March 6, 2008

Guard Scott Kelly (Sr., Hastings, Minn.) has been named to the 2008 WIAC All-Sportsmanship team.

The team is for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. The team included one member from each school as selected by that school.

Kelly, 6-5, 200 pounds, average 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds a game. He had 30 assists, eight blocks and 10 steals. He shot 69-168 (.411) from the field, including 35-88 (.398) from three-point range. He was 29-37 (.784) from the line for 202 points. He led the Falcons in three pointers.

The Falcons finished the year 9-16 overall.

2007-08 Schedule

Feb. 23, 2008

No. 7 UW-Whitewater narrowly escaped the upset-minded Falcons men’s basketball team with a 80-75 win Saturday afternoon.

The first half was an even, high scoring battle. RF and Whitewater went back and forth until the Falcons were able to build a six point, 13-7 lead after senior guard Willie Wright hit a three pointer.

WW responded with a  6-0 run to tie the game. RF then immediately ran off eight straight with three’s from Wright and freshman forward Wade Guerin, and a lay up from sophomore forward Nate Robertson.

The Falcons never relinquished the lead again through the rest of the half. WW did cut the Falcons lead from eight to six and then finally tied after a WW Matt Goodwin three pointer. The two teams went into the half tied at 40-40 after both teams shot nearly 50 percent from the field in the half.

Wright led all scorers in the first half with 11 points, going 4-5 from the field. Wright added three assists and two rebounds to lead the Falcons in those categories as well.

As the second half started the Falcons found themselves hanging onto their upset-minded hopes. WW scored the first five points and looked like they might run away from the Falcons. But RF responded by tying the game with a dunk from Wright and taking the lead three minutes later with a three-pointer from Wright.

WW then came back and took the lead, but RF would not be denied and the teams went back and forth before junior guard Jesse Elling made a lay up and pushed the Falcon lead to 65-60 with 8:43 left in the game.

WW went on a 13-2 run over the next five-plus minutes to build a six point, 75-69, with 2:49 left. RF trimmed the deficit to two but could not get any closer and eventually fell 80-75.

WW’s Kori Vernon led all scorers with 26 points on 10-13 shooting from the field.

Wright led the Falcons with, a career high, 19 points, and added four assists. Freshman forward Jake Voeltz and freshman guard Brady Hannigan both added 11 points.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Feb. 20, 2008

The Falcons men's basketball team couldn't capitalize on a career night from freshman guard Brady Hannigan and lost to UW-Stout, 75-62, at the Karges Center.

RF started the game hot by jumping out to a 15-2 lead in the first five minutes. Hannigan started the scoring with a three-pointer and had seven points in the run. Senior forward Scott Kelly continued his good play as of late with a pair of three pointers in the first 4:42.

RF continued to lead through the entire first half. Sophomore forward Nate Robertson made a lay up with 5:48 left in the half to push the Falcon lead to nine, 28-19. But Stout finished the half strong with a 10-4 run to go into the locker room at half time down by three, 32-29.

Kelly led the Falcons in the first half with nine points, going 3-4 from beyond the arc. Hannigan had seven points and added four first half rebounds to lead the Falcons.

Stout came out firing in the second half, erasing RF's three point lead and turning it into a two point Stout lead, 35-33, with 17:15 left in the game.

The Falcons responded with a senior guard Courtney Davis three-pointer to take the lead right back, 36-35.

But Stout answered with an 11-0 run over the next 5:09 to build a nine-point, 46-37, lead. RF cut the lead to six with a Hannigan three-pointer, but Stout quickly came back and held a double-digit lead for the rest of the way.

The Falcons managed just 22-58 (.379) from the field. Stout took advantage of RF's 10 turnovers by scoring 15 points off turnovers, compared to RF's six points off turnovers.

Stout's Eric Hostetler led all scorers and rebounders in the game with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Hannigan had a career night for the Falcons, setting personal records for rebounds and points. Hannigan ended the game with 16 points and seven rebounds; both were highs for RF. Davis helped out with 12 points and Kelly had 11.

The Falcons, now 9-15 overall and 3-12 in the WIAC, will travel to UW-Whitewater for a WIAC match up on Saturday. Game time is set for 3 p.m. That will be the final regular season game. The WIAC playoffs start on Monday.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Feb. 16, 2008

The Falcon men's basketball team played well but No. 24-ranked UW-Oshkosh was too much and the Titans beat UWRF, 80-63, at the Karges Center on Saturday afternoon.

The first half was a hard fought battle. The teams traded baskets for the first five minutes and Oshkosh held a two-point, 11-9, lead after a Matt Miller jumper with 15:18 left.

The Falcons quickly turned that one-point deficit into a six-point lead with a 7-0 run over the next 1:59. Sophomore forward Nate Robertson started the run with a lay up, senior forward Scott Kelly put in a lay up on the next possession and senior guard Willie Wright capped the run off with a three-pointer to give RF a five point, 16-11, lead with 13:19 left in the half.

RF held the lead until UWO's Miller hit a three pointer with 8:46 left to give UWO the lead, 22-20. RF could never get back to even in the first half and UWO took a six-point lead, 39-33, into the locker room at the half.

Wright led the Falcons in the first half with six points and five rebounds. Kelly also had six rebounds and added two assists.  

The Falcons came out in the second half and hung tough, scoring with UWO. UWO pushed its lead to nine twice in the first five minutes and the Falcons responded both times. First it was freshman guard Brady Hannigan hitting a jumper to cut the deficit to seven, then it was Wright making a lay up to keep UWO within reach.

UWO pushed its lead to 11 after a Miller lay up half way through the second period. Deonte Compton came right back on the next possession and nailed a three-pointer to cut the lead down to eight, 59-51, with 8:35 left.

That was the last gasp from the Falcons as UWO soon pushed its lead to 15 and finally won by 17, 80-63.

UWO's Dane SeckarAnderson led all scorers with 30 points, going 13-16 from the field.

Wright led the Falcons with 14 points and added five boards. Kelly had another solid game, scoring 11 points. Freshman forward Wade Guerin also had a good game, scoring six points, and leading the Falcons with seven rebounds.

The Falcons, now 9-14 overall and 3-11 in the WIAC, will host UW-Stout on Wednesday at the Karges Center with action starting at 7 p.m.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Feb. 13, 2008

The Falcons men's basketball team dominated UW-La Crosse, 73-57 Wednesday night at the Karges Center, behind a career night from senior forward Scott Kelly.

Kelly and the Falcons started the game with a 17-4 run to jump ahead of LC. Kelly began the scoring with a three-pointer and hit two more during the run as the Falcons led 17-4 with 13:32 left in the half.

LC hit a jumper to halt the Falcon run but RF came right back with a 12-4 run over the next 5:26. Five different Falcons scored during the 12-4 run that pushed the RF lead to 19, 29-10, with 7:15 left in the half.

The Falcon domination continued for the remainder of the half and RF went into the locker room at halftime with a 42-19 lead.

Kelly led the Falcon explosion with 15 first half points. He was 5-8 from the field including 4-6 from beyond the arc.

The Falcons led by as many as 29 in the second half as they exercised their WIAC demons against the LC. After freshman guard Brady Hannigan hit a pair of free throws at the 7:35 mark of the second half, LC went on a 17-1 run to cut the lead to 13 with 1:57 left.

LC never led in the game as they shot 23-55 (.418) from the field, not being able to keep up with RF shooting a blistering 26-46 (.565). The Falcons did turn the ball over 22 times compared to LC's 11 turnovers. But the Eagles could not make up for getting out-rebounded 38-25 for the game.

Kelly led the Falcons with a career high 24 points, shooting 8-14 from the field and 5-9 from beyond the arc. Kelly also added seven rebounds to lead the Falcons. Senior guard Willie Wright added 14 points.

The Falcons, now 9-13 overall and 3-10 WIAC, will next host UW-Oshkosh. Game time is set for 3 p.m. this Saturday at Karges Center.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Feb. 9, 2008

The Falcons men’s basketball team got down early and never recovered at UW-Eau Claire Saturday, losing 77-54.

RF dug itself a hole right away by scoring one point in the first six minutes. EC took advantage by leading the game off with a 15-1 run before the Falcons got their first field goal from freshman forward Wade Guerin at the 13:34 mark of the first half, making the score 15-3.

The Blugolds pushed their lead to 17 on two occasions before RF responded with a 12-2 run, capped by a Guerin lay up, with 2:58 left in the half putting the score at 26-19.

EC responded with an 8-2 over the final minutes of the first half and the Blugolds took a 34-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Senior forward Scott Kelly led the Falcons in the first half with five points. Guerin and sophomore guard Deonte Compton added four points apiece. Junior guard Jesse Elling led RF in rebounds in the first half with four.

The Falcons started the second half quickly cutting the deficit to eight with a senior guard Courtney Davis lay up and a senior guard Willie Wright three-pointer. But RF went scoreless over the next 4:19 as EC went on a 14-2 run and held a 20-point, 48-28, lead with 13:15 left.

Dan Beyer led all players in points and rebounds, scoring 17 points and adding 14 rebounds to cap off his day.

Guerin led the Falcons with, a career-high 13 points.Guerin also added four rebounds. Freshman forward Jake Voeltz led the Falcons with five rebounds.

The Falcons, now 8-13 overall and 2-10 in the WIAC, will host La Crosse on Wednesday. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the Karges Center.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Feb. 6, 2008

The Falcon men's basketball team ended its seven-game losing streak with an 84-81overtime win over UW-Superior behind a career night for junior guard Jesse Elling.

RF started out hot with an 18-8 run over the first 4:12 of the game. Sophomore forward Nate Robertson tallied four points in the first 2:50. Elling capped the run with a pair of free throws just under the 16 minute mark of the half.

Superior and the Falcons fought back and forth for the next five minutes. Superior tied the game at the 9:48 mark of the half and took its first lead of the game on the next possession with a Dan Culy three-pointer.

The remainder of the half had three lead changes and two ties. After Superior pushed its lead to four with 4:41 left, RF went on a 14-4 run to end the half.

Freshman guard Danny Johnson got hot and hit back-to-back three pointers en route to eight straight Falcon points from Johnson. Elling once again capped the run with a lay up and sent the Falcons into the locker room with a 54-48 lead.

The second half was an equally hard fought battle. RF pushed its lead to eight after freshman guard Brady Hannigan hit a three-pointer to make the score 58-50 with 17:55 left.

Superior then went on a 9-0 to regain the lead, 59-58, with 13:12 left in the game.

The Falcons took the lead right back when Elling made back-to-back three-pointers that gave the Falcons a three point lead, 64-61, half way through the second half.

RF pushed its lead to seven with 2:35 left before Superior went on a 6-0 run to trail by one with :44 left on the clock. Elling once again responded with a lay up to push the lead to three with :13 left.

But Superior would not go down without a fight and got a miracle three pointer at the buzzer from Dwight Hill to force overtime.

RF outscored Superior 10-7 in the overtime period to gain the win. RF led by two thanks to a pair of Robertson free throws. Then at the 3:03 mark Shane Manor hit a three to give Superior a one point lead. Manor followed that up with a lay up to give Superior a three point lead.

RF went on a 6-0 run over the next two minutes. Senior forward Scott Kelly made a lay up and Elling followed that with a three. Superior never came back and missed another three-point try for the tie at the buzzer and RF escaped with the 84-81 victory.

Elling led the way with a game high, and career high, 18 points. Elling shot 6-12 from the field including 4-7 from beyond the arc, adding six rebounds. Kelly and senior guard Willie Wright both had double-doubles. Wright finished with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Kelly had 10 points and 11 rebounds, tying his career high.

The Falcons, now 8-12 overall and 2-9 in the  WIAC, will travel to UW-Eau Claire on Saturday with action starting at 5 p.m.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Feb. 2, 2008

The Falcon men’s basketball team faced another tough WIAC opponent and came up short Saturday losing to UW-Platteville, 71-60, at the Karges Center.

UWP started the game on an 8-2 run that proved to be the difference in the first half. Sophomore forward Nate Robertson put the Falcons on the board with a lay up at the 15:40 mark. UWP responded on the next possession with a Charlie Lohoff three-pointer that made the score 8-2.

The Falcons did storm back with a mini 5-0 run thanks to a lay up from junior forward Steve Farmer and a three-pointer from senior forward Scott Kelly. That run helped make it a one-point game with the score 8-7 at the 12:11 mark of the first half.

UWP, ranked No. 22 in the D3Hoops.com poll, then went on a 7-0 run over the next 1:08 to push the lead back to eight. For the rest of the half the teams battled with UWP never leading by less than five and eventually went into the locker room with a nine-point lead, 31-22.

UWP’s Jeff Skemp led all scorers in the first half with ten points, adding four rebounds.

Senior guard Courtney Davis led the Falcons with six points on 3-5 shooting from the field. Davis also added an RF high, three rebounds. Senior guard Willie Wright and freshman guard Brady Hannigan also each grabbed three rebounds.

The Pioneers, now 15-4 overall and 9-2 in the WIAC, started the second half with a 9-3 run that made it a 15-point lead. UWP’s Curt Hanson capped the run with a three-pointer that made the score 40-25 with 16:56 left.

RF trailed by as many as 19 in the second half and trailed by 18 at the 7:34 mark after a Hanson three-pointer. From there the Falcons went on an 8-0 run that made it a 10-point game with 3:40 left.

Both teams were cold and scoreless until UWP’s Mike Shaw killed RF’s chances with a pair of free throws that pushed the lead back to 12 at 68-56 with just over a minute to play.

The Pioneers eventually put the Falcons away by hitting 5-6 free throws down the stretch.

Skemp led all scorers and rebounds with 18 and 13 respectively.

Sophomore guard Deonte Compton led the Falcons with 11 points. Davis added 10 points and five rebounds, and Robertson tallied nine points and four rebounds.

The Falcons, now 7-12 overall and 1-9 in the  WIAC, will travel to UW-Superior on Wednesday with action starting at 7 p.m.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Falcons Lose Home WIAC Game Against UW-Stevens Point, 71-40

Jan. 30, 2008

The Falcon men’s basketball team lost a WIAC match-up against the UW-Stevens Point Pointers Wednesday night, 71-40, at the Karges Center

The Pointers started the game on a 9-0 run that lasted the first 4:06 of the game. The Falcons did not score until the 15:21 mark of the first half when senior forward Scott Kelly hit a three-pointer.

The Falcons were only able to manage 14 points in the first half. RF trailed 36-14 on 5-20 (.250) shooting. SP forced 11 RF first half turnovers.

No Falcon made more than one basket. Kelly led the team with a three-pointer. Kelly and freshman guard Brady Hannigan led RF with two rebounds.

The second half started with the Falcons trailing by 20 and they soon trailed by 37 thanks to a 15-1 Pointer run around the middle of the half.

Senior guard Willie Wright and junior guard Jesse Elling led the way for the Falcons, scoring seven points each. Senior guard Courtney Davis and Hannigan led the Falcons with five rebounds.

SP’s Scott Hoelzel led all scorers with 12 points.

The Falcons, now 7-11 overall and 1-8 in the WIAC, will next host UW-Platteville. Game time is set for 3 p.m., Saturday at the Karges Center.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Falcons Drop WIAC Game at

UWL, 76-61
Jan. 23, 2008

The Falcon men's basketball team dropped their sixth straight WIAC game with a 76-61 loss at UW-La Crosse on Wednesday night.

The first half of the contest was an evenly fought battle with six ties and four lead changes.

LC jumped out to a 14-7 lead with a 7-0 run that was capped by a Chris Fehrenbach three-pointer with 14:47 left in the first half.

RF came right back and tied the game at 16-16 when senior forward Scott Kelly hit a pair of free throws with 12:04 left. Junior guard DiJon Reese hit a three-pointer at the 5:52 mark of the first half that gave the Falcons the lead 26-25.

The Eagles took over and went on a 13-2 run over the final 5:27 of the first half, keeping the Falcons scoreless for the final 4:03. After the smoke cleared a close, tough fought first half didn't look as close as the Falcons went into the locker room facing a 38-28   deficit.

Senior guard Willie Wright led the Falcons in the first half with seven points and three rebounds. Sophomore forward Nate Robertson had a strong first half grabbing four rebounds and adding four points.

The Falcons came out in the second half and immediately cut the lead to single digits, 38-30, when freshman forward Alex Whittenberger made a lay up with 19:32 left on the clock.

The Eagles responded with a 12-2 run over the next 3:57 that put LC firmly in front of the Falcons, 50-32, with 15:35 left in the game.

Half way through the second half the Falcons cut the Eagle lead to 11, thanks to a three-point play from junior guard Jesse Elling.

But, like they did all game, the Eagles came back with a 9-0 run, getting five of those points from Tony Mane. Mane capped the run with a fast-break lay up that gave LC a 20-point-lead, 62-42, with 9:03 left to play.

The Falcons couldn't muster another run and the game ended with the Eagles getting the win, 76-61.

LC's Mane led all scorers with 19 points and added five rebounds. Billy Kegler led the Eagles with seven rebounds and he added seven points.

Robertson was the only Falcon scoring in double figures with 10 points. He also added a game-high seven rebounds.

The Falcons, now 7-10 overall and 1-7 in the WIAC, will host the No. 7 ranked team in the country, UW-Stevens Point on Jan. 30 at the Karges Center. UWSP took an 87-44 win over the Falcons on Jan. 9.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Probst Scores 26 to Lead

UWEC to Win Over Falcons
Jan. 19, 2008

UW-Eau Claire had three players score in double figures, led by Geoff Probst who finished with 26 points, in a 74-70 win over the Falcon men’s basketball team on Saturday afternoon at the Karges Center.

The Falcons led off the scoring with a lay up by senior guard Willie Wright that put them ahead 2-0.

That 2-0 lead was the last lead RF would see in the first half as EC’s Geoff Probst tied the game with a jumper and Dan Beyer hit a three-pointer to give the Blugolds the lead at 5-2 at the 17:37 mark of the first half.

RF could not contain Probst in the first half, as he started the game by going 6-6 from the field, including 4-4 from three-point land.

EC pushed its first half lead to eight a couple of times, but both times RF responded. Probst nailed a three-pointer with 8:31 left in the first half to push the Blugold lead to 26-18.

After senior forward Scott Kelly hit back-to-back free throws, Wright made two consecutive lay ups for the Falcons en route to an 8-2 run that trimmed the deficit to 28-26 with 6:11 left in the first half.

The two teams traded baskets for the next five minutes and the Blugold lead stood at 32-30 with 1:41 left before halftime. EC’s Dan Mullen hit a three-pointer on the next EC possession and after a RF turnover, Rashann Goodwin made a lay-up that ended the scoring for the first half.

A two-point deficit quickly turned into a 37-30 halftime deficit.

Probst led all scorers in the first half with 16 points, going 4-5 on three-pointers. Wright led the falcons with 10 points. Kelly also had a good first half for RF scoring six points and adding three rebounds.

The Falcons came out firing in the second half. Junior guard DiJon Reese hit a three-pointer at 19:09 that started a 7-0 run. Freshman guard Brady Hannigan hit a lay up and sophomore forward Nate Robertson followed with a lay up of his own that tied the game at 39-39 with 17:08 left.

EC responded with a 9-2 run of its own that put the Blugolds back to where they had been all day, on top of the Falcons by seven, 48-41.

RF and EC continued to battle over the next four minutes and EC was still on top at the 8:31 mark, 58-49. Kelly then hit a jumper, Hannigan made a lay up and Kelly hit a big three-pointer that cut the Blugold lead down to two, 58-56, with 5:49 left.

RF and EC traded baskets for the next few minutes, but RF was not able to overtake the lead from the Blugolds. After a couple of free throw shots from EC’s Colin Boone with just under a minute left, the Blugolds led by eight.

After a Wright free throw, freshman guard Danny Johnson hit a three pointer and freshman forward Wade Guerin hit a three pointer that cut the EC lead to one possession, 73-70 with :28 left.

But EC was too much for the Falcons and outlasted the RF run, winning the contest, 74-70.

Probst led all scorers in the game with 26 points and added five rebounds. Beyer added 19 points and four rebounds for the Blugolds.

Wright led RF with 18 points, going 8-16 from the floor. He also added six rebounds. Kelly had a strong second half and led the Falcons with seven rebounds, adding 13 points.

The Falcons, now 7-9 overall and 1-6 in the WIAC, will next travel to UW-La Crosse to take on the Eagles in a WIAC match up. Game time is set for 7 p.m., on Wednesday.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Falcons Lose Heartbreaker to UW-Superior
Jan. 16, 2008

Despite a big night from sophomore forward Nate Robertson, the falcon men's basketball team fell to UW-Superior Wednesday night 76-74 at the hands of a UWS Dan Culy runner at the buzzer.

RF jumped out to a 5-2 lead five minutes into the game. Robertson scored three of the first five points for the falcons.

UWS and RF went back and forth for most of the first half. UWS' Dan Culy broke the 22-22 tie with a three-pointer that gave the yellowjackets their first lead of the game, 25-22, with 6:37 left in the first half.

UWS did not relinquisht the lead for the rest of the half and went into the locker room with a 39-33 halftime lead.

Robertson led the way for the falcons in the first half with 11 points and five rebounds. Senior guard Courtney Davis had six points and two rebounds for the falcons.

Dwight Hill led the yellowjackets with 11 points and four rebounds. Dan Culy added eight points to go along with his four rebounds.

UWS began the second half by pushing its lead to eight before Robertson scored six consecutive falcons points, trimming the yellowjacket lead to 49-45 with 15:44 left.

UWS came back by pushing its lead to nine before the falcons went on a 7-1 run, capped by a Davis three-pointer with 9:50 left.

UWS responded by going on a 7-0 run to push the lead to its largest margin of the night at 66-56.

That ten-point lead did not last long however. After a freshman guard Danny Johnson three-pointer, junior guard D.J. Reese made back-to-back lay ups that capped a 7-0 falcon run and made it a one-possession ballgame, 66-63 with 6:47 left.

The falcons still trailed by three at the 6:08 mark when Robertson went to the line and made 1-2 free throws to pull the falcons within two, 66-68.

The two teams traded baskets before RF won a jump ball. Reese ran the ball down the court and made a runner to tie the game at 70-70 with 4:34 left.

RF turned the ball over with 1:24 left and freshman guard Brady Hannigan fouled Culy to put Culy on the line for a one-and-one. Culy made both and the yellowjackets led by two, 74-72 with 0:36 left.

Reese was fouled on the next falcon possession and made both of his free throws to tie the game once again with only 0:20 left.

The yellowjackets ran the clock all the way down on their next possession and Culy made a 15-foot runner at the buzzer to seal the victory for UWS.

UWS' Hill led all scorers with 26 points and added six rebounds. Culy added 15 points and six rebounds, including the buzzer-beater that ended the contest.

Robertson led the falcons with a big night. The big sophomore had 21 points and nine rebounds. He was 9-15 from the free throw line on the night. Reese helped out with 12 points and Davis had 11 points and three rebounds.

Next up the falcons, now 7-8 (1-5 WIAC), will take on UW-Eau Claire at home. Game time is set for 5 p.m. this Saturday at Karges Center.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Falcons Lose at UWSP
Jan. 9, 2008

The Falcon men’s basketball team ran into a buzz saw in an 87-44 loss at UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday night.

The Pointers jumped out to a 28-8 lead in the WIAC game. UWSP led 46-19 at the half and outscored the Falcons, 41-25, in the second half.

UWRF was led by Brady Hannigan who scored nine points and Jesse Elling who scored seven. Wade Guerin, who scored three points, led UWRF with six rebounds and Willie Wright, who scored two points, had five rebounds. Steve Farmer came off the bench to scored six points and he was 3-3 from the field. UWRF shot 19-60 (.317) from the field, including 2-14 (.143) from behind the arc. UWRF was just 4-8 (.500) from the line. The Falcons had a slight 39-38 advantage in rebounds. DiJon Reese, who scored four points, led the Falcons with three assists.

UWSP was led by Steve Hicklin who scored 16 points. Bryan Beamish added 12. Nick Krull and Drew Jackson each had five rebounds. UWSP shot 30-62 (.484) from the field, including 6-19 (.316) from three-point range. They were 21-25 (.840) from the line.

The Falcons, now 7-7 overall and 1-4 in the WIAC, will next host UW-Superior in a WIAC game at the Karges Center on Jan. 16. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Falcon Rally Falls Short in Overtime
Jan. 5, 2008

The Falcon men’s basketball team trailed by as much as 19 Saturday, but senior forward Scott Kelly hit a three at the end of regulation that forced overtime where the Falcons came up short, losing to UW-Whitewater, 88-82 at the Karges Center.

The Warhawks, who never trailed in the game, traded baskets with the Falcons to begin the game. Junior guard DiJon Reese scored four points in the first five minutes for the Falcons as they kept pace in the beginning.

UWW then went on an 11-2 run that lasted nearly three minutes, to go up 21-11. It was all Warhawks in the first half as they pushed their lead to 18 at the 7:02 mark of the first half.

RF finally responded with back-to-back three pointers from Reese and senior guard Willie Wright to trim the UWW lead to 12. The Warhawks responded to the RF run and went into the locker room up 16, 46-30.

Matt Goodwin led the way for UWW in the first half scoring 12 points and adding four rebounds. Reese led the Falcons in the first half, scoring 12 points on 5-8 shooting. Wright added seven points and senior guard Courtney Davis had three points, four assists and two rebounds.

The Falcons played their best half of the season in the second half. Reese scored six straight points as RF cut the Warhawk lead down to 10, 53-43, with 15:32 left in the game. Sophomore guard Deonte Compton’s lay up with 12:58 left in the game cut the UWW lead to single digits for the first time since early in the first half, 58-49.

After trading baskets for the next three minutes, Davis hit a jumper that cut the Warhawk lead to four with 8:50 left in the game, thanks to a quick 6-0 run.

UWW pushed its lead back to nine with 3:30 left thanks to a pair of free throws from Myles McKay. RF responded with two free throws from Kelly and a three-point play from freshman forward Wade Guerin, to make the score 73-69 in favor of the Warhawks with just over two minutes left.

After a Goodwin free throw, Reese drove and made a lay up that made it a one-possession ballgame, 74-71 with 1:08 left.

Goodwin missed back-to-back free throws with :35 left to give RF the ball. Reese then missed a three pointer but RF won the ball on the rebound and was in-bounding the ball with just six seconds to play.

Kelly received the inbound pass and nailed a three with a Warhawk in his face to send the contest to overtime.

Unfortunately for the Falcons it was all Whitewater in overtime. The Warhawks outscored the Falcons 14-8 in the period and held RF to one good free throw for the first 3:46 of the overtime.

Reese led all scorers in the game, scoring a career-high 25 points. He also added five rebounds to lead the Falcons. Sophomore forward Nate Robertson tied with Reese for the Falcon lead in rebounds with five and he scored 11 points.

Robe Perry led the Warhawks with 23 points and added nine rebounds. Goodwin also had a good game, scoring 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

The Falcons, now 7-6 overall and 1-3 in the WIAC, will travel to Stevens Point on Wednesday for a WIAC game that starts at 7 p.m.

Box Score

2007-08 Schedule

Reese Helps Lead Falcons to

77-73 Win Over Westminitser
Dec. 31, 2007

The Falcon men's basketball team won its fourth straight game withi DiJon Reese leading UWRF with 14 points, six rebounds and eight assists in a 77-73 win over Westminister on Monday in Phoenix, Ariz.

The Falcons led 41-36 at the half. There were seven ties in the first half alone. With the score tied, 28-28 with 5:18 to play, Danny Johnson hit a three pointer to give the Falcons the lead that they would hold for the rest of the half. WC cut the lead to one, 37-36, with 1:14 to play when Ryne Murray scored on a lay up. But then Nate Robertson scored on a lay up with :58 to play and Brady Hannigan hit a jumper with 11 seconds to go to five UWRF a 41-36 halftime lead.

Westminister controlled most of the early part of the second half and held a 51-43 lead with 15:09 to play when Craig Hannon hit a three. The Falcons battled back to tie the game, 54-54, with 11:23 to go when Reese hit a three. WC went on a 6-0 run to take a 60-54 lead with 10:15 to play when David Richards hit a three. But then the Falcons went on a 13-0 run over the next six minutes to take command. The Falcons took the lead for good with 5:53 to play, 61-60, when Johnson hit a three pointer. Scott Kelly scored on a lay up with 4:13 to go to put the Falcons ahead, 67-60. UWRF was 5-9 at the line over the last 1:06 of the game.

Reese had a season-high in rebounds and assists in the win. His 14 points was the second most the second most he's scored in a game this year. Kelly scored 13 points, Johnson 12 and Robertson 10. Johnson was 4-4 from the field with all of his shot coming from behind the arc. Robinson had five rebounds and Hannigan had two steals. UWRF shot 27-60 (.450) from the field, including 11-24 (.458) from three-point range. The Falcons were 12-25 (.480) from the line.

Westminister was led by Hannon who finished with a game-high 17 points. Murray had a game-high 10 rebounds. WC, now 2-10 overall, shot 26-65 (.400) from the field, inclduing 13-34 (.382) from behind the arc. They finished 8-10 (.800) from the line. WC held a 43-37 advantge in rebounds.

UWRF, now 7-5 overall, will return to WIAC play on Saturday when they host UW-Whitewater at the Karges Center at 3 p.m.

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2007-08 Schedule

Robertson Scores 20 in

Win Over Villa Julie
Dec. 30, 2007

The UWRF men’s basketball team dominated Villa Julie College, 99-65, in its first game at the Trip Sports Invitational in Phoenix, Ariz., on Sunday.

After falling behind early in the game RF stormed back and took the lead 12-11 at the 14:36 mark of the first half and did not trail the rest of the way. That 12-11 lead began a 16-2 run that lasted nearly six minutes in the middle of the first half. Sophomore forward Nate Robertson scored four of his game high 20 points during the run.

After the smoke cleared the Falcons 16-2 run put RF ahead 26-13 with just over nine minutes left in the first half.

After VJC cut the lead to 28-20 at the seven-minute mark of the first half, RF ripped off another run. This time the Falcons put the game out of reach with a 17-4 run that made the score 45-24 with just under three minutes left in the half.

Senior guard Courtney Davis led the way during this Falcon run with eight of the 15 points, six of them coming from back-to-back three pointers.

The Falcons took a 54-31 lead into the half. Davis led the way in the first half for the Falcons, scoring 10 of his 15 points. RF shot 19-32 (.594) in the first half compared to VJC’s 10-25 (.400).

VJC fought hard in the second half. RF pushed its 23-point halftime lead to 27 points at the 17:48 mark of the second half due to a Davis lay-up. Shortly after that VJC ran off a 16-6 run that cut the lead to 69-58 at the 8:18 point.

VJC’s Chaise Lancaster led the way in the run and in the game for the Mustangs. He scored nine of his 18 total points during the run.

But that was all the closer the Mustangs would get as the Falcons responded by going on a 17-4 run over the next four and a half minutes to ice the game and give RF an 86-62 lead with just under four minutes to play.

Robertson had a game high 20 points and added seven rebounds. Senior guard Willie Wright had another good game for RF scoring 14 points and leading the Falcons with eight rebounds. DiJon Reese added 15 points shooting 7-7 from the field. He led UWRF with four asssits.

UWRF, now 6-5 overall, will next play Westminister on Monday in Phoenix, Ariz.

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2007-08 Schedule

Falcons Win at Bethany Lutheran
Dec. 15, 2007

The Falcons hit some key free throws down the stretch to help UWRF to a 66-64 win at Bethany Lutheran on Saturday night.

UWRF scored its last five points from the line to get the win. UWRF trailed for most of the second half and took a 65-64 lead with just 41 seconds to play when Nate Robertson hit a free throw. DiJon Reese hit a free throw with one second to play to make the final 66-64.

UWRF trailed by 12, 53-41, with 9:16 to play in the game. The Falcons then went on an 11-0 run to get to within one, 53-52, with 6:03 to play. Scott Kelly hit a three and scored five points and Reese scored six points in the run. With 4:29 to play Danny Johnson hit a three to tie the game, 57-57. After BL took a 59-57 lead, Reese hit two free throws with 3:53 left to tie the game for the third time in the second half. BL then went on a 5-0 run and led, 64-59, with 3:24 to go. Robertson then scored on a lay up with 3:16 to play to make it a three point game. Willie Wright made 1-2 free throws with 2:24 to play to pull the Falcons to within two, 64-62. With 1:22 to play Brady Hannigan hit two free throws to tie the game, 64-64. That set up the final two free throws by Robertson and Reese.

Courtney Davis led the Falcons with 14 points. Robertson was the only other Falcon to score in double figures - he finished with 11. Reese, who finished with nine points, led UWRF with five rebounds, four assists and four steals. UWRF shot 21-43 (.488) from the field, including 5-16 (.313) from behind the arc. UWRF was 19-31 (.613) from the line.

BL was led by Tommy Saffert who scored 13 points. Stephone Frederick, who scored nine points, led his team with eight rebounds. BL sot 26-59 (.441) from the field, including 6-21 (.286) from behind the arc. They were 6-14 (.429) from the line. BL had a 35-28 advantage in rebounds.

UWRF, now 5-5 overall, will next play at the Trip Sports Invitational on Dec. 30-31 in Phoenix, Ariz. They play Villa Julie on Dec. 30 and Westminister on Dec. 31.

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2007-08 Schedule

Falcons Dominate Crown 79-34
Dec. 12, 2007

The UWRF men's basketball team was all over the Crown College Storm Wednesday night at Karges Center, beating the undersized and overmatched visitors 79-34.

Though the Falcons would later blow the game wide open, RF was held to only four points in the first five minutes of the game.

Crown led 7-4 after Kincade Kirkpatrick hit a three pointer at the 15:12 mark of the first half. The Falcons responded when freshman guard Brady Hannigan made a lay-up to make the score 7-6. Junior guard Steve Farmer then hit 1-2 from the free throw line to tie the game. Senior guard Courtney Davis stole the ball from Crown's Nick Wurm and laid it in to give RF its first lead of the game, 9-7 at the 12:49 mark of the first half.

The Hannigan lay-up started a 22-2 run that spanned just over eight minutes in the first half. Davis scored nine points during the run and led the Falcons with 11 first half points and added three rebounds.

Sophomore forward Nate Robertson and senior guard Willie Wright both led the Falcons in the first half with four rebounds and added two points apiece.

Crown turned the ball over nine times while shooting a meager 6-29 (.207) from the field including 2-12 (.167) from beyond the arc. The Falcons played tough defense to go along with an efficient offense that shot 15-31 (.484) from the field and only committed five fouls.

RF continued to dominate the action as the second half began with a 9-2 Falcon run. Wright nailed back-to-back three pointers to push the Falcon lead to 47-16 just 2:45 into the second half that all but ended the contest.

The Storm could manage only 20 points in the second half compared to RF's 42. The undersized Crown College couldn't get any easy shot all night matching up against the bigger Falcons. Crown finished the game shooting 14-57 (.246) while RF was able to have their way with Crown all night, shooting 29-56 (.518). RF also shot brilliantly from beyond the arc, going 10-19 (.526)

Hannigan and Davis led the Falcons with 14 points apiece. Davis added five rebounds to that total. Freshman guard Danny Johnson had a big night, scoring 12 points by shooting 4-6 from three-point land. Robertson and sophomore guard Deonte Compton led the Falcons with six rebounds apiece.

Next up the Falcons now 4-5 (1-2 WIAC), will take on Bethany Lutheran in a non-conference away match up. Game time is set for 7 p.m. this Saturday at Bethany Lutheran.

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Falcons Lose Heartbreaker at UWP, 67-66
Dec. 8, 2007

UWRF led for almost all of Saturday's game at UW-Platteville but the Pioneers went on a 10-3 run in the final minute to beat the Falcons, 67-66.

The first half of Saturday's game was an offensive struggle as UWP took a one point lead into the locker room.

RF led 10-7 until the 5:49 mark of the first half when junior guard DiJon Reese made two free throws to push the lead to 12-7. After senior guard Courtney Davis added two free throws, and sophomore forward Nate Robertson hit a free throw, the RF lead stood at 15-7.

UWP then went on an 8-0 run to more than double its point total for the day and tie the game at 15-15. UWP's Eric Wall started the run with a tip-in basket and Mike Shaw followed with back-to-back three pointers. The UWP run ended a 6:32 scoring drought from the Pioneers.

Shaw hit a pair of free throws and a jumper to help the Pioneers finish the half with the lead 21-20. Senior guard Willie Wright and Reese both scored at the end of the half to help the Falcons keep pace.

The first half showcased poor play from both teams. UWP turned the ball over 13 times and RF nine. The Falcons shot just under 28 percent from the field and the Pioneers shot .308.

Reese led the Falcons in the first half with six points.

Senior forward Scott Kelly hit two three-pointers at the beginning of the second half that help RF take the lead back. After a freshman guard Brady Hannigan lay-up RF led 33-25, its largest lead of the day, with 16:13 left in the game.

After seeing their lead be trimmed to six by UWP's Curt Hanson, the Falcons got back-to-back threes by Wright and Hannigan to push their lead to 12 with 10:42 left in the game.

UWP cut the lead to five by going on an 8-2 thanks in part to four free throws from Hanson, but RF responded with two lay-ups from Robertson that helped maintain its lead and was sitting on top by nine, 55-46, with 4:38 left in the contest.

But UWP stayed alive when Shaw hit back-to-back three pointers in the next 33 seconds that cut the lead down to three, 55-52, with 4:05 left.

UWP's Hanson hit two three pointers separated by a Kelly lay-up that made it a one possession game at 63-60 with RF still leading with :43 left.

Those three pointers proved to be the beginning of a 10-3 run that spanned the final :43 and gave the Pioneers the victory. With 11 seconds left UWP's Hanson drilled a three-pointer that put the Pioneers ahead at 65-63, for the first time since the first half and for good. UWP's Josh Langenfeld nailed two free throws in the final second that proved to be big as Wright followed by hitting a three pointer for the Falcons at the buzzer but it was not enough as RF came up one point short.

Four Falcons finished in double figures on the day. Wright, Davis and Reese all led the attack with 12 points apiece. Kelly added 11 points and three rebounds. Robertson also had a good day finishing with nine points and seven rebounds.

But the Pioneer tandem of Hanson and Shaw proved to be just a little too much for the Falcons. Hanson finished with 18 points, including the big three pointer that put the Pioneers ahead for good in the final seconds.

Shaw was the high scorer in the contest with 25 points. He was 5-9 from beyond the arc and added three rebounds and three assists to his point total.

The Falcons, now 3-5 (1-2 WIAC), will host Crown in a non-conference match up. Game time is set for 7 p.m., Wednesday at Karges Center.

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Falcons Win WIAC Game At Stout, 79-72
Dec. 5, 2007

The UWRF men’s basketball team earned its first WIAC victory and ended its four game losing streak by beating UW-Stout 79-72 Wednesday night in Menomonie.

RF and UWS battled it out in an evenly match first half, that saw three ties and four lead changes. RF’s biggest lead of the half came when senior guard Courtney Davis hit a jumper at the 14:46 mark that made the score 10-4 in favor of the Falcons.

ST took the lead at the 9:26 point of the first half, thanks to an Eric Heisler jumper, and didn’t give it back until the final minute of the first half.

With one minute left in the first half Davis hit a three and freshman guard Danny Johnson ended the half with a three to give the Falcons a 33-31 lead at the intermission.

Davis led the Falcon attack in the first half with 11 points on 4-7 shooting, including 3-5 from beyond the arc. Senior guard Willie Wright tallied seven rebounds to go along with his three first half points.

The Falcons began the second half right where they left off the first by pushing their lead to seven on two separate occasions. Sophomore forward Nate Robertson began the second half by scoring the first four Falcon points in the first minute and a half.

The Blue Devils cut RF’s lead from seven to two thanks to back-to-back jumpers from Miles Webb. That put the score at 52-50 with 10:46 left to play.

The Falcons responded by going on an 8-0 run over the next three minutes, giving RF its biggest lead of the night at 60-50 with just over seven minutes left to play.

RF pushed its lead to 14 with 3:33 to go before finally beating the Blue Devils 79-72. The Falcons iced the game by going 6-8 from the free throw line over the final 1:49.

Webb finished with a game-high 22 points and added two blocks and three steals for the Blue Devils. Stout’s J. Enerson-Matthews finished with a great game by scoring 16 points, grabbing nine rebounds and adding six assists.

RF finished with the edge in rebounds, 45-36, that led to a big difference in the game of the Falcons scoring 23 second-chance points compared to UWS’s 13 second-chance points.

Senior forward Scott Kelly led a group of five Falcons that scored in double figures with 16 points in 36 minutes. Wright finished with a double-double, recording 13 points and 13 rebounds. Robertson also had a double-double, scoring 12 points and adding 10 rebounds.

The Falcons, now 3-4 overall (1-1 WIAC), travel to UW-Platteville for a WIAC away game. Game time is set for 3 p.m. this Saturday on Bo Ryan Court at Williams Fieldhouse.

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Falcons Lose WIAC Opener at

Oshkosh, 71-62
Dec. 1, 2007

The UWRF men's basketball team couldn't overcome 16 turnovers at UW-Oshkosh Saturday as they lost its fourth consecutive game, 71-62.

UWO jumped out to an early lead thanks to a 12-2 run five minutes into the first half. UWO's D.J. Marsh, Jordan Johnson and Matt Miller all made three pointers during the run to make the score 15-6, five minutes into the game.

UWO was able to capitalize on seven RF turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the first half. The Titans didn't record a single turnover until the 3:25 mark of the first half.

The Titans pushed the lead all the way to 33-20 at the 4:20 mark of the first half before RF responded with a run of its own. Senior forward Scott Kelly and senior guard Courtney Davis both hit threes and RF was able to trim the deficit from 13 to five with six seconds left in the half.

But UWO's Greg Schrimpf hit a lay-up at the buzzer to push the lead back to eight and make the half time score 37-29.

Davis had 10 points and six rebounds in the first half, shooting 4-8 from the field, including 2-2 from beyond the arc.

Senior guard Willie Wright began the second half by scoring a lay-up, making a steal and laying the ball up again for a quick four point burst bringing RF within three only 30 seconds into the second half.

After a Nate Robertson lay-up, Wright put the exclamation mark on the 9-0 run to begin the second half with a slam dunk that gave RF the lead 38-37, its first lead since 4-3.

The second half was back and forth with three ties and three lead changes in the first seven minutes. Wright scored all eight of his points in the second half to bring the Falcons back in the game.

But the Titans were too much for RF. The Falcons were down by two with 4:54 left, but were outscored 15-8 the rest of the way, including scoring only two points for 4:15 of that time.

All five of the Titan starters finished the game scoring in double figures. Miller led the way with 20 points in 38 minutes. Forward Dane Seckar-Anderson finished with 13 points and added six rebounds.

Davis led the Falcons with 12 points and seven rebounds. Robertson had a solid game as well putting up 11 points and adding seven rebounds of his own. The Falcons out-rebounded the Titans 34-18.

But the bigger difference in the game was the Falcons' turnovers and the Titans' ability to capitalize on those turnovers. UWO recorded 24 points off turnovers compared to RF only scoring 11.

The Falcons, now 2-4 overall and 0-1 in the WIAC, will travel to UW-Stout on Wednesday with the game starting at 7 p.m.

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Finlandia Holds Off Late Falcon Push to Win 84-79
Nov. 28, 2007

It was a case of too little too late for the UWRF men's basketball team Wednesday night at the Karges Center as Finlandia University held off a late RF run to win 84-79 and gain its first victory of the year and hand RF its third consecutive loss.

Finlandia led all the way but RF managed to cut a 13-point second half deficit down to two points with 0:22 left.   Finlandia made 3-4 free throws in the last seconds of the game to hold off the Falcons.

Finlandia jumped out to an early six-point lead thanks to an Erik Bressette lay-up, free throw and three-pointer on consecutive possessions. RF trailed by as many as nine in the first half before senior guard Willie Wright made a two-point jumper and a lay-up in consecutive possessions to tie the game at 35, with 3:25 left in the first half.

Finlandia quickly responded to the RF burst with a 9-0 run of its own, pushing the Lions' lead to 44-35 with 1:40 left in the first half.

Senior guard Courtney Davis led the way for the Falcons in the first half scoring eight points and gaining two rebounds in 12 minutes. Sophomore forward Nate Robertson was 2-4 from the field and added five rebounds to his four first half points.

RF found itself quickly down by 12 in the second half as Finlandia's Tucker Thoreson put in two of his game-high 27 points, and game the Lions their biggest lead of the night at 55-43. Thoreson shot 11-17 on the evening and added eight rebounds to complete his impressive night.

RF never trailed by less than seven points in the second half until the 1:55 mark. Freshman forward Wade Guerin made a steal and streaked down the court and laid it in to pull the Falcons within five at 77-72.

After a junior guard Jesse Elling steal, freshman guard Brady Hannigan completed a three-point play that had the Falcons as close as they had been since the first half with the score 81-79 with 0:22 left.

RF stalled on 79 and Finlandia made three free throws to ice its first victory of the year. The Lions shot 29-63 (.460) from the field on the night. RF shot better, going 32-61 (.525), but was out-rebounded 38-28.

Wright finished as the top Falcon scorer with 13 points in 34 minutes. Robertson also had a solid night scoring 12 points and pulling down six rebounds. Davis also finished with 12 points.

Next up the Falcons, now 2-3, will travel to UW-Oshkosh to take on the Titans in a WIAC match up. Game time is set for 3 p.m.

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Falcons Lose at Con.-St. Paul, 75-71
Nov. 24, 2007

The Falcon men’s basketball team saw its 13 point first half lead turn into a seven point second half deficit before finally being beaten by Concordia-St. Paul, 75-71, at Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, Minn., on Saturday night.

The Falcons burst out of the gate and jumped off to an early nine point lead three minutes into the game. Sophomore forward Nate Robertson scored six of the first 11 Falcon points as RF led 11-2 early.

The Falcons maintained their early lead well into the first half and saw their largest lead of 21-8 at the 10:47 mark. Senior guard Willie Wright scored nine of his 15 points in the first half.

Concordia-St. Paul managed to trim the deficit to a single point at the 1:24 mark of the first half by outscoring the Falcons 20-14 over the final nine minutes of the first half.

Courtney Davis put in a lay-up for two of his nine first half points with one minute left in the half, helping the Falcons salvage a 37-34 lead going into half time.

Davis finished the game with 16 points, one of the three Falcons to score in double figures. Wright finished with 15, and Robertson led the Falcons with 22 points and went 8-10 at the free throw line.

Robertson started the second half on fire, scoring the first eight RF points. The Falcons gained back the momentum they had lost at the end of the first half and built a 48-41 lead five minutes into the second half.

RF then went dry for nearly four minutes and saw its seven point lead turn into a seven point deficit, 58-51. The Golden Bears’ 17-3 run featured game-high scorer James Metcalf scoring 11 of his 23 points in six and a half minutes.

The Falcons responded with a 9-0 run of their own capped by a Wright three pointer that gave RF the lead back, 62-60. CSP’s Jason Birr came right back with a three pointer that gave the Golden Bears the lead 63-62, but Davis hit a three on the ensuing RF possession that put the lead back in RF’s hands, 65-63.

But the Golden Bears had one more run left in them and outscored the Falcons 9-1 over the next 3:25 and had a 72-66 lead with 41 seconds to play. Wright would hit a three pointer to cut it to a three point deficit, but that is all the closer the Falcons would get.

The Falcons only turned the ball over nine times compared to the Golden Bears’ 15. RF only went 11-29 (.379) in the second half, where CSP went 13-27 (.481).

The Falcons, now 2-2, will next host Finlandia on Wednesday in a non-conference game at the Karges Center with action starting at 8 p.m.

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St. Thomas Hands Falcons First Loss of the Season, 79-67
Nov. 20, 2007

The University of St. Thomas went on a 10-0 run to end the first half and a 12-5 to begin the second half, on its way to beating UW-RF 79-67 Tuesday night.

The Tommies shot 63.3% from the floor while the Falcons shot only 46.2%. Both teams were sloppy with St. Thomas turning the ball over 16 times and RF turning it over 17 times.

Senior guard Courtney Davis scored eight of the first 11 Falcon points, but was held scoreless for the rest of the game.

RF went on a 7-0 run at the 3:49 mark of the first half. Freshman guard Danny Johnson capped the run with a three pointer that put RF ahead 35-25.

But St. Thomas responded with a 10-0 run to over the final 3:49 to tie the game at half time. St. Thomas forward Al McCoy scored six of the ten points in the run.

The Tommies started the second half with a 12-5 run to build their lead to 47-40, 4:38 into the second half. The Falcons were able to muster up a run that cut the deficit to three on three separate occasions.

St. Thomas point guard Tyler Nicolai hit back to back shots after RF cut the deficit to 52-55, en route to an 8-0 that put the Tommites up by 11, 63-52.

The Tommies controlled the game for the final 13:13, outscoring the Falcons 30-19. The Falcons shot 11-27 (.407) from the field in the second half and were a mere 1-7 (.143) from three point range. The Tommies out-rebounded the Falcons 30-27 on the evening.

St. Thomas finished with four players scoring in double figures. David Baker led the attack with 14 points and four rebounds. Teddy Archer led the Tommies with five rebounds on the night.

Freshman guard Brady Hannigan came off the bench and scored 14 points in 22 minutes to lead the Falcons. Hannigan finished 2-3 from beyond the arc and 4-4 from the stripe.

Senior forward Scott Kelly led the falcons with six rebounds and added eight points in 33 minutes. Kelly also added two blocks and two steals to finish off a solid night.

The Falcons, now 2-1, will go on the road next to face Concordia-St. Paul. Game time is set for 7 p.m. next Saturday.

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Wright Scores 16 to Help Lead Falcons

to 73-55 Win Over Peru State
Nov. 17, 2007

Willie Wright scored 16 first half points to help lead the Falcon men’s basketball team to a 73-55 win over Peru State on Saturday afternoon in St. Paul, Minn.

The Falcons finished 2-0 at the Concordia-St. Paul Classic. On Friday the Falcons beat Macalester, 75-69.

Wright led four Falcons who scored in double figures. Wright finished 6-11 from the field, including 4-8 from three-point range. Courtney Davis added 14 points, Nate Robinson 11 and Jontae Koonkaew 10. Davis led the Falcons with nine rebounds and Robertson had six. Koonkaew led the Falcons with seven assists. UWRF shot 29-66 (.439) from the field, including 8-20 (.400) from behind the arc. They were 7-10 (.700) from the line. The Falcons dominated the boards finishing with a 42-33 advantage.

The Falcons led, 40-29, at the half thanks in part to a 14-0 run midway through the period. With the game tied, 12-12, with 13:25 to play, the Falcons went on the 14-0 run to take a 26-12 lead with 8:38 to go. Robertson scored six points, Davis five and Wright three in the run. PSU then went on an 8-0 run of its own to get within 26-20 with 6:37 to play in the half. UWRF grabbed its biggest lead of the half, 15 points, (40-25) with 1:12 to go when Jake Voeltz scored on a lay up.

The Falcons had their biggest second half lead, 24-points, 67-43, with 6:47 to play when Robertson scored on a lay up, was fouled, and hit the free throw. Earlier PSU got to within eight points, 44-36, with 16:22 to play in the game. But the Falcons went on a 6-0 run and the lead was never less than double digits the rest of the way.

PSU was led by Julius Durant who scored 18 points. PSU shot 21-54 (.389) from the field, including 5-16 (.313) from behind the arc. They were 8-14 (.571) from the line.

The Falcons, now 2-0, will open their home season on Tuesday when they host St. Thomas at 7 p.m., at the Karges Center.

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Big Second Half Helps Falcons

to Win in Season Opener
Nov. 16, 2007

The Falcon men's basketball team trailed 44-39 at halftime, but outscored Macalester, 36-25, in the second half to get a 75-69 win on Friday afternoon in St. Paul, Minn.

Macalester took its biggest lead in the game, 52-44, with 15:29 to play in the game. But the Falcons went on a 7-0 run to take their first lead of the second half, 55-54, with 10:16 to play. Jontae Koonkaew gave the Falcons the lead when he hit a three pointer.

For the next five minutes neither team had more than a two point lead.

UWRF went on another 7-0 run to go ahead, 71-64, with 1:47 to play. Nate Robertson hit two free throws with 4:12 to go to put UWRF ahead, 67-64. Willie Wright then slammed home a dunk with four minutes to play to give the Falcons a 69-64 lead. Robertson then scored on a layup to complete the run and give the Falcons the seven point lead.

Macalester wasn’t done as Tom Conboy hit a three with 46 seconds to play to cut the Falcon lead to 71-69.

UWRF’s DiJon Reese went 4-6 at the line in the last 40 seconds to secure the win. 

In the first half Macalester jumped ahead 28-22 with 7:39 to play. But a three-pointer by Wade Guerin, a Koonkaew lay up and a Scott Kelly jumper gave the Falcons a 29-23 lead with 6:31 to play. Later the Falcons had two five point leads – 33-28 with 4:38 to play and 35-30 with 4:11 to play when Kelly hit jumpers on both occasions.

The Falcons last lead of the first half was 37-36 with 2:52 to go when Kelly hit a jumper. Macalester then went on an 8-0 run to take its biggest lead of the first half, 44-37. Robertson hit a jumper just before the end of the half to make it a 44-39 game as the teams went into the locker room.

Kelly led the Falcons with 14 points and nine rebounds. He was a near perfect 6-7 from the field, including 2-3 from behind the arc. Koonkaew also scored 14 points and he had four assists. Robertson finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Courtney Davis scored 10 points. The Falcons were 28-61 (.459) from the field, including 7-19 (.368) from three-point range. UWRF was 12-18 (.667) from the line.

Macalester was 27-68 (.466) from the field, and 9-20 (.450) from behind the arc. They were 6-7 (.857) from the line. The Scots held a slight, 35-34, advantage in rebounds.

The Falcons, 1-0 overall, will play Peru State at 4 p.m., on Saturday at the second day of the Concordia-St. Paul Classic being played at the Gangelhoff Center.

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Falcons Open Season With Exhibition Loss to BSU
Nov. 10, 2007

The Falcon men’s basketball team opened its season with an exhibition game loss to Bemidji State, 80-61, on Saturday afternoon at the Karges Center.

Each team played all of its players in the game that had BSU winning, 44-25 at the half.

Jontae Koonkaew and Willie Wright each scored 12 points to lead the Falcons, who shot 14-49 from the field. Wright and Scott Kelley each had eight rebounds. The Falcons finished 31-42 at the line – led by Courtney Davis who was perfect going 6-6. Koonkaew was 7-8.

BSU was led by Patrick Cassidy and Seth Haake who each scored 12 points. Haake also led the Beavers with five rebounds. BSU shot 29-55 from the field and 15-23 from the line.

UWRF will open its season next weekend at the Concordia-St. Paul Classic. UWRF will play Macalester at 4 p.m., on Friday and Peru State at 4 p.m., on Saturday.

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