Men’s Basketball hosted their 2023 home opener against Gustavus Adolphus on Nov. 15.
Last season, the Falcons played Gustavus in their season opener. UWRF held a twelve-point lead at halftime. After a failed second-half comeback from the Gusties, the Falcons won 62-58.
On Wednesday, the Falcons came in 0-2, but their losses had been narrow. In game one, UWRF lost 56-57 to Concordia College-Moorhead. And in game two, they lost 70-75 against UW-Superior.
The Gusties also came in 0-2, losing to two WIAC teams in UW-Whitewater and UW-Platteville.
After a back-and-forth forty minutes, the Falcons hoisted a tight 62-60 win. Jacob Butler headlined the win after dropping his UWRF career high of twenty-two points. This helped the Falcons grab a season-high of thirty-nine bench points.
Center Jack Leifker stepped into a starting role this season as Rodrick Payne transferred to Division I Western Illinois University in the offseason. Leifker had nine points in the first half but was held to only two in the second half. He finished 4-of-13 on two-pointers.
New UWRF addition Zac Johnson averaged 20.5 points over the first two games but was held under double-digits against Gustavus. In the first half, he landed only one two-pointer and two free throws. The second half looked similar, and Johnson was held to a season-low eight points.
The Falcons will travel to Winona, Minnesota, to face Saint Mary’s University on Nov. 18. SMU will come in winless at 0-3, and the 1-2 Falcons will look to climb to .500 on the season.