WHITEWATER, Wis. – Austin Ryf (Winneconne, WI/Winneconne) scored 18 points but the No. 15 UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team shot just 33.3 percent from the field in its first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) loss of the season, a 59-44 setback to No. 2 UW-Whitewater on Wednesday evening at Kachel Gymnasium.

Box Score

Ryf shot 6-for-12 from the field, including 4-for-6 from behind the arc, for his 18 points for UW-Stevens Point (13-4, 7-1 WIAC). Alex Richard (Spring Green, WI/River Valley) joined Ryf in double figures with 12 points and seven rebounds but UW-Whitewater (15-2, 8-0 WIAC) held the Pointers to a season-low 44 points.

The loss was just the fourth for UWSP in its last 40 WIAC games since the start of the 2012-13 season. The Pointers have now won nine of the last 11 meetings between the two teams.

The Warhawks led 30-25 at halftime and limited the Pointers to six field goals and 19 points in the second half to pull away. After Joe Ritchay (Wisconsin Rapids, WI/Lincoln) opened the second half with a layup, UWW went on an 8-0 run to take an 11-point lead and led by at least nine points for the final 17:47.

Cody Odegaard scored 10 of his team-high 18 points in the second half for UW-Whitewater. The Warhawks had three other players in double figures, as KJ Evans had 14 and Quardell Young and Steve Egan pitched in with 11 each. Young added 10 assists.

UW-Whitewater got off to a quick 11-2 start in the first three minutes of play but UW-Stevens Point came back by scoring the game's next six points to quickly get within three. Back-to-back threes by Odegaard and Evans gave UWW a nine-point lead again six minutes into the game and the Warhawks led by as many as 11 in the first half.

Trailing 23-13, UWSP used an 8-0 thanks to layups by four different players to get within two. The Warhawks extended their lead to seven late in the half and took a five-point advantage into the locker room.

UW-Whitewater shot over 50.0 percent in both halves to finish the game shooting at a 55.3-percent clip. The Warhawks made 7-of-17 (41.2 percent) from behind the arc, compared to 4-of-15 (26.7 percent) for the Pointers.

UW-Stevens Point outrebounded UW-Whitewater 30-25 in the game thanks to 12 offensive rebounds. UWW countered with a 15-5 advantage in points off turnovers.

The Pointers look to return to their winning ways by hosting UW-Oshkosh on Alumni Day on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. at Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse.