The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team, ranked thirteenth by D3hoops.com, upped its record to 3-0 with a 96-66 win at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Tuesday night.  

box score

Wisconsin Lutheran led 7-6 on a layup by Alex Merbach at 16:52, but it was the last lead for the Warriors.  Whitewater held at 29-20 lead with 7:58 left in the half, then went on a 13-2 run for a twenty point margin, 42-22 with 4:16 left.  UW-W led 50-29 at the half.

The last time Whitewater had less than a twenty point lead was 58-40 at 15:49.  From there it ballooned to thirty-one, 84-53 at 7:41 as UW-W coach Pat Miller was able to get sixteen players into the game.

The shooting percentages told the tale.  Whitewater shot 59% from the floor and made 17-18 (95%) free throws.  Freshman guard Nolan Free (Sheboygan/North), senior forward Mike Bendall (Oconomowoc/Oconomowoc), and sophomore forward Alex Edmunds (Cedarburg/Cedarburg) were all 4-4 from the line; senior center Dustin Mitchell (Lac Du Flambeau/Lakeland) was 9-11 from the floor where Edmunds also went 4-5.  

Mitchell led UW-W with 20 points, followed by Bendall's 14, and 12 each from Free and Edmunds.  Mitchell was also the leading rebounder in the game with eight.  Junior guard Phil Negri (Minocgua/Lakeland) missed getting his name in the Warhawk record book, where the top twenty single game assist marks end at 11.  Negri dishes out ten in the game, with just two turnovers. 

WLC shot 37%, making just 4-22 from beyond the arc.  The Warriors were steady at the line, making 18-24 (75%).

Senior guard Kyle Madison topped WLC with 17 points and five rebounds.  Forwards Sam Siemers and Alex Merbach added 13 points apiece.  The trio had to carry the load however, as two other Warriors each went 1-8 from the field, and the duo combined for 0-9 from the line.

The 96 points is the most productive output since a 99-71 road victory at UW-Stout January 17, 2009. 

UW-W will host the Commercial Bank Thanksgiving Classic Friday-Saturday, November 27-28 in Kachel Gym of Williams Center.  Aurora University will play Grinnell College Friday at 5:00, followed by UW-W versus Loras College at 7:00.  Saturday Loras will face Aurora at 3:00, and Whitewater will take on Grinnell at 5:00.  Call 262-472-2222 for ticket information.  Tickets are sold at the door on game day.