Alexander's double-double spurs Blue Devils to win

UW-Stout 81, UW-River Falls 71

RIVER FALLS (February 5, 2021) – TYreese Alexander notched a double-double for UW-Stout and the Blue Devils went on to an 81-72 win at UW-River Falls Friday.
 
Alexander scored a career-high 22 points and matched a career-best 10 rebounds in recording his third double-double at Stout.
 
Armani Tinsley added 15 points and Lovell Williams scored 10 points.
 
Trailing 29-28 at halftime Stout (1-1, 1-1 WIAC) ran out to a nine point, 41-32 lead five minutes into the second half. Alexander scored 16 points in the second  half.

Demitri Martin got the Blue Devils going out of the halftime gate, drawing a foul on his lay-up and completed the three point play to put Stout ahead, 31-29, a lead Stout would never relinquish.

Alexander scored six points in a 45 second span around the 16 minute mark to push Stout up 37-32 and guards Luke Geiger and Marcus Hill added a pair of layups. Alexander went to work again, scoring four more points to give Stout a 45-36 lead at 14:16. 

The Falcons (1-1, 1-1 WIAC) made a run, pulling to within two points, 47-45, on a 3-pointer by Noah Hanson, but Alexander gave Stout a four point cushion and that would be as close as River Falls would get the rest of the way. 

The Blue Devils would build up as much as a 15 point lead, but the Falcons did not roll over, cutting the lead to four points, 72-68, at 1:18.  A basket by Drew Scott and four free throws by Armani Tinsley and two throws by Josh Mericle kept the Falcons at bay. 
 
The Falcons got a game-high 24 points from Alex Ohde, who also had 12 rebounds. Noah Hanson added 16 points, Jack Stensgard 13 and Bryce Phillips 10.

The Blue Devils shot .484 (31-64) for the game, but shot .568 (21-37) in the second half. The Falcons shot .400 (28-70) for the game. 
 
Stout out-rebounded River Falls, 41-30. Led by Alexander's 10 boards, the Blue Devils got a chunk of rebounds from their guards, with Tinsley grabbing seven, Geiger six and Mericle and Marcus Hill five each. 
 
The Blue Devils will host UW-Eau Claire, Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m., then will be at Eau Claire, Friday, Feb. 12.