ST. PAUL, Minn. — The UW-River Falls men's basketball team opened its 2024-25 season with a loss at Macalester on Wednesday, Nov. 13, falling 74-70 in St. Paul, Minn.

The Falcons made a late push and trimmed a double-digit deficit to just four points with one minute remaining, but ultimately the Scots' effective shooting from beyond the arc tilted the game in favor of Macalester. 

Both teams struggled shooting to start the game, combining to go 1-11 from the field to open the game. UW-River Falls got on the board with a layup by Micah Thompson at the 16:49 mark, the first basket of the season for the Falcons. The Scots responded with four straight unanswered baskets, three of which were from long range, to jump out to a 13-2 lead at the 14:37 mark.

The Falcons bounced back into the game with a 13-2 run that tied the game at 15-15 with just under 11 minutes to go in the first half.

The Scots went 9-14 from three-point range in the first 20 minutes of action and built up a 43-27 lead at the halftime break. The rebounding split between UW-River Falls and Macalester in the first half was dead even at 18. Zac Johnson and Jack Leifker each scored six points in the first 20 minutes of play.

After both teams exchanged threes to open the second half, UWRF went on a 7-2 run that trimmed the deficit to 48-37 with 15:47 on the clock as Johnson hit a deep three to prompt a Macalester timeout.

After both teams exchanged runs, the Scots jumped back ahead 61-44 with 7:12 remaining after hitting back-to-back three-pointers.

UWRF clawed back into the game with consecutive threes by Jeremy Wanguhu and Gavin Ralph, as well as a layup from Jacob Butler that cut Macalester's lead to single digits — the Falcons trailed 61-52 with 4:47 remaining in the game. 

UW-River Falls trimmed the lead to 67-60 with 2:01 remaining, as Regan Merritt stole the ball and finished on the fastbreak. Merritt later converted a three-pointer with 1:01 remaining that moved the score to 71-66. UWRF came within four points and held possession, but Macalester ultimately held on to win 74-70.

Leifker finished with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Johnson recorded 12 points and six rebounds. Jacob Butler led the Falcons with eight boards. Merritt and Wanguhu each finished with 10 points. Kaden Holdbrook and Eric Wentz led the way for Macalester, as each player scored over 20 points.

As a team, UWRF held a 40-39 advantage in rebounding and a 36-24 lead in points in the paint. The Falcons shot 26-61 (42.6%) from the field. Macalester finished 13-26 (50%) from three-point range.

Up next, UWRF is set to host its home opener for the 2024-25 season, facing Crown College at Page Arena on Nov. 16. The game is set to tip off at 7 p.m., and tickets can be purchased here.