UW-Superior defeated UW-Whitewater 69-66 Saturday afternoon in Mortorelli Gymnasium in Superior, Wis., giving the Yellowjackets three wins in the last four meetings between the teams.  UW-W, ranked 11th in the D3hoops.com poll, is 12-3 overall and slips to 5-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference while Superior improved to 7-9 overall and 3-4 in the league.

UW-W had the upper hand early in the first half, taking a 15-9 lead on a three by junior guard Eric Bryson at 15:35.  But the tables turned and the Yellowjackets built a five point margin, 30-25 on a layin by junior guard Jarrod Peterson with 1:41 left in the half as UW-S took a 32-29 lead into intermission.

Both teams struggled from long range, Bryson's was the only successful Warhawk three in six attempts and Superior was 0-5.  Whitewater made all eight of its free throw tries and UW-S went 8-10.  The Yellowjackets scored eleven points off Warhawk turnovers.  Peterson led all scorers with 11 points, hitting 4-5 from the floor and 3-3 from the line, also contributing four rebounds and three steals.

Whitewater closed within 42-41 at 14:33, but it was short-lived as a Peterson three at 8:38 gave Superior its largest lead of the contest, 59-49. 

With 2:01 left junior guard Alex Merg hit two free throws to inch the Warhawks back to 67-63, and on the ensuing possession the Whitewater defense forced a shot clock violation.  Sophomore point guard Quardell Young's driving layup at 1:07 cut the deficit to two, 67-65.  Superior brought the ball downcourt, Whitewater's defense came through again, this time with a steal, but on the break the other way Peterson may have saved the game for UW-S by blocking the Warhawk layup attempt with 0:44 left.  Turning the ball around the other way, Superior also turned the ball over, throwing it out of bounds.  UW-W set up Young for a driving layup attempt, where he was fouled.  He missed the first free throw and made the second to make it 67-66 Superior with :06 on the clock.  UW-W fouled Peterson immediately on the inbounds, and he made both free throws for a 69-66 lead for UW-S.  The Warhawks got off a rushed three at the buzzer that went off the rim.

Superior won the rebound battle 32-22, but Whitewater countered with a 14-22 edge in turnovers, just four coming in the second half.  Whitewater made 22-26 free throws, Superior 18-22, but the Yellowjackets made up with a 52% to 41% accuracy mark from the field.  The Warhawks were 2-12 from three point range, Superior 3-10.

UW-W senior center Luke Knoble led both teams with 21 points, his season high, going 7-13 from the floor and 7-8 at the line.  Young was the only other Warhawk scoring in double figures with 11.  Peterson, the 'Jackets leading scorer on the season, scored 20 points and grabbed a game high seven rebounds.  Seven foot junior center Bronson Byrne scored 16 with a game high four blocked shots, and Brendan Bauer chipped in with 15 points for Superior.

UW-W will host UW-Oshkosh Wednesday at 7:00 in Kachel Gym of Williams Center.