The No. 14 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team held a substantial lead late in the first half Saturday night but was unable to sustain the momentum in the second half during a 75-60 setback at UW-La Crosse in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown.
 
The Warhawks (12-3 overall, 1-3 WIAC) held a 30-21 advantage with one minute left to play in the first half, but were outscored by the Eagles 26-8over the next six-plus minutes of game action.
 
UW-Whitewater drew within 47-39 with 12:36 left in the game, but UW-La Crosse (11-4, 4-0) took a 10-point lead on the next possession and didn't look back.
 
The Warhawks got as close as nine following a free throw by junior guard Tywon Bressler (Milwaukee, Wis./Dominican) with 4:09 to play, but the Eagles scored on each of their next five offensive possessions to preserve their lead.
 
Senior guard Andre Brown (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail) led UW-Whitewater with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting to go along with five rebounds and two assists. Senior forward Melvin Brown Jr. (Milwaukee, Wis./Vincent) tallied 13 points and three rebounds, and Bressler finished with eight points and two assists.
 
Senior guard Malik Clements (Madison, Wis./Madison West) added seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
UW-La Crosse held advantages on second-chance points (10-2) and points off turnovers (13-6), and committed only six turnovers in the contest.
 
The Eagles led 13-6 through the first seven minutes of action, but the Warhawks scored the next eight points to grab a 15-13 advantage following a pair of free throws by Brown with 7:30 on the clock.
 
The two teams traded baskets until UW-Whitewater gained separation thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers by senior guard Dalton Menke (Rockford, Ill./Winnebago) and Clements followed by a 3-point play by Brown at the 1:01 mark. The nine-point lead was the Warhawks' largest of the game.
 
The Warhawks return home to Kachel Gymnasium Wednesday to face No. 5 UW-Oshkosh. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.