WHITEWATER, Wis. - The Gustavus men's basketball team was tasked with the No. 2 ranked Division III team in UW-Whitewater for its season opener Friday night and lost 88-59. The Gusties held a 36-35 halftime lead but the Warhawks exploded for 53 second half points in the decisive win. 

It was a tale of two halves for the Gusties as they shot 45 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes, including 6-for-14 from three points range. The second half was a much different story as the Gusties shot a pedestrian 24 percent from the floor and made just one shot from beyond the arc. 

Whitewater jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first six minutes of the game and maintained the advantage until the Gusties ended the half on a 19-8 run. During that six minute stretch, the Gusties made four three-pointers, two from Brady Kienitz, while Wyatt Olson made three buckets from inside the arc. 

The Warhawks regained the lead with their first shot of the second half and never trailed the rest of the way. The Gusties tied the game at 42-42 with 16:48 left in the game, but Whitewater scored 11 consecutive points over the next four minutes and then outscored the Gusties 26-6 in the final eight minutes. 

Spencer Swanson led the Gusties with 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, including a team-high six rebounds. Olson added 10 points and four boards. 

Gustavus stays in Wisconsin and will play at UW-Platteville at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. 
  Read Full Article