The No. 21 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team fought valiantly to overcome a double-digit deficit throughout the second half, but was unable to decrease the margin in a 90-74 loss against seventh-ranked UW-River Falls in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest at Kachel Gymnasium.
 
The Warhawks (11-3 overall, 0-3 WIAC) were held to 39.1 percent shooting from the floor and 30.8 percent on 3-pointers, while the Falcons shot 56.1 percent on the other end and hit 20-of-27 free throws.
 
UW-Whitewater fell behind by eight at halftime and was unable to draw closer than 10 points after the 17:03 mark of the second half.
 
Each time the Warhawks had momentum, UW-River Falls (13-1, 3-0) hit a big shot on the other end to stifle UW-Whitewater's comeback attempt.
 
Sophomore guard/forward Derek Rongstad (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) led the Warhawks with 15 points, while junior guard Chris Jones (Milwaukee, Wis./Bradley Tech) tallied 12 points and five assists off the bench.
 
Junior forward Scotty Tyler (Grafton, Wis./Grafton) added 10 points and a team-high six rebounds, and senior forward Cole Van Schyndel (Kaukauna, Wis./Wrightstown) registered nine points, all in the second half.
 
The Falcons held a 16-9 lead six and a half minutes into the contest, but the Warhawks closed to within 16-15 on a 3-point play by junior forward Demetrius Woodley (Milwaukee, Wis./Vincent) and a 3-pointer by Rongstad.
 
UW-Whitewater took its first lead of the game on a layup by Jones with 4:43 on the clock, but an 11-1 run over the final two minutes, 44 seconds of the half gave UW-River Falls a 39-31 advantage heading into the locker room.
 
The Warhawks cut their deficit to six after layups by Woodley and freshman guard Zach Knobloch (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) with 17:45 remaining, but a 13-1 run by the Falcons made it an 18-point spread with 14:30 on the clock.
 
UW-Whitewater clawed to within 10 at the 2:42 mark, but was unable to score on its next two possessions.
 
The Warhawks host UW-Platteville this Saturday at 7 p.m. on Kids Day at Kachel Gymnasium. All children currently in eighth grade or younger will receive free admission as well as opportunities to win great prizes throughout the game.