The top-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team used a strong defensive performance Friday afternoon to pick up a 67-46 victory over Bluffton (Ohio) on the first day of the Chicago Marriott Naperville Tip-Off Tournament at North Central College.
The Warhawks (2-1 overall), currently slotted No. 1 in the nation by d3hoops.com, used a strong start in the first half and a late push in the second to hand the Beavers their first loss of the season.
UW-Whitewater held Bluffton (1-1) to just 38.5 percent shooting – nearly 12 percentage points lower than Hope during the Warhawks' 82-80 win Tuesday – and forced 16 turnovers, which it turned into 24 points on the other end.
"We were much better defensively," UW-Whitewater coach
Pat Miller said. "I was really pleased with how we did on their perimeter guys, and that took away some of their scoring punch."
Offensively, the Warhawks shot 42 percent but hit 8-of-13 from 3-point range and 17-of-26 at the free throw line. The Beavers made 2-of-12 from 3-point range and attempted just six free throws.
Senior guard
Quardell Young (Kenosha, Wis./Bradford) tallied team highs of 16 points, six assists and three steals to lead UW-Whitewater. Sophomore guard
Drew Bryson (Elkhorn, Wis./Elkhorn) was the only other Warhawk in double figures with 11 points.
Senior forward
Steve Egan (Omro, Wis./Omro) registered nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while junior forward
Ron Patten (Milwaukee, Wis./Whitefish Bay) added nine points and six rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.
Senior guards
Cody Odegaard (Poynette, Wis./Poynette) and
KJ Evans (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) posted eight points apiece, with Evans grabbing a team-best eight rebounds.
In the first half, UW-Whitewater scored the first six points of the contest, including four by Egan, and posted an 8-0 run midway through the half, holding a 22-12 lead with 7:45 on the clock.
The Warhawks took a 14-point lead – their largest of the half – on a lay-up by Bryson with one second to play in the period.
Bluffton stayed within reach in the second half, closing to as few as seven points with just under five minutes to play.
"I give Bluffton a lot of credit," Miller said. "They battled, they were physical and they hit some shots and did enough to stay close. Defensively, I was really pleased with how we did on their perimeter guys, and that took away some of their scoring punch."
From there, UW-Whitewater finished the contest on a 16-2 run, featuring seven points from Patten.
"The last four or five minutes of the game, our offensive execution was better," Miller said. "We got deeper into our sequences."
The Warhawks conclude tournament play tomorrow against NAIA opponent Trinity International (Ill.). Tip-off in Naperville is slated for 2:30 p.m.
"It's going to be a much different game," Miller said. "They try to play really fast and shoot a lot of threes. We have to focus in transition defensively and find their shooters. It's an opportunity for us to get better and get some guys some reps and continue to develop as a team."
