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UW-Whitewater Men's Basketball Alumni Reunion – Saturday, Feb. 14
 
STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The No. 1 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team competed valiantly in a tough road environment Wednesday, but was defeated 72-69 by 12th-ranked UW-Stevens Point in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown at Quandt Fieldhouse.
 
With the loss, the Warhawks (19-3 overall, 12-1 WIAC) fall to one-half game out of first place in the conference standings. UW-Whitewater has three regular season games remaining, while the Pointers have just two left on the schedule.
 
The Warhawks, who entered Wednesday's contest with 13 straight wins, had two chances to tie the game with consecutive 3-point attempts in the final seconds after UW-Stevens Point (19-4, 13-1) missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity.
 
Senior guard Quardell Young (Kenosha, Wis./Bradford), who finished with 11 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals, had the final shot, which rattled in and out just before the buzzer sounded.
 
The Pointers shot 68.2 percent in the second half and 58.5 percent for the game, while the Warhawks made 40.7 percent from the field for the contest and grabbed 15 offensive rebounds for nine second-chance points.
 
Senior forward Steve Egan (Omro, Wis./Omro) led UW-Whitewater with 16 points to go along with seven rebounds and three blocks. Senior guard Cody Odegaard (Poynette, Wis./Poynette) tallied 11 points, all in the second half, and senior guard Rahjan Muhammad (Bolingbrook, Ill./Neuqua Valley) contributed a season-high 13 points, including 11 in the first half.
 
In the first half, the Warhawks led 14-8 after a lay-up by Egan with 13:37 to play. After five straight points by the Pointers, Young went to the bench after picking up his second foul with 10:17 on the clock.
 
UW-Stevens Point continued its run, eventually pushing the streak to 11-0 and taking a 19-14 advantage with 8:50 remaining in the half.
 
After the Pointers made it 23-16 with 4:49 left, UW-Whitewater responded with its own 11-0 run, highlighted by three 3-pointers from Muhammad, to take a 27-23 lead at the 1:55 mark.
 
Muhammad drove for another lay-up between scores by UW-Stevens Point, and the Warhawks led 29-27 entering the locker room.
 
In the second half, UW-Whitewater ran its lead to as many as four, but after a pair of free throws by junior guard Xzavier Moananu (Kansas City, Mo./Raytown South), the Pointers posted a 10-1 run to take a 44-39 advantage at the 12:51 mark.
 
The Warhawks retaliated with a 9-0 run, highlighted by a steal and lay-up by Young and capped by a 3-pointer from Odegaard with 10:05 on the clock.
 
UW-Stevens Point broke a 54-54 tie with a 3-pointer at the 4:16 mark and did not relinquish the lead, knocking down a back-breaking 3-pointer with 50 seconds left to take a four-point lead.
 
The Pointers hit four free throws on their next two possessions, but UW-Whitewater stayed in the game thanks to a 3-pointer by Young and two free throws by Muhammad.
 
The Warhawks were slotted No. 1 in the Central Region in the NCAA's first release of its regional rankings earlier Wednesday. UW-Stevens Point was ranked third.
 
UW-Whitewater resumes action and returns home Saturday against UW-River Falls. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Alumni Day and Special Olympics Day at Kachel Gymnasium.