RIVER FALLS, Wis. – UW-Stout delivered one of its most complete defensive efforts of the season Wednesday night, stifling UW-River Falls in a 66-52 victory at Page Arena to clinch a berth in the WIAC postseason tournament.
The Blue Devils (9-15, 5-8 WIAC) held the Falcons to 33.3 percent shooting and just 16 first-half points, setting the tone early and never surrendering control against a River Falls squad receiving votes in the national poll.
First Half: Defense Sets the Tone
After an early 6-6 tie, Stout began to tighten the screws defensively. At the 13:05 mark, Collin Vick jumped a passing lane for a steal, and although the Blue Devils didn't convert immediately, the pressure began to mount on the Falcons' guards.
UW-Stout took the lead for good at 11:57 when AJ Uttech finished in the paint to put Stout up 10-8. Moments later, Uttech powered inside again at 11:02 and converted the three-point play to make it 13-8.
The Blue Devils' defense fueled a decisive 17-4 run midway through the half. At 8:00, Domanyck Schwarzenberger found Vick on the wing for a three-pointer that pushed the lead to 19-8. On the next few possessions, Stout forced contested shots and limited River Falls to one-and-done trips.
Uttech capped the surge with a layup at 4:33 to stretch the margin to 27-12, and he added another bucket with 38 seconds left in the half to give Stout a commanding 31-16 lead at the break.
River Falls shot just 5-of-27 (18.5 percent) in the first half, including 0-of-8 from three-point range, as the Blue Devils controlled the glass and protected the paint.
Second Half: A Knockout Run
River Falls trimmed the deficit to 31-19 in the opening minute of the second half, but Stout responded with its most explosive stretch of the night.
After Mason Stoik scored inside at 18:22, Schwarzenberger buried a three at 17:24 to make it 37-21. Nolan Stauffacher then finished a fastbreak layup at 16:46, and Schwarzenberger struck again from deep at 16:15 to extend the lead to 42-21.
Schwarzenberger wasn't done. At 15:42, he converted in transition and completed the and-one to push the advantage to 45-21, capping a 14-2 burst that effectively put the game out of reach.
Later in the half, with River Falls threatening to chip into the lead, the Blue Devils executed one of their best possessions of the night. With 2:36 remaining and Stout leading 63-46, Schwarzenberger initiated the action at the top. He swung the ball to Carson Leuzinger in the corner, who used a pump fake to lift his defender before kicking it back out to AJ Uttech beyond the arc. Uttech quickly flipped it back to Schwarzenberger, now wide open at the top of the key. Schwarzenberger drained the three to make it 66-46, punctuating the sequence and sealing the outcome.
River Falls never got closer than 14 in the final minutes.
By The Numbers
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19 – Points from Domanyck Schwarzenberger, who shot 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range.
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17 – Points from AJ Uttech, who added six rebounds and consistently attacked the paint.
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10 – Points, seven rebounds and six steals from Collin Vick, spearheading the Blue Devils' perimeter defense.
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44-38 – Rebounding advantage for Stout, including 13 offensive boards.
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18.5% – River Falls' first-half shooting percentage (5-of-27).
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2-of-14 (14.3%) – Falcons' three-point shooting on the night.
Stout scored 38 points in the paint and forced 14 River Falls turnovers, turning defensive stops into timely transition opportunities throughout the contest.
Up Next
The Blue Devils close out the regular season Saturday, traveling to UW-Platteville — also receiving votes in the national poll — for a 5 p.m. matchup. With a WIAC tournament spot secured, Stout will look to build momentum heading into postseason play against another nationally recognized opponent.
