The No. 10 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team erased a deficit in the second half and continued to extend its lead in a 79-59 victory over Sul Ross State (Texas) in a non-conference affair at Concordia University in Austin, Texas.
Trailing 48-43 with 14:13 on the clock in the second half, the Warhawks (10-0) posted a 13-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Dalton Menke, and never led by fewer than nine the rest of the way.
Menke tallied a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead UW-Whitewater. Senior guard Malik Clements posted 15 points, seven rebounds and two steals, while senior guard David Sachs registered 12 points and five assists.
Senior forward Derek Rongstad recorded 11 points, five rebounds and two steals, and junior guard Tywon Bressler chipped in with nine points and three rebounds.
The Warhawks overcame a 5-for-20 performance from 3-point range by out-rebounding Sul Ross State (4-7) by a 45-35 margin and holding the Lobos to 32.8 percent shooting for the contest, including a 25-9 percent clip in the second half.
UW-Whitewater doubled up Sul Ross State 44-22 in points in the paint and held a 36-22 in points off the bench.
The game was tied four times over the first five minutes before the Lobos ran off nine straight points to take a 20-11 advantage with 13:08 on the clock.
Sul Ross State led by more than one possession until the 4:53 mark, when Sachs hit a pair of free throws to bring the Warhawks within 24-21.
A 3-pointer by Menke with 2:23 remaining gave UW-Whitewater the lead, and it held a 3-point advantage at halftime thanks to a 3-pointer by Rongstad and a jumper by Sachs over the final 1:05 of the period.
The Lobos scored the first eight points of the second half, but the Warhawks quickly tied the affair on a 3-point play by Bressler and a jumper by Clements. Sul Ross State maintained its lead until UW-Whitewater started its run at the 13:57 mark.
The Warhawks conclude their trip to Austin Saturday at 7 p.m. against host Concordia Texas.