RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-River Falls men's basketball team saw a first-half lead slip away Saturday evening in Don Page Arena, falling 62-53 to the UW-Oshkosh Titans after Oshkosh rallied in the final minutes to take the lead and the victory. 

River Falls controlled the opening half, shooting 42 percent and with steady defensive play limited the Titans to just 2-of-13 from beyond the arc. Carrying a 30-24 advantage into the break, the Falcons limited UW-Oshkosh to only nine made field goals in the opening half. 

The second half turned into a grind, as Oshkosh tightened defensively, continuing their full-court presence and leaned on trips to the free-throw line to chip away at the lead. The Titans outscored the Falcons 38-23 after halftime, converting 21-of-29 from the stripe in the period to take control late. River Falls struggled to find rhythm offensively in the second half, shooting just 23.1 percent from the field as Oshkosh erased the deficit and pushed ahead down the stretch.

Owen Havlik and Reid Tengblad led the Falcons with 11 points apiece, while Drew Tengblad added nine points off the bench. Gavin Ralph contributed eight points and seven rebounds, and Micah Thompson pulled down a team-high eight boards in the effort.

River Falls finished the night with 36 rebounds and 13 assists but was unable to overcome the second-half swing and free-throw disparity in the final minutes of competition. 

UWRF will open next week taking on the UW-Stevens Point Pointers on Wednesday, Feb. 11, inside Don Page Arena. Tip-off slated for 7 p.m.