The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team defeated No. 16 UW-La Crosse by a score of 65-63 in a closely contested Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game on Wednesday night.
 
The Warhawks (7-12 overall, 2-6 WIAC) held the Eagles (15-3, 5-3) to 37.7 percent in shooting to edge them in the second half.
 
Sophomore Breontae Hunt (Milwaukee, Wis./Bay View)recorded his first double-double of the season and new season-highs with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Bailey Kale (La Crosse, Wis./Central) led the team with 18 points and four assists.
 
UW-W took the lead at the 17:37 mark with a good 3-pointer from Kale. They held the lead for the following 10 minutes, and led by as many as six points after a 3-pointer from Hunt halfway through the first.
 
UW-L held their lead for the remainder of the half, but the Warhawks did not trail by more than four points. Entering halftime, the Eagles led 30-26.
 
Hunt hit three 3-pointers in the first four minutes to open up the second half. The Eagles countered back in the following few minutes, recording three 3-pointers of their own to hold their lead by as many as six points with 12 minutes left to play.
 
A layup from Hunt with six minutes on the clock tied up the game at 56-56. The Warhawks found a 7-0 run with two layups from James Burks (Milwaukee, Wis./Riverside University HS) and a 3-pointer from Kale to take the lead 63-61. This was the first time they led in 16 minutes.
 
With one minute remaining, UW-L found a layup to tie the game. Kale hit a jumper about 30 seconds later to put the Warhawks back on top with a 65-63 advantage. The Eagles tried to hit a buzzer beater, but the shot was blocked by Burks to secure a Warhawk win.
 
UW-Whitewater will be back in action at Kachel Gymnasium on Wednesday to face UW-Stevens Point. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.