RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-River Falls men's basketball team fell 80-72 Wednesday evening versus No. 7-ranked UW-La Crosse Wednesday evening at Page Arena.
UWRF falls to 11-9 overall and 4-7 during WIAC competition with the loss. The Falcons tied a season-high with 19 free throws made and four starters scored in double figures, including double-doubles from
Rodrick Payne and
Noah Hanson.
The Falcons opened the game on an 8-2 run three minutes in, capped off by a three-point basket and free throw from
Marshall Holland. UWL answered on a 9-2 run to gain an 11-10 edge and led for the remainder of the night, leading by as many as 16 to take a 42-26 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Falcons improved their shooting output by over 20 percent, and opened half on a 21-11 run to trim the UWL lead to 53-49 after a Hanson layup with 10:35 left in regulation. The Eagles quickly turned away any UWRF comeback hopes, responding with a 17-1 run during following six minutes and led by as many as 16.
UWRF came within five of UWL a couple times down the stretch with free throws from
Regan Merritt and Hanson, but it was the closest the Falcons came within the scoring margin.
The Falcons held a 38-37 lead in rebounds and led 32-28 in the paint. Payne led the team with 15 points while Hanson had 11 rebounds and four assists.
UW-River Falls welcomes No. 5-ranked UW-Platteville this Saturday at Page Arena during Alumni & senior Night.
