DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The UW-River Falls men's basketball team opened tournament play at the Daytona Beach Shootout with a 75-62 victory over SUNY Maritime on Friday afternoon at the Ocean Center.

UWRF jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, building a 42-25 halftime lead behind efficient shooting and defensive pressure. The Falcons extended the margin to as many as 27 points in the second half before walking away with a 13-point win.

Micah Thompson led all Falcons with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, adding nine rebounds to lead the Falcons under the basket. Jack Leifker followed with 13 points, with Gavin Ralph chipping in 10 points, while Jeremy Wanguhu led the squad with six assists. 

The Falcons bench added additional offensive power, led by Brody Variano, who knocked down three triples and finished with nine points, while Drew Tengblad added eight points. UWRF finished the game shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three-point range (10-of-26) and converting 15-of-20 from the free-throw line.

Defensively, UWRF held Maritime to 32.7 percent shooting and just 4-of-22 from beyond the arc. The Falcons turned 16 Maritime turnovers into key scoring opportunities throughout the match.

The Falcons will continue play at the Daytona Beach Shootout on Saturday, Dec. 20, facing Grove City College tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET.