Related Links:Box Score Eau Claire, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team was unable to get enough defensive stops in the second half Saturday night in a 59-53 setback against UW-Eau Claire in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest and the regular season finale for both teams.
The Warhawks (16-9 overall, 7-7 WIAC) are currently in sixth place in the conference standings, but that could change depending on the outcome of the UW-Stevens Point/UW-La Crosse game tonight. With a loss by the Pointers, the Warhawks would move into fifth place and claim the No. 5 seed in next week's conference tournament.
UW-Eau Claire (16-9 overall, 9-5 WIAC) shot 54.55 percent from the floor and 7-of-12 from the 3-point line in the second half to hold off UW-Whitewater, which held a 35-27 rebounding advantage, including a 9-2 edge on the offensive glass.
The Warhawks had three players score in double digits. Senior forward
Trinson White (Milwaukee, Wis./Riverside) led the way with 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Senior guard
Haki Stampley (Milwaukee, Wis./Hamilton) tallied 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the floor, including three 3-pointers. Freshman guard
Maurquis Turner (Milwaukee, Wis./King) finished with 12 points, all coming from behind the 3-point arc.
The Blugolds started the game on a 5-0 run, until guard
Nate Hensel (Wilmot, Wis./Wilmot Union) got the Warhawks on the board with a made lay-up with 17:50 left in the first half. UW-Eau Claire then countered with a 9-2 run stretching nearly four minutes of play until Turner hit his first three of the night to get within seven points.
The Warhawks closed out the half by going on a 16-4 run stretching the last nine minutes of play to head into halftime up 26-24.
UW-Whitewater kept the lead for the first four minutes of the second half until the Blugolds tied the game with just over 16 minutes to play. There were six lead changes and three ties in the contest. In a five minute stretch the Warhawks and Blugolds went back and forth until another tie came at the 10:59 mark. Two made 3-pointers by UW-Eau Claire opened their lead to six, until a made lay-up by White got them back to within four.
At the 1:25 mark of the second half two made free-throws by White got the Warhawks back to within a point of the lead. The Blugolds went on a 5-0 run to close out the half and seal the victory.
UW-Whitewater will find out where it isheaded for their first game of the WIAC Tournament tonight after the other games have concluded. The first round of the tournament starts Wednesday at 7 p.m.
