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| Schedule/Results | Statistics | Meet The Falcons | Players of the Week | Roster | WIAC |
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Hoeg Named to D3hoops.com West All-Region Second Team Falcon basketball player Hans Hoeg (Jr., Litchfield, Minn.) has been named to the 2006 D3hoops.com West All-Region second team. Earlier this year Hoeg was named to the first all-WIAC team. Hoeg, a 6-3 guard, led the Falcons in scoring averaging 17.3 points a game. He was second in the WIAC in scoring. He also led the team in rebounding averaging 4.5 per outing. He played and started all 25 games and shot 139-309 (.450) from the field, including 58-138 (.420) from three-point range. He was 96-116 (.828) from the line. He led the Falcons in field goals, three pointers and free throws. Hoeg also had 39 assists, second on the team, three blocks and a team high 32 steals. He averaged a team leading 35.9 minutes per game. He led the Falcons in scoring in 15 games and scored in double digits in 22 contests. He scored a career high 31 points in a 75-60 win at Superior on Jan. 25. He twice had nine rebounds in a game - on Feb. 15 against La Crosse and on Jan. 25 at Superior. He scored at least one three-point field goal in 21 of the team's 25 games. Hoeg was named the team's Player of the Week four times during the season and was the WIAC Player of the Week on Jan. 30. In his career Hoeg is averaging 11.6 points and four rebounds per game. He has 79 assists and 67 steals.
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Bowen Named Athletic Director; University of Wisconsin-River Falls Chancellor Don Betz has named Rick Bowen as full-time athletic director for the university. Bowen will retire as head men's basketball coach, a position he has held for the past 20 years, to devote full-time efforts to the athletic director position, which he has held since 2004. Assistant men's basketball coach Jeff Berkhof has been named interim head coach by Betz. He has been Bowen's No. 1 assistant coach for the past nine seasons. The changes take effect on April 1, 2006. "The University has given me the opportunity to be the full-time athletic director at UW-River Falls," said Bowen. "After 37 years of coaching basketball, the past three in the dual role of basketball coach and athletic director, the time has come for me to make a decision. The workloads of both positions demand a full-time person. I am proud to be the full-time athletic director, and I am also pleased that Jeff Berkhof will be replacing me as interim basketball coach." Bowen led the 2004 basketball team to the WIAC championship. It was the first championship won at UW-RF since the 1950 season. The Falcons, 20-7 overall, hit the 20-win mark for the first time since that championship 1950 season. He was named the WIAC basketball Coach of the Year, and his peers also selected him as the National Association of Basketball Coaches West Region Coach of the Year. 2004 was a banner year for the Falcons. The NABC named Rich Melzer as the Div. III National Player of the Year and a first team All-American for the second consecutive year. Melzer is now playing professionally for a team in New Zealand in the Australian professional league. Bowen compiled a 265-249 (.515) career record at UW-RF. He is seventh all-time in victories in the WIAC. Bowen came to UW-RF in 1986 following five years as a Wisconsin Badger assistant coach where he served with current Badger Coach Bo Ryan. He previously was an assistant coach at Ball State University, working under Coach Steve Yoder at both institutions. Bowen graduated from Indiana University with an undergraduate degree in physical education in 1966. He served the Hoosiers as a student-manager under two-time National Champion Coach Branch McCracken. Basketball runs deep in the Bowen family. Like his father, son Matthew was a basketball manager at Indiana University under Coach Bob Knight. Grandfather Vernie Bowen was an Indiana High School coach for 40 years. Nephew Christopher is currently the basketball manager at the United States Military Academy under Coach Jim Crews. Nephew Andrew is currently the basketball manager at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind. Bowen began his career in Indiana teaching government and coaching basketball. He earned a master's degree from the University of St. Francis, Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army as a combat medic from 1967 to 1969 with service in Vietnam from December 1967 to December 1968. For his actions in Vietnam he was awarded a Bronze Star. "The basketball program has been my life and my passion over the past 20 years," said Bowen. "That passion and love remain. It is just time. Being the basketball coach at UW-River Falls has been the privilege of my life. I leave the program with a profound sense of gratitude and thanks for a University and a community that has allowed me to do what I love and supported me so well." |
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Hoeg Named to All-WIAC Team Falcon basketball player Hans Hoeg (Jr., Litchfield, Minn.) has been named to the 2006 All-WIAC team. Hoeg, a 6-3 guard, led the Falcons in scoring averaging 17.3 points a game. He was second in the WIAC in scoring. He also led the team in rebounding averaging 4.5 per outing. He played and started all 25 games and shot 139-309 (.450) from the field, including 58-138 (.420) from three-point range. He was 96-116 (.828) from the line. He led the Falcons in field goals, three pointers and free throws. Hoeg also had 39 assists, second on the team, three blocks and a team high 32 steals. He averaged a team leading 35.9 minutes per game. He led the Falcons in scoring in 15 games and scored in double digits in 22 contests. He scored a career high 31 points in a 75-60 win at Superior on Jan. 25. He twice had nine rebounds in a game - on Feb. 15 against La Crosse and on Jan. 25 at Superior. He scored at least one three-point field goal in 21 of the team's 25 games. Hoeg was named the team's Player of the Week four times during the season and was the WIAC Player of the Week on Jan. 30. "Hans is very deserving of making the All-WIAC team," said Falcon Coach Rick Bowen. "It is a tribute to Hans. He led us in almost all categories this season. He certainly is one of the top 10 players the the best conference in the nation." In his career Hoeg is averaging 11.6 points and four rebounds per game. He has 79 assists and 67 steals.
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Falcons Lose at Stout in WIAC Tournament It was a tale of two halves Tuesday night at Johnson Fieldhouse in Menominie for the Falcons men's basketball team. The Falcons enjoyed 63 percent (15-24) shooting in the first half to take a 37-29 first half lead, but were unable to hold on and fell to UW-Stout 75-65 in the first round of the WIAC Tournament. Hans Hoeg led the Falcons, scoring 18 points. He shot 6-12 from the field and played 39 minutes. Ryan Zylstra added 14 points and tied the team lead with seven rebounds. Eric Kossoris added 13 points and also grabbed seven rebounds. Ryan Thompson led the Falcons with five assists. The Falcons came out of the gates firing, knocking down 63 percent from field goal range as well as from beyond the arc in the first half. With 1:45 remaining in the first half Mark James knocked down a free throw to give the Falcons their largest lead, 34-23. The second half proved to be a different story for the Falcons. Ryan Stangl came out of the locker room firing for the Blue Devils, scoring 15 second half points, helping Stout back into the contest. Stout took their first lead of the second half with 15:12 remaining when Stangle hit a three point basket from the corner to give the Blue Devils a 42-41 lead. Stout built their lead up to six points when Stangl hit another three-point basket with 11:35 to play. The Falcons remained resilient and follwed with and 8-0 run of their own, culminating in a three-point shot from James. The Blue Devils than pulled away again, bringing the lead up to seven points with 6:30 to play. The Falcons were able to bring the game within two, but were never able to get any closer and ended up losing the game 75-65, with the score not validating the tension of the game. The Blue Devils were led by Terry Farmer's double-double. He scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Stangl finished the game with 17 points. The Falcons finish their season with a record of 6-19 overall and 5-11 in WIAC play.
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Falcons Open WIAC Playoffs at UW-Stout The Falcons open WIAC playoffs on the road with a game at UW-Stout on Tuesday at Johnson Fieldhouse. Game time is set for 7 p.m. The Falcons finished seventh in the WIAC standings with a 5-11 record while Stout was second with a 12-4 record. UWRF enters the second season with a 6-18 record while UWS is 19-5. The two teams split during the regular season with each team winning on the road. The Falcons won at Stout on Jan. 11, 66-57, and the Blue Devils won at the Karges Center, 63-49, on Feb. 1. Falcon Coach Rick Bowen has a 24-16 all-time record against Stout. His teams are 12-8 in games at Stout. This is the first time the two teams have met in the league playoffs. The Falcons are 2-5 in first round games in the history of the tourney that started in 1999. UWRF is led in scoring by Hans Hoeg (17.3). He also leads the team in three-pointers (55), rebounding (4.6) and steals (31). Ryan Zylstra is second in scoring (10.4) and rebounding (4.3). Ryan Thompson, who averages 6.1 points a game, leads the team in assists (107). The Falcons are 3-8 on the road in 2006. UWRF game preview (PDF File) UWS has a 2-4 record in first round games in the WIAC tourney. The Blue Devils have four players who average in double digits in scoring - Ryan Stangl (12.6), Jacob Nonemacher (12.3), Terry Farmer (11.0) and Adam Chandler (10.9). Nonemacher leads the team in rebounding (7.3) and Greg Chaisson (6.) is second. Chaisson also leads Stout in assists (87). Stout has a 9-3 record at home in 2006. The winner of the River Falls - Stout game will play the winner of the Platteville-Stevens Point game on Thursday at the site of the highest seeded team. The WIAC playoff championship game will be Saturday, once again at the site of the highest remaining seeded team. |
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Falcons Fall to La Crosse in Double OT The Falcons men's basketball team lost their final home game of the season Wednesday night in a heartbreaker to the Eagles of UW-La Crosse in double overtime. The Falcons were led by Ryan Zylstra, who scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Hans Hoeg, who scored 18 points and also grabbed nine rebounds. The Falcons took the lead early in the first half, leading by as many as ten points with 1:21 to play in the half when Ryan Thompson found Mark James for a breakaway lay-up. The Falcons entered the half with a 33-26 lead. In the second half the Eagles slowly chipped away at the Falcons lead. With 8:21 to play Chris Ask hit a three-point basket to tie the game at 48-48. Ask then hit two consecutive jumpers and Eagles guard Chris Fehrenbrach scored on a layup and a free throw to extend the Eagles lead to seven points with 4:30 remaining. The Falcons answered with a 9-2 run of their own to tie the game at 57 with 2:29 to play. After Eagles big man Joe Werner knocked down two free throws with 1:21 to play and the Eagles turned the ball over from a shot clock violation, Hans Hoeg hit an off-balanced jumper in the lane to tie the game at 61-61. Ask missed a short jumper as time expired sending the game into overtime. In the first overtime neither team was able to build a lead larger than two points. Mark James hit a jumper from the wing with 47 seconds remaining to tie the game and then blocked Fehrenbrach's attempt for the game-winner as time expired. In the final overtime La Crosse was unconscious from the floor, they finished the second overtime knocking down all six of their attempts from the field. Ask banked in a leaner with 14 seconds remaining in the game to beat the shot clock and to seal the victory for the Eagles. The game was very even and the statistics mirror that. The Falcons finished the game shooting 45 percent (27-60) from the floor, 39 percent (7-18) from beyond the arc, and 74 percent (14-19) from the free throw line. UWRF finished with 37 rebounds and 18 turnovers. La Crosse finished the game shooting 48 percent (31-65) from the floor, 24 percent (5-21) from three, and 68 percent from the free throw line. They finished with 36 rebounds and 16 turnovers. The Falcons conclude their regular season with a record of 6-18 overall and 5-11 in the WIAC, finishing seventh. The Falcons travel to either Whitewater, Stout or La Crosse for their opening round playoff game on Feb. 21.
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Falcons Fall Short At Whitewater The Falcons men's basketball team lost to UW-Whitewater 81-56 Saturday afternoon at Whitewater. The Falcons were led by Ryan Zylstra, who scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds. Hans Hoeg scored nine points on 2-8 from the field. Whitewater was led by Melvin Williams who scored 20 points on 7 for 10 shooting. Other in double figures were Andy Freund (14), Jeremy Manchester (11), and Rob Perry (10). Craig Anderson led the team with eight rebounds. UWW built an early 8-2 lead and they never looked back. The closest the Falcons got was after one made free throw by Zylstra made the score 12-9 Warhawks with 9:42 left in the half. Whitewater pushed the lead to double digits just before half on a Manchester made three-pointer with 12 seconds left. The score at recess was 32-22 Warhawks. UWW poured it on in the second half building the lead to 18 points after a Williams three-pointer with 13:48 left in the game. After another Williams three-pointer put the Warhawks up by 28 with 7:55 left in the game the Falcons could not claw there way back into the game only getting within 25 points with 2:49 left in the game. Whitewater won in dominating fashion 81-56. On the game the Falcons shot just 31.6 percent (18-57) from the field, 4.8 percent (1-21) from three-point range, and 67.9 percent (19-28) from the free-throw line. The Warhawks shot 50.9 percent (29-57) from the field, 53.3 percent (8-15) from beyond the arc, and 75 percent (15-20) from the line. The Falcons now (6-17, 5-10) look to improve next Wednesday as they host conference rival LaCrosse at the Karges Center. Tip is set for 7 p.m.
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Falcons Oust Eau Claire The Falcons men's basketball team defeated UW-Eau Claire Wednesday night in a thriller at the Karges Center. Hans Hoeg hit the game-winner on an off-balanced jump shot from the free throw line with 18 seconds remaining in the game. The Blugolds had one last shot, but Eau Claire guard Jared Bardon's shot attempt fell short with six seconds to play. Alex Maas knocked down one of two free throws with 0.1 on the clock to give the Falcons a 59-57 win. The Falcons were led by Ryan Zylstra, who scored a career-high 27 points, blocked a career-high five shots and tied his career high with nine rebounds. Hoeg was the only other Falcon in double figures, scoring 21 points. Ryan Thompson led the Falcons with four assists. The Falcons held their largest lead of five points with 7:45 remaining in the half, when Ryan Thompson hit a three point basket giving the Falcons a 17-12 lead. Eau Claire came back and tied the game at 17-17 with 6:39 to go. The Blugolds went on to lead by as many as four points in the first half. Hoeg hit a jumper as time expired to bring the Falcons within two, with the Falcons trailing 29-27 at the half. In the first half the Falcons shot 45 percent (9-20) from the field, 25 percent (2-8) from beyond the arc, and 78 percent (7-9) from the free throw line. The Falcons didn't have the lead in the second half until there was ten minutes remaining. Hoeg hit a three point shot to break a 45-45 tie. Soon after Hoeg's three the Blugolds regained the lead and led until 2:26 in the game when Zylstra hit a short jumper. Bardon scored soon after on an alley-oop lay-up before Hoeg hit the game winner with 18 seconds to play. On the game the Falcons shot 44 percent (20-45) from the field, 22 percent (4-18) from three-point range, and 58 percent (15-26) from the free-throw line. The Blugolds shot 40 percent (20-50) from the field, 25 percent (4-16) from beyond the arc, and 81 percent (13-16) from the line. The win keeps the Falcons (6-16, 5-9) ahead of the Blugolds (11-11, 3-10) at 7th in the conference standings. The Falcons head to Whitewater this weekend to face off against the Warhawks. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
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Pioneers Top Falcons, 70-56 The Falcons men's basketball team lost their second consecutive game Saturday night 70-56, this time at the hands of the Platteville Pioneers. Hans Hoeg led the Falcons once again, scoring a game-high 23 points. He finished the game shooting 5-13 from the field, 4-7 from beyond the arc and 9-12 from the free throw line. Entering the contest Hoeg was second in the WIAC in scoring, averaging 17.2 points per game. Ryan Zylstra was the only other Falcon in double digits, adding 13 points and a team-high six rebounds. Ryan Thompson led the Falcons with seven assists. The Falcons held a brief 2-0 lead in the first minute of play, but never touched the lead again. With 16:05 remaining in the first half the Falcons came within one point, but the Pioneers went on a 10-0 run over the next six minutes to take a substantial lead. The Falcons managed to fight back again, coming within three points with 6:20 remaining in the half, when Hoeg hit a three-pointer to make the score 20-17 Platteville. Over the last six minutes of the half the Pioneers outscored River Falls 20-9 and took a 40-26 lead into the half. The Pioneers extended their lead to 19 points with 13:45 remaining in the game when LeVon Crawford scored on a tip. The Falcons were never able to bring the score within single digits in the second half. UW-RF is now 5-16 overall and 4-9 WIAC play. The Falcons finished the game shooting 38 percent (17-45) from the field, 50 percent (7-14) from beyond the arc, and 65 percent (15-23) from the free throw line. Platteville finished the game shooting 39 percent (18-46) from the field, 31 percent (5-16) from three-point range, and 91 percent from the free throw line, hitting an astounding 29-32 from the charity stripe. The Falcons lost the rebounding battle once again, giving up 34 rebounds, while bringing in 22. The Pioneers had four players in double figures. Crawford led the team with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Josh Langenfeld (11), Mark Gossens (10) and Sean Krause (10) were the other Pioneers with double-digit scoring. The Falcons next game is at home on Wednesday night against the Eagles of UW-La Crosse. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. The Falcons fell to La Crosse on the road 57-55 on Jan. 18 on a buzzer-beater by La Crosse big man Joe Werner. Hoeg led the Falcons with 19 points. |
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Falcons Fall to Conference Leading Stout, 63-49 Feb. 1, 2006 The Falcons men's basketball team lost in convincing fashion Wednesday night to conference leading UW-Stout, 63-49. UW-River Falls was led by freshman guard Erik Olson's 14 points. He shot 5-9 from the field, including 4-6 from beyond the arc. Olson knocked down buzzer-beating three point baskets to end the first half and at the end of regulation. Olson was the only Falcon player to score in double digits for the Falcons. Ryan Zylstra scored nine for the Falcons. The Blue Devils held Hans Hoeg, the Falcons leading scorer, to seven points. Mark James led the Falcons with six rebounds. In the first half the Falcons held a modest three-point lead with 17:40 to play in the half. Over the next 7:30 of play the Blue Devils went on a 13-1 run to build a nine point lead. The Falcons never recovered. The Falcons deficit reached twelve points as time wound down in the half, before Olson hit a three-point basket from about 28 feet. The Blue Devils led 30-21 entering the half. In the first half the Falcons struggled, they shot 39 percent (13-33) from the floor, 27 percent (3-11) from three-point range and 33 percent (1-3) from the free-throw line. The Falcon fell behind by 21 points after the first 8:30 minutes of play in the second half. UW-RF was able to chip away at the lead for the remainder of the game, but never came closer than ten points. The Blue Devils pulled away down the stretch and won the game 63-49. The Blue Devils were led by Terry Farmer's 16 points and seven rebounds. Jacob Nonemacher finished with a double-double, scoring 15 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. The Falcon's held Stout's leading scorer Ryan Stangl to seven points. The Blue Devils doubled up the Falcons rebound total, pulling down 50 rebounds. UW-RF grabbed 25. Stout finished the game shooting 39 percent (25-64) from the field, 25 percent (5-20) from beyond the arc, and 73 percent (8-11) from the free-throw line. The Falcons finished the game shooting 36 percent (18-50) from the floor, 35 percent (8-23) from three-point range, and 63 percent (5-8) from the line. The Falcons fell to 5-15 overall and 4-8 in the WIAC. Stout improved its record to 16-4 overall and 9-3 in WIAC play. On Saturday the Falcons travel to Platteville to face off against the Pioneers. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. |
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Hoeg Named WIAC Player of the Week Jan. 31, 2006 Guard Hans Hoeg (Jr., Litchfield, Minn.) helped lead the Falcons to two WIAC wins last week and has been named the WIAC's Player of the Week, according to league SID Matt Stanek. One of the wins last included a victory over first place UW-Oshkosh on Saturday. The Falcons won at Superior, 75-60, and took a 58-56 win over Oshkosh on Saturday at the Karges Center. He led the Falcons in scoring in both games with a career-high 31 points at Superior and he had 21 against Oshkosh. In the two games he was 17-30 (.566) from the field, including 9-13 (.692) from three-point range. The 6-3, 200 pounder finished 9-11 (.818) from the line. He had 12 rebounds, including a team high nine at Superior, two assists and two steals in 71 minutes of playing time. |
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Falcons Upset Oshkosh in a Thriller Jan. 28, 2006 The Falcons men's basketball team upset the WIAC leading Oshkosh Titans 58-56 Saturday night on a short jumper by senior Mark James as time expired. Hans Hoeg knocked down two clutch free throws tie the game at 56-56 with :06 remaining. After a time out Tim Pearson stole the Titans' inbounds pass and found Ryan Thompson streaking down the side of the court, Thompson thrusted up a shot from a few feet beyond the three-point line with :03 to play, the shot was rebounded by James who laid in the game-winner as time expired to give the Falcons the shocking upset. Hans Hoeg led the Falcons once again, scoring 21 points. Hoeg finished the game shooting 7-12 from the field, 5-6 from beyond the arc and 2-2 from the free throw line. Ryan Zylstra was the only other Falcon in double figures. He scored 13 points on 6-13 shooting from the field. Ryan Thompson added nine points and a team-high five assists for the Falcons. In the first half the Falcons and Titans traded baskets for the first 13 minutes, with the Falcons holding their largest lead of four twice. With 6:30 to play Hans Hoeg scored on a back door cut to give the Falcons a 17-16 lead, starting an eventual 16-2 run for the Falcons that gave them a 31-18 lead with 1:58 remaining in the half. The half ended with the Falcons holding a 33-22 lead. In the second half the Titans fought back. With 6:35 remaining in the game Titans senior guard Andy Jahnke hit a three to give the Titans their first lead of the game at 52-50. Oshkosh built their lead to 56-50 with 3:36 to play, they never scored again. Zylstra scored on a lay-up on an assist from Thompson to bring the Falcons within four. On the next possession Thompson banked in short jumper to bring the Falcons within two with only 2:35 remaining in the game. James was substituded into the game and played tight defense on Jahnke over the next few minutes and scored his only bucket of the game to bring victory to River Falls. The Falcons shot well for their second consecutive game. They finished the game shooting 50 percent (24-48) from the field, 50 percent (7-14) from beyond the arc, and 75 percent (3-4) from the free throw line. Jahnke led the Titans with 22 points. He shot 8-20 from the field and 6-12 from three-point range. He was the only Titan in double figures. The Falcons are now 5-14 overall and 4-17 in WIAC play. Their next game is on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at the Karges Center against UW-Stout. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. |
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Falcons Defeat Superior Behind Hoeg's 31 Points Jan. 25, 2006 The Falcon men's basketball team won on the road Wednesday night, defeating the Yellowjackets 75-60 at Mortorelli Gym in Superior, Wisc. Hans Hoeg led the Falcons, scoring a career-high 31 points in leading te Falcons to victory. Hoeg finished the game shooting 10-18 from the field, 4-7 from three-point range and 7-9 from the free throw line. Ryan Thompson picked up his first career double-double, dishing out ten assists and scoring 12 points. Erik Olson was the only other Falcon in double figures, scoring 11 points, he shot 3-5 from beyond the arc. Superior was led by Tyler Hildebrandt's 15 points and six rebounds. Leonard Cobb scored 11 and picked up a team-high eight rebounds for the Yellowjackets. The Falcons had one of their best shooting performances of the season. They finished the game shooting 53 percent (27-51) f rom the field and 52 percent (11-21) from three-point range. The Falcons didn't fare as well at the free throw line, only shotting 63 percent on 10-16 shooting. The Falcons also out-rebounded their opponent for one of the few times this season. The Falcons finished with 31 rebounds while relinquishing only 28. Hoeg led the Falcons with nine boards. The win improved the Falcons to 4-14 overall and 3-7 in WIAC play. the loss dropped Superior to 4-14 overall and 0-10 in conference play. On Saturday the Falcons host the Oshkosh Titans at the Karges Center. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. |
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Falcons Fall to Stevens Point, 70-56 Jan. 18, 2006 The Falcon men's basketball team lost 70-56 Saturday night to the Pointers of Stevens Point. The Falcons finished with three players in double figures. Ryan Zylstra led the Falcons with 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Hans Hoeg scored 14 points on 4-9 shooting and Ryan Thompson scored 10 points, while dishing out a game-high eight assists and grabbing five rebounds. Mark James led both teams with ten rebounds. With 14:02 remaining in the first half Stevens Point Freshman Pete Rortvedt scored to give the Pointers a 9-8 lead, shortly after Jon Krull hit a three-pointer giving the Pointers a lead that they would never relinquish. Stevens Point played a methodical and composed game in the first half, knocking down 50 percent (15-30) of their shots from the field and 50 percent (6-12) of their shots from beyond the arc in the first half, while limiting their turnovers to five. The Falcons shot 40 percent (10-25) from the field in the first half and 29 percent (2-7) from beyond the arc. They knocked down all of their free throws, going 6-6 from the charity stripe. The Falcons trailed the Pointers 36-28 at the half. The Falcons scored first in the second half bringing them within six, but the Pointers followed with a 7-0 run of their own to bring the lead back up to thirteen. The closest River Falls came after that was within seven when Eric Kossoris scored to bring the Falcons within seven. Stevens Point answered with two quick threes and the Falcons never recovered. Stevens Point is now 12-5 overall and 7-2 in the WIAC. The Falcons dropped to 3-14 overall and 2-7 in WIAC play. On Jan. 25 the Falcons travel to Superior to face off against the Yellowjackets. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. |
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Falcons Defeated at La Crosse, 57-55 Jan. 18, 2006 The Falcon men's basketball team lost 57-55 Wednesday night on a buzzer beater by Joe Werner as time expired. The Falcons took an early lead on two jumpers by Hans Hoeg giving the Falcons a 4-0 lead, but the Eagles came back to take the lead at 10-8 with 12:07 remaining in the first half.The Falcons and Eagles took turns holding the lead until late in the half when La Crosse went on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 31-21. The Eagles held a 33-23 lead entering the half. In the second half the Falcons slowly crawled back into the game, eventually gaining the lead on a lay-up from Ryan Zylstra with 5:53 remaining. Hoeg hit another lay-up and Zylstra hit a short jumper to give the Falcons a 55-49 lead with 3:36 remaining, the Falcons didnt score again. Werner scored seven of his nine points in the final three minutes helping the Eagles pull away with a victory. River Falls finished the game shooting 45 percent (24-53) from the field, 41 percent (7-17) from three-point range and 0 percent from the line, only attempting one free thrwo in the game. La Crosse finished the game shooting 40 percent (23-58) from the field, 58 percent (7-12) from beyond the arc, and 40 percent (4-10) from the free throw line. The Eagles knocked down 6-7 shots from three-point land in the first half. The Falcons were once again led by Hoeg, he scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds. He shot 8-13 from the field and 3-4 from three-point range. Zylstra scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Falcons as well. The Falcons were sparked by 10 points off the bench from freshman Erik Olson, he also picked up five rebounds. Ryan Thompson led both teams with eight assists. Chris Ask led the Eagles with 14 points. The Falcons next host UW-Stevens Point on Saturday, Jan. 21. The tip-off is set for 5 p.m., immediately following the UW-River Falls women. |
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Falcons Lose at UWO, 55-49 Jan. 14, 2006 The Falcon men's basketball team lost a close 55-49 WIAC game at UW-Oshkosh on Saturday afternoon. The Falcons trailed, 25-18, at the half, but rebounded in the second half to make it a close contest. After trailing for the entire second half, the Falcons took a 49-48 lead with 3:27 to play when Ryan Thompson made two free throws. But UWO regained the lead, 50-49, with 2:40 left when Jim Capelle scored on a lay up. The Falcons missed a jumper with :05 to play and were then called for an offensive foul on the rebound. The Falcon bench picked up two technical fouls and Capelle made 5-6 free throws to make the final 55-49. The Falcons got off a last second three-pointer that missed. Hans Hoeg led the Falcons with 15 points. He was 3-13 from the field and 8-10 from the line. Ryan Zylstra added 10 points. Alex Maas led the Falcons with seven rebounds and he scored four points. The Falcons shot just 13-42 (.310) from the field, including a poor 1-15 (.067) from three-point range. UWRF was 22-28 (.786) from the line. UWO was led by Kerry Gibson who scored 15 points and had 12 rebounds. Capelle scored 10 points. UWO had a slight 33-32 advantage in rebounding. UWO shot 15-48 (.313) from the field, including 4-20 (.200) from behnd the arc. They were 21-24 (.875) from the line. The Falcons, now 3-12 overall and 2-5 in the WIAC, will next play at UW-La Crosse on Wednesday with tip off set for 7 p.m. |
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Falcons Defeat Blue Devils, 66-57 Jan. 11, 2006 The Falcon men's basketball team beat the Stout Blue Devils 66-57 Wednesday night at Johnson Fieldhouse in Menomonie. The Falcons improved their conference record to 3-11 overall 2-4 in WIAC play. The win snapped a three game losing streak for the Falcons. Stout entered the game ranked 18th in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, but has now lost three consecutive games. Hans Hoeg was the top performer for the Falcons, knocking down 6-11 shots from the field, including 5-8 from three-point territory and 9-10 from the free throw line. He finished the game with 26 points. Ryan Zylstra scored 14 points and led the Falcons with nine rebounds. Eric Kossoris proved to be a spark off the bench, scoring 13 points, including 3-6 from beyond the arc. Ryan Thompson played all 40 minutes and led the Falcons with five assists, he also picked up nine points and grabbed three rebounds. The Falcons only trailed briefly, falling behind 2-0 in the first minute, but after a jumper by Ryan Zylstra with 17:10 remaining in the first half the Blue Devils never sniffed the lead again. The Falcons entered the half leading 36-22. River Falls shot 52 percent (14-27) from the field, 60 percent (6-10) from three point range, and 100 percent (2-2) from the free throw line in the first half. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils couldn't buy a bucket in the first half, going 0-6 from beyond the arc and shooting 33 percent (9-27) from the field. In the second half the Blue Devils fought back, bringing the game within seven with 15:35 to play. The Falcons answered with a 9-0 run of their own to extend the lead to 46-30 with 13:20 remaining. The Falcons held on down the stretch and won the game 66-57, despite being outscored 35-30 in the second half. The Falcons finished the game shooting 43 percent (20-47) from the field, 50 percent (9-18) from beyond the arc, and 81 percent (17-21) from the free throw line. The Blue Devils finished the game shooting 34 percent (20-61) from the field, 8 percent (1-13) from three point range, and 56 percent (14-25) from the free throw line. The Falcons travel to Oshkosh this weekend to face off against the Titans. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.
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Falcons Fall to Warhawks, 76-65 Jan. 7, 2006 The Falcon men's basketball team lost a 76-65 decision to UW-Whitewater Saturday afternoon at the Karges Center. The Falcons, now 2-11 overall and 1-4 in the WIAC, grabbed a 2-0 lead just 20 seconds into the game when Ryan Zylstra hit a jumper. The Falcons would lead only one more tie in the game - that came with 15:23 to play in the first half when Hans Hoeg scored on a lay up to give the Falcons an 8-7 lead. UWW led by as many as five (17-12) with 10:22 to play in the first half, but the Falcons cut the lead to one (17-16) when Hoeg hit two free throws and Zylstra scored on another jumper. But then UWW went on a 10-0 run to take a 25-16 lead with 7:06 to play in the first half. UWW led 34-31 at the end of the first half. Whitewater led by as many as 15 twice in the second half - the first, 53-38, with 12:51 to play and the second, 60-45, with 10:17 to go. UWRF got as close as nine (70-61) with 1:50 to play when Hoeg hit two free throws. The Falcons were led in scoring by Zylstra who scored 22 points. He was 7-13 from the field and 8-10 from the line. He also led the Falcons with nine rebounds and he had two blocks. The 22 points and nine rebounds are career highs for Zylstra. He is averaging seven points and 3.1 rebounds a game. Hoeg also was in double figure for the Falcons with 14 points and he had five rebounds and three assists. Ryan Thompson led the Falcons with six assists. UWW had four players score in double figures led by Jeremy Manchester who scored 22. He was 8-16 from the field, including 6-8 from three-point range. Andy Freund led the Warhawks with seven rebounds. UWRF shot 21-46 (.457) from the field, including 6-17 (.353) from three-point range. They were 17-21 (.810) from the line. UWW was 27-57 (.474) from the field, including 10-19 (.526) from beyond the arc. They were 12-17 (.706) from the line. The Falcons outrebounded the Warhawks, 34-27, but had nine more turnovers than UWW (19-10). The Falcons will next play at UW-Stout on Wednesday in another WIAC game that starts at 7 p.m. |
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St. Thomas defeats Falcons, 56-53 Dec. 30, 2005 The Falcons men's basketball team lost another close game Friday night at the Karges Center, falling to the Tommies of St. Thomas, 56-53. The Falcons were led by Hans Hoeg and Ryan Zylstra. Hoeg finished the game with 17 points on 5-12 shooting from the field. He was the only Falcon player to get to the line, knocking down 7-8 from the charity stripe. Zylstra finished the game with 14 points, hitting 7-12 from the field. He also pulled down a team-high six rebounds. The Falcons opened the game with a quick 5-0 run after a three-point basket from Scott Kelly and a lay-up from Mark James, but the Tommies came back and took the lead with 15:41 to play on a three-point basket from Sean Sweeney. The Tommies held the lead until 6:37 in the first half, when Eric Kossoris hit a three to give the Falcons a 25-24 lead. St. Thomas held a short lead for the remainder of the half, until Alex Maas hit a three-point shot from the wing as time expired to tie the game at 34-34 entering half time. The Falcons and Tommies struggled on offense to open the second half. With 14:20 remaining in the game Zylstra hit a short jumper to give the Falcons a 38-36 lead. The Falcons held a short lead for most of the second half, building their largest lead of four with 11:27 to play on two made free-throws from Hoeg. The Tommies held an early lead in the half at 36-34, but didnt gain the lead again until 36 seconds in the game when Bryan Schnettler hit a contested three to give the Tommies a 55-53 lead that they would never relinquish. St. Thomas was led by Isaac Rosefelt, scoring 17 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Schnettler also scored 17, including the game winning basket with 36 second remaining. The Falcons finished the game shooting 45 percent (21-47) from the field, 31 percent (4-13) from beyond the arc, and 88 percent (7-8) from the line. The Falcons next game is Jan. 7 against UW-Whitewater at the Karges Center. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
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Falcons Fall to Simpson, 65-64 Dec. 29, 2005 The Falcons men's basketball team fell to Simpson College Thursday night in a thriller at the Karges Center in River Falls, Wis. The Falcons trailed by as many as 18 points in the second half but were able to make a valiant comeback and take the lead with 5:40 remaining. The Falcons and Storm traded baskets down the stretch, but Simpson scored the last bucket, with :09 remaining in the game. Alex Maas missed a last second three point basket from the corner as time expired that would have won the game for the Falcons. Ryan Thompson led the Falcons with 18 points. He scored 13 points in the second half and knocked down three baskets from beyond the arc during the Falcons second half comeback. Thompson finished the game 7-11 from the field, and 4-8 from three-point range. He also led the Falcons with five assists and grabbed four rebounds. Hans Hoeg scored 16 points for the Falcons and grabbed a team-high five rebounds, he also shot 7-11 from the field. The Falcons got off to a slow start, scoring only nine points in the first 15 minutes of play. The Falcons entered the half down 34-18. In the first half the Falcons shot 29 percent from the field, hitting 8-28 from the field and 2-16 from three-point range. In the second half the Falcons came out firing. UW-RF knocked down 56 percent (19-34) of their shots from the field and 50 percent (7-14) from three-point range. The Falcons finished the game with one free throw attempt and Simpson finished with only five. In the first game of the Cenex Harvest Classic St. Thomas beat Culver-Stockton 83-69. Isaac Rosefelt led the Tommies with 24 points, hitting 12-14 from the field. The Falcons next game is Friday night against St. Thomas. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
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Falcons Beat Bethany Lutheran, 79-61 Dec. 16, 2005 The Falcons men's basketball team ended their losing skid Friday night with a 79-61 win over Bethany Lutheran in Mankato, Minnesota. The Falcons improve their record to 2-8 on the season. The Falcons started with a make shift line-up, including sophomore Tim Pearson and freshman Jimmy Glaeser. Pearson scored a career high, leading the Falcons with 19 points, he shot 7-9 from the field, 2-2 from three-point range and 3-4 from the free-throw line. Hans Hoeg scored 16 points and led both teams with a game-high five rebounds. The Falcons shot well in the first half, hitting 43 percent (13-30) from the floor, 46 percent (6-13) from beyond the arc, and 80 percent (4-5) from the free throw line. The Falcons entered the half with a 36-30 lead. The second half was more of the same for the Falcons, hitting 62 percent (18-29) from the field, 46 percent (5-11) from three-point land, and 67 percent (2-3) from the charity stripe. The Falcons finished the game with four players scoring in double-figures. Pearson and Hoeg led the team, and Scott Kelly and Ryan Thompson added 11 and 10 each. Eric Kossoris led the Falcons with four assists. The Falcons next game is Thursday Dec. 29 when the host the Cenex Harvest Basketball Classic. The tournament opens up with Culver-Stockton vs. St. Thomas at 6 p.m., followed by the Falcons vs. Simpson College at 8 p.m.
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Falcons Fall to Macalester, 62-54 Dec. 14, 2005 The Falcons men's basketball team lost to Macalester Wednesday night 62-54 in St. Paul. The Falcons never led after Macalester's Tom Conboy opened the game with a layup on the Scots' first possession. Hans Hoeg led the Falcons with 24 points, shooting 8-14 from the field, 5-10 from three-point range and 3-4 from the free throw line. Ryan Zylstra and Mark James were the only other Falcons in double figures. Zylstra scored 11 and James finished with 10. Eric Kossoris led the Falcons with 7 rebounds. Ryan Thompson led the game with 7 assists. The Falcons largest deficit was 19 points with 1:49 remaining in the first half. The Falcons shot 30 percent (8-27) from the field, 11 percent (1-9) from beyond the arc, and 50 percent (1-2) from the line. The Scots shot 52 percent (14-27) from the field, 33 percent (1-3) from three and 56 percent (5-9) from the free-throw line. The Scots entered the half with a 34-18 lead. In the second half the Falcons made a valiant comeback, but were only to bring it within six points with 2:19 to play on a jumper from Scott Kelly. The Scots responded over the next minute and a half with a basket and a free throw to put the game out of reach. The Falcons finished the game shooting 36 percent (21-59) from the field, 24 percent (7-29) from beyond the arc and 50 percent (5-10) from the free throw line. Tom Conboy led the Scots with 20 points. Brendan Bosman scored 13 and picked up a game-high 9 rebounds. The Falcons travel to Mankato, Minn. to face off against Bethany Lutheran on Friday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
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Falcons Fall to Platteville, 58-45 Dec. 10, 2005 The Falcons men's basketball team lost their third conference conference game in a row Saturday night, falling 58-45 to Platteville at the Karges Center. Sophomore center Ryan Zylstra led the Falcons with 10 points off the bench. Eric Kossoris scored 9 and picked up a team-high two assists. The Falcons fell behind 6-0 in the first four minutes and were unable to come back from the early deficit. The Falcons never led in the game and after trailing 12-5 with 13 minutes remaining in the first half, coming closest with 17:42 to play in the game when Scott Kelly scored to bring the Falcons within six at 33-27. The Pioneers then went on a 22-2 run over the next ten minutes of play to bring the game out of reach. The Falcons shot 33 percent (16-48) from the field, 24 percent (5-21) from three-point range, and 53 percent (8-15) from the free-throw line. Platteville shot 51 percent (22-43) from the field, 45 percent (5-11) from beyond the arc, and 90 percent (9-10) from the free throw line. Freshman Charlie Lohoff came of the bench to lead the Pioneers with 12 points of the bench. LeVon Crawford led the game with 7 rebounds. The Falcons next travel to Macalester on Dec. 14 to face off against the Scots. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m
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Falcons Fall Apart at Eau Claire Dec. 7, 2005 The Falcon's mens basketball team blew a 19 point lead Wednesday night at the hands of the Blugolds of UW-Eau Claire. With 12:27 remaining in the game the Falcons held a their largest lead at 51-32, but Eau Claire outscored River Falls 25-5 in the last 12 minutes to win the game 57-56. Hans Hoeg led the Falcons with 21 points, while picking up six rebounds. Cory Rondeau played well in his first collegiate start, scoring 10 points on 5-6 shooting. Rondeau and Mark James led the Falcons with seven rebounds each. The Falcons opened the first half on fire. The Falcons shot 58 percent (14-24) from the floor, 75 percent (6-8) from three point range and 100 percent (4-4) from the free throw line. The Falcons entered the half with a 34-20 advantage. In the second half the Falcons turned the ball over 13 times, shot 39 percent (7-18) from the field, 31 percent (4-13) from beyond the arc and did not attempt a free throw. With 8:25 remaining in the game the Falcons held a 16 point advantage, but after a lay-up and three consecutive three-point baskets in the following two minutes the lead was dwindled down to five. Rondeau scored to give the Falcons a seven point lead with 5:53 remaining, this was the last time the Falcons would score. In the last 5:30 the Blugolds outscored the Falcons 8-0. Dan Ottney scored the game winning basket with 27 seconds remaining to give the Blugolds the win. Jared Bardon led Eau Claire with 20 points, with 13 points coming in the second half. The Falcons outrebounded their opponent for the first time since their WIAC Champion season in 2003-2004. The Falcons finished with 21 turnovers, while forcing 10. The Falcons next game is Saturday, Dec. 10 at home against UW-Platteville. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
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Falcons Fall to Stevens Point, 74-53 Dec. 3, 2005 The Falcons lost their first conference game Saturday night at the hands of the Pointers of Stevens Point, 74-53. Hans Hoeg led the Falcons once again, with 14 points and eight rebounds. Mark James added nine points and Scott Kelly and Eric Kossoris chipped in eight a piece. Ryan Thompson led the Falcons with five assists. Jon Krull led Stevens Point with 20 points and eight rebounds, scoring 70 percent of his points from the free throw line, where he knocked down 14-16 shots. The Pointers opened the game with an early 5-0 lead, but the Falcons responded with a 6-0 run of their own to take a 6-5 lead with 17:17 remaining in the first half, this would be the last lead the Falcons would have. The Pointers began to pull away and took a 34-20 lead into the half. In the first half the Falcons shot 47 percent (8-17) from the field and 67 percent (4-6) from the line. They were unable to knock down a shot from beyond the arc, going 0-5 in the first half. Early in the second half the Falcons were able to bring the game within 11 points a couple times, but eventually the Pointers were able to pull away. Stevens Point held their largest lead, of 23 points, with 1:17 remaining in the game. In the second half the Falcons shot 42 percent (11-26) from the floor, 40 percent (4-10) from three point range and 70 percent (7-10) from the line. The Pointers shot 58 percent (10-17) from the floor in the second half. On the game the Pointers shot 93 percent (27-29) from the free throw line. Bryan Beamish scored a career high 18 points for the Pointers. The Falcons next game is Dec. 7 at Eau Claire. The game is set to tip-off at 7 p.m.
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Falcons Win Conference Opener Nov. 30, 2005 The Falcons men's basketball team won their conference opener Wednesday night 61-55 over UW-Superior. The Falcons were led by juniors Eric Kossoris and Hans Hoeg. Kossoris scored 20 points on 7-14 shooting from the floor and led the Falcons with six rebounds. He also contributed two assists, two steals and no turnovers. Hoeg finished with 18 points, hitting 6-16 from the floor. He also finished with four rebounds, three assists and led both teams with four steals. The Falcons fell behind early to the Yellowjackets, trailing 0-5 until 15:43 when Ryan Zylstra hit a free throw to give the Falcons their first points. After trailing 9-1 the Falcons began chipping away at the Superior lead, Alex Maas hit two early threes to give the Falcons a 19-18 lead with 8:39 to play in the first half. The Falcons entered the half with a 28-24 lead. Similar to the first half, the Falcons opened the second half slow. The Yellowjackets opened the second half with an 11-2 run and took a 37-30 lead. The Falcons came back with a 7-0 run, culminated by a layup by Maas. After Eric Kossoris hit a three with 13:20 to play to give the Falcons a 40-39 lead the Falcons never trailed again, with the Yellowjackets coming within one on two occasions. In the last minutes Hans Hoeg scored six consecutive points for the Falcons to help them pull away. The Falcons finished the game shooting 36 percent (21-58) from the floor, 40 percent (8-20) from three-point range and 69 percent (11-16) from the free throw line. The Yellowjackets shot 44 percent (23-52) from the floor, 29 percent (5-17) from beyond the arc and 57 percent (4-7) from the free-throw line. The Falcons forced Superior into 20 turnovers, while commiting only ten themselves. The Falcons were outrebounded once again, 38-34. Leonard Cobb led the Yellowjackets wtih 23 points and 12 rebounds. He was the only Superior player that scored in the double digits. The Falcons are now 1-4 overall and 1-0 in the WIAC. On Saturday they travel to Stevens Point to face off against the Pointers, tip-off is set for 5 p.m.
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Falcons Lose Twice in Hawaii Nov. 28, 2005 The men's basketball team played two more scholarship teams last weekend and came away with an 0-2 record. The Falcons had a terrific trip to Hawaii over the Thanksgiving weekend - the only negative was the outcome of the games. "The trip was everything we wanted - except for the outcome of the games," said Falcon Coach Rick Bowen. The Falcons lost an 86-71 decision on Friday to Concordia-Irvine, a team that won the 2003 NAIA National Championship. On Saturday the Falcons lost a 75-67 decision to Westmont - a team that is now 4-1 this year. Against Concordia Hans Hoeg led the Falcons with 19 points. He was 4-10 from the field, including 3-8 from three-point range, and 8-10 from the line. Scott Kelly added 10 points. Alex Maas scored nine points and had five rebounds. Mark James and Eric Kossoris each had five rebounds. The Falcons shot 25-55 (.454) from the field, including 10-21 (.576) from three-point range. They wre 11-13 (.846) from the line. The Falcons trialed, 42-21 at the half, but outscored Concordia, 50-55, in the second half. Against Westmont, Hoeg and James each scored 12 points to lead the Falcons. Kossoris added 11 points. Hoes led the Falcons with seven rebounds. Hoeg and Jimmy Glaeser each had four assists. James and Ryan Zylstra had four rebounds. The Falcons shot 21-51 (.411) from the field, including 11-23 (.478) from three-point range. RF finished 14-19 (.736) from the line. The Falcons, now 0-4, open WIAC play on Wednesday when they host Superior at the Karges Center. Action starts at 7 p.m. |
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Falcons Fall to St. John's, 78-67 Nov. 19, 2005 The Falcons men's basketball team lost their second consecutive game to start the season Saturday night at St. John's, 78-67. The Falcons played well in the first half, shooting 52 percent (13-25) from the floor and 50 percent (4-8) from beyond the arc. The Johnnies were only able to knock down 36 percent (9-25) of their shots in the first half from the field and only 30 percent (3-10) from three-point range. The Falcons entered the half with a 35-30 lead. In the second half St. John's took control. They were able to shoot 52 percent (14-27) from the floor and 50 percent (5-10) from three point land. They also knocked down 83.3 percent (15-18) from the free throw line. The Falcons struggled in the second half, shooting 37 percent (10-27) from the field and 20 percent (2-10) from three point range. The Falcons shot 83.3 percent (10-12) from the free throw line. The Johnnies outscored the Falcons 48-32 in the second half to pull away with the victory. The Falcons were once again led by Hans Hoeg, he scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds. Eric Kossoris scored 12 points as well, for the Falcons. Ryan Thompson came off the bench to play 30 minutes and score six points, he led the Falcons with five assists. The Johnnies had five players in double-figures, led by Craig Schafer, who scored 18 points and grabbed a game-high 9 rebounds. Matt Ohme led St. John's with seven assists. The Falcons next travel to Maui, Hawaii to face off against Westmont, in the Concordia-Irvine Tournament on Friday. |
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Falcons Open Season With 57-54 Loss to Concordia-St. Paul Nov. 18, 2005
The Falcons Men's Basketball team opened the season Friday night with a 57-54 loss to Division II opponent, Concordia-St. Paul. The first half was played with a very high tempo and a low shooting percentage. The Falcons shot 37.9 percent from the field in the first half, knocking down 11-29 shots. They also knocked down 30 percent from beyond the arc, shooting 3-10. Concordia-St. Paul didn't shoot much better in the first half, hitting 40.6 percent of their shots from the field on 13-32 shooting. They also shot 2-11 from three-point range and 1-3 from the free throw line. The Falcons had the lead entering the half, 30-29. Concordia-St. Paul opened the second half with an 8-2 run and took an early second half advantage, with a 37-32 lead. The Falcons fought back and tied the game at 46-46 when Mark James knocked down a three from the wing with 8:25 remaining on a pass from Ryan Zylstra. The game remained tight for the remainder. Kenneth Pointer hit a clutch three-point basket with 1:28 remaining in the game from the top of the key to give the Golden Bears a 56-50 lead. Hans Hoeg hit two consecutive short jumpers to bring the Falcons within two with only 28 seconds to play. Ty Thomas hit one of two free throws for Concordia-St. Paul with 20 seconds remaining to extend the Golden Bears lead to three. On the Falcon's final posession Hoeg missed a three-point basket from the wing and Eric Kossoris missed a last second desperation three off the rebound to give the Golden Bears the victory. The Falcons finished the game shooting 33.9 percent from the field on 19-56 shooting. They also shot 23.5 (4-17) percent from beyond the arc. The Falcons were able to shoot well from the free throw line, knocking down 92.3 percent, hitting 12-13. The Golden Bears finished the game shooting 39 percent (4-17) from the floor, 31.3 percent (5-16) from three-point range and 50 percent (6-12) from the free throw line. Hoeg led the Falcons in scoring with 16 points, he also picked up seven rebounds and two assists. Zylstra was the only other Falcon in double figures, he scored 14 points and pulled down five rebounds. Kossoris led the Falcons with four assists. James also grabbed seven rebounds on the game. Concordia-St. Paul was led by Pointer, who scored 21 points. Kyle Marxhausen led the Golden Bears with seven rebounds. Ty Thomas led the team with four assists and scored ten points as well. The Falcons travel to Collegeville, MN on Saturday to face off against the St. John's Johnnies. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. The Falcons defeated the Johnnie's 62-59 last year at the Karges Center.
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Falcons Open Season Hosting Concordia-St. Paul Nov. 15, 2005 After finishing the 2004-05 season with an 8-17 overall record and a 4-12 record in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference the Falcons men's basketball team hopes to improve in the standings and on the court this season. The Falcons open the season Friday at the Karges Center hosting NCAA Div. II opponent, Concordia-St. Paul. The Falcons finished 8th in the WIAC last season and have been predicted to finish in the same position this season by the sports information directors of the WIAC, but Coach Rick Bowen thinks the team is better than their predicted finish. "I know from what we've seen that we are a heck of a lot better than last year," Bowen said. "Maybe we were a little slighted [by being predicted to finish 8th]." The Falcons enter the 2005-06 season after losing a few notable players from last season. The Falcons lost All-WIAC honorable mention forward Jeff Holt, seasoned-veteran Mitch Coffman, three-point shooting threat Dan Torrez, guard Tyler Haag and transfers Muris Lucarevic and Hector Marchand. The Falcons bring back many notable players as well. Juniors Eric Kossoris and Hans Hoeg lead an experienced backcourt. Both played respectable minutes as freshmen, in the Falcons WIAC Championship season only a couple years ago. "They have to be leaders," Bowen said. Hoeg comes of a sophomore season in which he led the Falcons in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and three point percentage with .456. Hoeg also led Div. III basketball in free throw percentage, knocking down 113-121 for .934 percent. Hoeg started 20 of 25 games last season. Kossoris enters his junior season after averaging 9.1 points per game for the Falcons last season. He finished with a .829 free throw percentage and led the guards with a .439 field goal percentage. He is expected to lead the Falcons as the starting point guard this season. The Falcons enter the season with only one recruited freshman addition, but new and familiar faces fill the roster. Mark James rejoins the team this season after sitting out last season. He played limited minutes as a junior in the 2003-04 season and will begin the season in the starting line-up. "Mark is a very good defender on the ball and he gives us an additional rebounding presence," Bowen said. The Falcons also gain Erik Olson, Jesse Elling, Rory Trimbo and Jimmy Glaeser. Olson and Elling attended UWRF last year, but join the Falcons this year for their first season of basketball at the college level. Trimbo walked on to the Falcons at the beginning of the season and Glaeser joins the Falcons as a true freshman. The Falcons experienced backcourt will bring leadership to the team this year, but in order for the Falcons to finish somewhere between fifth and seventh in the conference they'll need strong seasons from the post players as well. Forward Scott Kelly enters his second season as a Falcon after contributing quite a bit in his freshman season. Kelly started 10 games and averaged 4 points per game. He led Falcon freshman in minutes per game, points per game and rebounds per game. At 6-5 Kelly spreads out the floor for the Falcons with his ability to play inside and knock down the three point shot. The Falcons also need to have a strong season from sophomore Ryan Zylstra. Zylstra played in 14 games as a freshman, starting four. He averaged three points per game and 1.4 rebounds. He will begin the season as the starting center for the Falcons. "We have to get something out of our big guys inside," Bowen said. In addition to an experienced starting line-up the Falcons maintain a good amount of depth. In addition to Olson - Tim Pearson, Ryan Thompson, Nick Hall and Cory Rondeau should all play some minutes off the bench. Thompson averaged 18.8 minutes per game last season and started 11 games for the Falcons. He averaged 2.1 points and led the team with 51 assists. Pearson came off the bench last season and played some big minutes. He averaged 1.8 points per game in 5.3 minutes. On Feb. 12, 2005 he hit a three point shot in the Falcons upset victory of Platteville. Rondeau is expected to be the back-up post man after playing very limited minutes in his freshman season. Bowen commented on Rondeau's improvement from last season. "Here's a guy we almost cut, who is now going to be our back up post player," Bowen said. Hall will also contribute. In his sophomore season he started 11 games and averaged 1.9 points per game. He finished the season with an assist-turnover ratio just over two, with 39 assists and 19 turnovers. The Falcons enter the 2005-06 season with a lot of optimism and with a very hard working group of players. "We've had the best first month of practice I've ever had in my career," Bowen said. "I love the work ethic of this group of kids." |
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University of Wisconsin - River Falls |
