MENOMONIE, Wis. – The UW-River Falls men's basketball team was unable to overcome a strong shooting performance by UW-Stout, falling 81-61 Wednesday night at Johnson Fieldhouse in Menomonie.
The Falcons trailed 37-29 at halftime before the Blue Devils used an efficient second half to pull away and secure the WIAC victory.
UW-River Falls stayed within striking distance early in the second half and briefly tied the game at 42-42 with just over 14 minutes remaining. Stout responded with a rally, stretching the lead into double figures and controlling the remainder of the contest.
Reggie Postel led the Falcons offensively, finishing with a career-high 21 points, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc.
Micah Thompson added 11 points and a team-best nine rebounds, while
Gavin Ralph chipped in seven points, three assists, and seven rebounds.
The Falcons shot 38.8% from the field and 38.1% from three-point range, but were limited at the free-throw line, converting only 15 of 25 attempts. Stout shot over 50% from the floor and scored 36 points in the paint, helping build separation in the second half.
With the loss, UW-River Falls moves to 5–8 overall and 0-2 in WIAC play. The Falcons will look to bounce back as conference action continues this weekend against UW-Whitewater, Saturday Jan 10. Tip-off at 5 p.m. in Don Page Arena.
