The No. 5 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team converted from the free-throw line and behind the 3-point line Saturday night to remain undefeated on the season with a 69-60 triumph at Redlands (Calif.) to close out the two-day Lee Fulmer Memorial Classic.
 
The Warhawks (6-0 overall) were held to 31.1 percent field goal shooting, but hit 11 three-pointers and 20-of-22 (90.9 percent) from the free-throw line. The team also held the Bulldogs to 36.5 percent from the floor.
 
Junior guard David Sachs (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) posted a season-high 28 points, including 13-of-13 from the free-throw line, to go along with five rebounds and six assists.
 
Junior guard Dalton Menke (Rockford, Ill./Winnebago) hit five 3-pointers en route to a season-best 15 points and eight rebounds. Junior forward Derek Rongstad (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) tallied a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

Following the conclusion of the weekend, Sachs and Menke were named to the All-Tournament Team.
 
Redlands (1-4) scored the first four points of the contest and held a 6-5 advantage before UW-Whitewater rallied for a 10-0 run, highlighted by 3-pointers from Rongstad and Menke, to take a 16-6 lead with 12:33 on the clock.
 
The Warhawks matched their largest lead of the first half at 36-25 with 1:35 remaining on a 3-pointer by Menke.
 
A 7-0 run that started five minutes into the second half gave UW-Whitewater its largest lead of the contest at 52-36 with 10:51 to play.
 
The Warhawks maintained their double-digit lead until the 2:24 mark, when the Bulldogs closed to within eight and scored again 30 seconds later to draw within two possessions.
 
Sachs and junior guard Maurquis Turner (Milwaukee, Wis./King) combined to hit eight free throws over the final 1:23 of regulation to help UW-Whitewater pick up its 23rd consecutive non-conference, regular season win.
 
The Warhawks hit the road again next Friday and Saturday for the St. Andrews Products Classic at Trine University in Angola, Ind. The team faces Adrian (Mich.) to open the two-day tournament on Friday at 4 p.m. Central Time.

Postgame Quotes

Head Coach Pat Miller

"We struggled offensively, but the effort and intensity we played with defensively allowed us to win the game. We defended well enough to overcome a bad shooting night and shot well from the free-throw line."

"Dalton Menke (Rockford, Ill./Winnebago) was very good both offensively and defensively. He did a great job on the glass and didn't have any turnovers. David Sachs (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) did a great job running the offense and handled the ball well. It was a physical game. he did a great job at the free-throw line. Those two were very solid. Derek Rongstad (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) was also very good."


Junior guard David Sachs (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park)

On the team's performance over the weekend:

"The first game we came out in the first half and didn't play how we wanted to play. We had lots of intensity of the second half. We were able to limit our minutes, which was a big help. In the second game, we came out with a lot of energy. Redlands had a good crowd. We were able to silence the crowd and get into our zone. Overall, it was a very fun and successful trip for us."

On the team playing on the road until Jan. 6:

"Obviously it's great team bonding to be able to go on the road and spend time with each other, going to places like California and Indiana together. It's only going to help us on the court, being together for long, extended periods of time. We like playing at away venues. We'll need that experience down the road as we play in hostile environments."