STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team (10-13, 3-9) let a double-digit second-half lead slip away late in a 69-62 final against visiting UW-River Falls (11-12, 5-7).
 
Zach Mootz (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) led UWSP in scoring with 13 points. Jake Buchanan (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) was also in double figures with 10.
 
Buchanan completed an and-one early and AJ Makinen (Waterford, Wis./Muskego) hit the first three-pointer for UWSP for a 10-7 lead. Mootz, Buchanan and Landon VanCalster (Freedom, Wis./Freedom) each hit from behind the arc for a 20-13 advantage.
 
VanCalster and Makinen drilled threes on consecutive possessions to push the lead to eight. The Falcons pulled even at 28-28 with 3:00 left in the half. Brennan Timm (West Bend, Wis./West) scored five points down the stretch and Myles Coleman (Milwaukee, Wis./Brookfield Central) capped a 9-1 run to end the half with a jumper in the final seconds.
 
Mootz made a layup in the opening seconds of the second half for a 10-point advantage. He nailed a three, but a 10-2 UWRF run tied the game at 46-46. Makinen regained the lead with a three and Coleman added four points to keep UWSP in front.
 
A free throw by Mootz pushed the lead to five, 56-51, with 5:41 remaining. The Falcons closed the game on an 18-6 run as UWSP went more than six minutes without a field goal before Timm scored a layup in the final seconds.
 
The Pointers travel to UW-Eau Claire on Saturday (Feb. 11) for the final road game of the season. Tip-off at Zorn Arena is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.