NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The UW-River Falls men's basketball team opened its 2026-27 season with an 81-75 win over Carleton College Sunday afternoon at West Gymnasium, led by a 21-point performance from
Reggie Postel and a perfect 5-for-5 showing from beyond the arc by newcomer
Arhan Bayramlar.
Postel paced the Falcons offensively, going 8-for-13 from the field while adding six assists and three steals. Bayramlar, a native of Turkey making his Falcon debut, finished with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including five three-pointers.
Owen Havlik added 13 points, and
Reid Tengblad added 10 points and three steals.
The Falcons came out firing, connecting on three early three-pointers from Bayramlar to build a 14-10 advantage less than five minutes into the game. UW-River Falls used an 8-0 run to extend its lead to 22-10 with 13:52 remaining in the opening half.
Carleton worked to cut into the deficit throughout the half, but the Falcons were able to maintain control throughout the remainder of the first. A three-pointer from
Drew Tengblad pushed the advantage to 44-32 late in the period before Bayramlar added a jumper in the final minute to help UW-River Falls take a 49-39 lead into halftime.
The Falcons shot 66.7 percent (18-for-27) from the field in the opening 20 minutes, and 62.5 percent (5-for-8) from three-point range.
Carleton responded in the second half, gradually erasing the Falcons' double-digit lead. The Knights opened the period with a 15-5 stretch to tie the contest at 54-54 with 13:27 remaining before briefly taking their first lead since the opening minutes.
Postel helped steady the Falcons, scoring eight consecutive UW-River Falls points midway through the second half to regain control. A three-pointer from
Reid Tengblad later extended the Falcons' advantage to 65-59 with 7:38 remaining.
The Knights eventually took a 73-71 lead with 1:40 left in regulation. Bayramlar responded for the Falcons, connecting on back-to-back three-pointers in the final 1:20 to put UW-River Falls back in front, 77-73, with 46 seconds remaining.
Postel sealed the victory at the free-throw line, converting four attempts in the final 33 seconds as the Falcons secured the six-point road win.
UW-River Falls finished the afternoon shooting 52.6 percent (30-for-57) from the field and 42.9 percent (9-for-21) from beyond the arc. The Falcons forced 18 Carleton turnovers, converting them into 26 points, while recording 12 steals.
The Falcons will remain on the road for their next matchup, traveling back to Northfield, Minn., on Friday, Nov. 13 to face St. Olaf College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
