SUPERIOR, Wis. - The UW-River Falls men's basketball fell by a score of 87-65 against Saint John's University Friday evening during the 2021-22 season opener at the Merrill Thompson Classic, hosted by UW-Superior.

The Falcons shot 22-for-54 from the field and were strong from beyond the arc, converting 12-of-23 attempts. SJU, who received votes in the D3hoops.com preseason poll, shot 59.6 percent from the field.

The Johnnies outmatched the Falcons down low, outscoring UWRF 38-16 in the paint and out-rebounding the Falcons 40-21.

Consecutive SJU three-pointers gave the Johnnies an early 11-3 lead just over two minutes into the contest, and they led throughout. 

UWRF shot 37.9 percent from the floor in the first half and trailed 42-30 at halftime.

The Falcons' shooting improved in the second half, including a mark of 9-for-13 from three-point range. Early in the second half, a three-pointer by Terence Anthony-Larmouth during his first game as a Falcon trimmed the SJU back to single digits at 44-36.

The Johnnies responded after a timeout and led for the remainder of the night.

Noah Hanson led the Falcons with 15 points, sinking four three-pointers with a team-high six rebounds. Anthony-Larmouth followed with 11 points (3-3 3PT FG) while Bryce Phillips recorded a game-high seven assists.

UWRF plays Finlandia University tomorrow at 1 p.m., concluding competition at the UW-Superior Classic.