The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team battled through foul trouble and adversity to pull out a big win over Hope College on the road.
The Warhawks trailed by six with 30 seconds left, but three forced turnovers resulted in a 9-point swing in the Warhawk's favor.
Miles Barnstable (Sheboygan, Wis./Howards Grove) hit the go ahead basket with 17 seconds left. On Hope's next possession, Barnstable came up with the steal along with a drawn foul. After nailing both free throws, Hope had one last chance to tie it up, but the shot hit off the rim, securing the 79-76 win for the Warhawks.
Hope College started the game off hot, jumping out to a 15-5 lead only five minutes into the game. An early Warhawk timeout paid off, as the Warhawks scored 10 straight points to tie it up 15-15.
The first half continued to be back & forth, with every time Hope gaining the lead, the Warhawks fought back to keep it within reach. The Flying Dutch went up by 8 with two minutes left in the half, but the Warhawks once again closed the lead to only 4 at 41-37.
Most of the first half was a similar story, but Hope managed to put together a bit larger of a margin than they did the first half. Hope lead by 8, but the Warhawks tied it up 51-51 with 12 minutes left to play.
UW-Whitewater went up by 4 points at 55-51 after a 10-0 run. But the Flying Dutch answered back with their own 15-1 run to take their biggest lead of the night with 5:30 left to go at 66-56. Hope would maintain their lead going into the final minute up by 6 at 73-67.
With time winding down, the Warhawks picked up the pace on defense, which led to fouling. With 30 seconds left, Hope added two free throws to go up 76-70.
Down by 6,
Miles Barnstable (Sheboygan, Wis./Howards Grove) took over, nailing a huge three-pointer to make it a possession game. The following inbound play,
Isaac Verges (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) came up with the steal and the lay-up to cut the lead to just one point at 76-75. Another turnover on the inbounds play gave the ball back to the Warhawks. Barnstable once again made a big time shot, rising up over the defender & putting the Warhawks up by one point at 77-76.
Hope tried to play aggressive on offense and the Warhawk defense came up with the steal. A quick Hope foul sent Barnstable to the line, where he made both free throws, giving the Warhawks the 79-76 lead.
The Flying Dutch failed to connect on the tying shot, giving the Warhawks the nail-biting win.
Barnstable led all scorers with a career-high 35 points, finishing a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line.
James Kelley (Milwaukee, WI/St. John's Northwestern Military Academy) added in 13 points and led the team with 6 rebounds.
The Warhawk men's basketball team will return home for their next game, taking on Lawrence University a week from now. Tip off is set for 7 PM from Kachel Gymnasium on Wednesday, December 13th.
