The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team saw double-digit leads in each half shrink to single digits Saturday, but was able to hold off comeback attempts by the Milwaukee School of Engineering in a 71-63 victory in a non-conference contest at Kachel Gymnasium.
 
The Warhawks (3-2 overall) shot 50.9 percent (27-of-53) from the floor and held the Raiders to 39.7 percent for the game. UW-W outscored MSOE 34-22 on points in the paint.
 
Derek Gray (Madison, Wis./La Follette) totaled a team-high 19 points for UW-Whitewater on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, and added three rebounds and two blocks. Gage Malensek (Brookfield, Wis./Central) also finished in double figures with 10 points to go with four rebounds, eight assists and two steals.
 
Caleb Flaten-Moore (Ixonia, Wis./Oconomowoc) led the frontcourt with nine points to go with four rebounds, while Breontae Hunt (Milwaukee, Wis./Bay View) collected eight points and seven rebounds. Jack Brahm (Bayside, Wis./Glendale Nicolet) finished with seven points and five rebounds, and Jameer Barker (Racine, Wis./St. Catherine's) posted seven points and six rebounds off the bench.
 
The Warhawks held leads of 12-2, 19-4 and 25-9 over the first 10 minutes of action. Their lead grew to as many as 17 points before the Raiders (5-2) rallied by scoring eight of the final 10 points in the first half to draw within 38-31 at halftime.
 
MSOE drew to within four at the 16:12 mark of the second half, but a 3-pointer by Gray and a layup in transition by Malensek brought the lead back to nine just over 40 seconds later.
 
The Raiders made it a five-point game at the midway point of the period, but Gray hit three 3-pointers over a two-minute span, and Hunt converted a 3-point play to make it 65-50 with 7:06 remaining.
 
Gray stopped a 9-0 MSOE run with another 3-pointer, this one with 2:25 to play, to give UW-W a nine-point lead. The Raiders drew to within two possessions with 17 seconds to play, but Gray made it a three-possession game again with a pair of free throws moments later.
 
UW-Whitewater begins Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play Wednesday against UW-Stevens Point. Tipoff at Kachel Gymnasium is slated for 7 p.m.