The No. 20 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team erased an 11-point deficit in the first half Monday night to defeat Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham (N.J.) 84-73 in a non-conference affair on the second day of the Pikes Peak Holiday Classic at Colorado College.
The Warhawks (8-2 overall) outscored the Devils 14-2 over the final five minutes of the first half and took a double-digit advantage midway through the second to claim their fifth consecutive victory.
Junior forward Cole Van Schyndel totaled 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and grabbed six rebounds to lead UW-Whitewater, which shot 63.3 percent in the second half and 54.7 percent for the game.
The Warhawks held FDU-Florham (3-8) to 38.2 percent shooting in the second half and 44.4 percent for the contest.
Junior guard Drew Bryson posted 15 points and five rebounds, hitting 6-of-7 from the field in 34 minutes. Junior guard Haki Stampley recorded 14 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists, and sophomore guard Jerry Ngobi contributed 13 points and a team-high four assists.
Senior guard Trinson White tallied 10 points and team bests of nine rebounds and two blocks.
Trailing 36-25 with 5:26 remaining in the first half, UW-Whitewater registered the next nine points and the final five of the first half. Ngobi gave the team a 39-38 lead with a 3-point play in the waning moments of the period.
After the Devils tied the affair at 51-51 with 14:24 left in the second, Van Schyndel gave the Warhawks the lead for good with a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession.
UW-Whitewater held a 66-55 advantage by the 9:04 mark of the frame and didn't look back, increasing the margin to as many as 15 the rest of the way.
The Warhawks held a 58-34 advantage on points in the paint and outscored FDU-Florham 15-6 on second-chance points.
UW-Whitewater closes play in Colorado Springs Wednesday at 2 p.m. Central Time against Colorado College.