The No. 10 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team erased a deficit in the second half and continued to extend its lead in a 79-59 victory over Sul Ross State (Texas) in a non-conference affair at Concordia University in Austin, Texas.
 
Trailing 48-43 with 14:13 on the clock in the second half, the Warhawks (10-0) posted a 13-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Dalton Menke (Rockford, Ill./Winnebago), and never led by fewer than nine the rest of the way.
 
Menke tallied a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead UW-Whitewater. Senior guard Malik Clements (Fitchburg, Wis./Madison West) posted 15 points, seven rebounds and two steals, while senior guard David Sachs (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) registered 12 points and five assists.
 
Senior forward Derek Rongstad (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) recorded 11 points, five rebounds and two steals, and junior guard Tywon Bressler (Milwaukee, Wis./Dominican) chipped in with nine points and three rebounds.
 
The Warhawks overcame a 5-for-20 performance from 3-point range by out-rebounding Sul Ross State (4-7) by a 45-35 margin and holding the Lobos to 32.8 percent shooting for the contest, including a 25-9 percent clip in the second half.
 
UW-Whitewater doubled up Sul Ross State 44-22 in points in the paint and held a 36-22 in points off the bench.
 
The game was tied four times over the first five minutes before the Lobos ran off nine straight points to take a 20-11 advantage with 13:08 on the clock.
 
Sul Ross State led by more than one possession until the 4:53 mark, when Sachs hit a pair of free throws to bring the Warhawks within 24-21.
 
A 3-pointer by Menke with 2:23 remaining gave UW-Whitewater the lead, and it held a 3-point advantage at halftime thanks to a 3-pointer by Rongstad and a jumper by Sachs over the final 1:05 of the period.
 
The Lobos scored the first eight points of the second half, but the Warhawks quickly tied the affair on a 3-point play by Bressler and a jumper by Clements. Sul Ross State maintained its lead until UW-Whitewater started its run at the 13:57 mark.
 
The Warhawks conclude their trip to Austin Saturday at 7 p.m. against host Concordia Texas.