25th-Ranked Falcons Move Into WIAC Lead With Win Over Titans

All five starters scored at least 11 points for UW-River Falls during its 85-71 win over the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team on Saturday (Feb. 11) in River Falls. The Falcons (18-5/12-2 WIAC) entered the contest ranked 25th in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com.

Shane Manor tallied 22 points for UW-River Falls, which obtained 79 points from its starting lineup. Ollie White added 19 points and 10 rebounds, as Aaron Anderson marked 15 points, Wade Guerin 12 points and Brian Kimble 11 points. Kimble also dished out five assists for the Falcons, who committed just four turnovers.

The Titans (4-19/0-14 WIAC) received a career-high 22 points from Cory Nickel (So. • Waupun). John Flanigan (Sr. • Oshkosh) used seven free throws to reach 15 points, and Marcus Ray (Sr. • Winneconne) snatched nine boards in just 17 minutes.

Four different Falcons got in the scorebook before UW-Oshkosh was able to tally. Anderson got the game started with a three-pointer, and UW-River Falls grabbed four offensive rebounds in the opening 71 seconds. White then counted a lay-up to put the home squad ahead, 9-0.

Flanigan earned a three-point play and Dylan Wurtz (So. • Kimberly) a deep jumper to get UW-Oshkosh within range. After a Sean Wise (Jr. • Wautoma) hoop at the 11:50 mark, the Falcon lead was 18-13. UW-River Falls then went on a 10-2 run that featured six Manor points and took a 28-15 cushion.

The margin expanded when the Falcons exploded for 11 straight points. Kimble knocked down a three-ball and White followed with a pair of buckets. UW-River Falls took a 46-28 lead to halftime on the strength of 51 percent shooting (19-37).

After intermission, the Falcons compiled five lay-ups in a span of three minutes. Guerin accounted for two hoops, including one to go up 56-28. The Titans slowly chipped away with two triples from Nickel and one by Wurtz to make it 64-46 with 9:40 remaining.

Nickel handled the offense for five minutes, drilling two long-range jumpers and five free throws for 11 quick points. The closest UW-Oshkosh would get was a 72-62 deficit with 2:10 on the clock.

Both teams made 17 foul shots, with the Titans shooting 81 percent (21 attempts) and the Falcons 61 percent (28 attempts). UW-River Falls prevailed thanks to 49 percent accuracy (31-63) from the field, compared to UW-Oshkosh's 40 percent (23-58).

Mario Johnson (Jr. • Milwaukee) recorded nine points, five rebounds and four assists for the Titans. UW-Oshkosh knocked down 8-of-20 from beyond the arc (40 percent) and committed 12 turnovers.

The Titans make a trip to fourth-ranked UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Feb. 15).