UW-Whitewater, ranked fifth in the national Division III poll, defeated UW-Stout 66-54 Saturday afternoon at Kachel Gym in Williams Center in Whitewater, Wisconsin. 

box score

photo gallery (courtesy Kristine Johnson)

The Warhawks earned the victory at the free throw line.  UW-W made more free throws (17-24) than Stout attempted (7-11).  UW-W used that advantage to offset a 39-29 rebound deficit.

UW-W and Stout were tied at 16-16 with 11:00 left in the first half, Stout never took the lead in the game.  Whitewater took a 30-25 lead into intermission.

Whitewater started the second half with an 8-2 run to bump the margin into double digits, 38-27 at 17:10.  From that point on, the Warhawks' lead varied from seven to fourteen points. 

UW-W senior forward Kori Vernon (Madison/Memorial) led both teams with 16 points and four assists. Vernon hit 6-8 shots from the field and 4-4 from the line. Also scoring in double figures for the Warhawks were guard Myles McKay (Menomonee Falls/Menomonee Falls) with 14, Dustin Mitchell (Lac Du Flambeau/Lakeland) 12, and Matt Goodwin (Milwaukee/King)10.   Goodwin also topped the Warhawks with six rebounds.

Sophomore guard Eric Hostetter led UW-S with 13 points, but he went 1-8 from beyond the arc.  Sophomore forward Mahlon Thomas contributed 12 points, hitting 5-5 from the floor and 2-2 from the charity stripe.  Thomas had a game high eight rebounds.  Junior guard Jerrel Enerson-Matthews and freshman forward Drew Kramer added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Saturday's game was a far cry from the first meeting, which UW-W won 99-71 in Menomonie January 17.

UW-W is 18-3 overall, including a 10-2 mark in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  Stout is 7-14, and 1-11 in the WIAC.

UW-W will host UW-Platteville Wednesday, February 11 at 7:00 in Kachel Gym in a game that will have WIAC title, and NCAA III postseason, implications.

For additional information:  Pat Miller, UW-W coach