LA CROSSE, Wis. – The UW-River Falls Falcons men's basketball opened WIAC play Saturday evening on the road, falling 72-84 to the UW-La Crosse Eagles at the La Crosse Center.

The Eagles jumped out to an early advantage behind hot shooting in the first half, building a 48-33 lead heading into the break. UW-River Falls stayed within striking distance thanks to strong interior scoring and second-chance opportunities, but La Crosse's efficiency from the field proved difficult to overcome.

The Falcons responded with a stronger second half, scoring 39 points and cutting into the deficit on multiple occasions. Micah Thompson led the charge inside, while Gavin Ralph and Jack Leifker provided consistent scoring support. Despite the push, the Eagles were able to answer each run and closed the game at the free-throw line to secure the 12-point win.

Thompson recorded another double-double for the Falcons, 15 points and a team-high 15 rebounds, while Ralph added 14 points. Leifker chipped in 12 points, and Owen Havlik finished with 11 points and seven assists. UW-River Falls finished with a 47-30 rebounding advantage but was limited to 22.2 percent shooting from three-point range.

With the loss, the Falcons move to 5-7 overall and 0-1 in WIAC play.

The Falcons will look to turn momentum around as they take on UW-Stout this upcoming week. Tip-off on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.