The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team led the whole game, but it was a gritty, hard-fought victory over the visiting Carroll Pioneers.
From the tip, the Warhawks bounced out to a big 24-8 lead, behind
Miles Barnstable (Sheboygan, Wis./Howards Grove) scoring 13 of the first 24 points for UW-Whitewater. During that run, the Warhawks shot 10-for-13 from the floor including 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. On the defensive end, the Warhawks forced six turnovers in the 7-minute stretch.
Carroll got their footing, cleaning up the turnovers and closing the gap to just six at halftime at 39-33. In the final 10 minutes of the half, Carroll only turned the ball over once compared to the seven turnovers in the first 7 minutes of the game.
After the break, the Warhawks added a few more to their lead, but every time they went up, the Pioneers were able to close the gap. With 7-minutes left in the game, Carroll was only behind by one point. The Warhawks grinded the game out, shooting 5-for-8 from the floor in the final 7-minutes while holding Carroll to only 5-for-12. Free throws were a huge part of the second half run, with UW-Whitewater making a perfect 10 for 10 in the closing minutes of the game.
In the first half, the Warhawks shot 56-percent (5-for-9) from the free throw line, but hit their shots in the second half at a 91-percent clip (19-for-21). Those free throws helped keep the Pioneers at bay, with UW-Whitewater pulling out the 86-77 win.
Miles Barnstable (Sheboygan, Wis./Howards Grove) led all scores with 27 points with
Trevon Chislom (McFarland, Wis./McFarland) adding in 22 points.
James Kelley (Milwaukee, WI/St. John's Northwestern Military Academy) recorded his first double-double as a Warhawk, putting up 12 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Kelley also added two assists, two steals, and two blocks to his stat line.
Jameer Barker (Racine, Wis./St. Catherine's) rounded out the scoring with 10 points of his own.
The Warhawks will return to Kachel Gymnasium on Tuesday, November 18th to take on Augustana at 7 PM.
