snyder Classic tomorrow afternoon versus Howard Payne University.