EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The UW-River Falls men's basketball team was victorious over UW-Eau Claire, 67-65, in Eau Claire, Wis. on Saturday, January 11.

The game was tightly contested, as all but one possession of the game included a single-digit lead — in total, the game saw nine lead changes. The win improved UWRF's record to 7-7 overall and 1-2 in WIAC competition.

In the first half, neither team held a lead larger than four points, as the Blugolds and Falcons played out a 31-30 first 20 minutes. UWRF gained a one-point advantage at the break, as Zac Johnson scored 13 of his points in the first half. 

The second half saw both teams continue to play a closely-contested game, as UWRF held a slim 43-41 lead with 12:30 to go. The Falcons followed up with a 12-4 run that gave UWRF the only double-digit lead of the game. A 10-4 run by the Blugolds in response tightened the game, which ultimately came down to the last possessions. 

A three-pointer by Johnson put UWRF up 66-57, before UW-Eau Claire rattled off a 7-0 run to trim the Falcons' lead to 66-65 with nine seconds remaining. A free-throw by Regan Merritt followed by a defensive stand on a three-point attempt at the buzzer led UWRF to a 67-65 victory.

The Falcons finished 24-57 (42.1%) from the field and held a 38-25 advantage in team rebounding. UWRF scored 30 points in the paint.

Jack Leifker led the way with a season-high 23 points, while Johnson finished with 20 points. Leifker, Micah Thompson, and Gavin Ralph each tallied a team-high seven rebounds. Leifker added three blocks, which is tied for a career best.

Next up, UWRF will host back-to-back home games at Page Arena next week. The Falcons will face Stevens Point on Jan. 15 and Platteville on Jan. 18.