The No. 16 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team posted a dominant performance on both ends of the court Friday afternoon in a 79-68 victory over Central (Iowa) in the team's regular season non-conference finale at JustaGame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells.
The Warhawks (11-0 overall), who are off to their best start since the 2009-10 season, shot 58.8 percent from 3-point range in the first half and held on in the second half despite a furious rally by the Dutch.
Sophomore guard Andre Brown registered 10 of his team-high 16 points in the second half and added a team-best seven rebounds and three assists to lead UW-Whitewater. Sophomore forward Derek Rongstad posted 15 points on five 3-pointers, and sophomore guard Mitchell Pfeifer totaled 13 points and five rebounds.
Freshman guard Zach Knobloch collected 12 points, and junior forward Scotty Tyler recorded 13 points and five rebounds.
In the first half, the Warhawks knocked down 10 three-pointers, including four from Rongstad.
After UW-Whitewater grabbed a 28-15 advantage on Rongstad's fourth 3-pointer of the period, the Dutch (7-4) posted a 10-0 run to draw within three by the 6:52 mark.
The Warhawks took the momentum back and built their lead going into the half, taking a 44-33 advantage on a pull-up, 35-footer by Knobloch just before the halftime buzzer sounded.
UW-Whitewater began the second half on a 16-4 run, opening up a 60-37 advantage after a drive to the basket and layup by Brown.
Central drew to within 10 around the five-minute mark, but the Warhawks held on.
UW-Whitewater opens Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play Wednesday against UW-La Crosse. Tipoff at Kachel Gymnasium is scheduled for 7 p.m.