Falcons Outshine Stars

MEQUON, Wis. – Saturday saw the CUW men's basketball team extend their win streak to four games with a resounding 102-78 win over Dominican to improve to 5-8 overall and 5-3 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play. 

Out of the gate, it was all Falcons, as the Blue and White jumped to a 25-7 lead with 12:37 remaining in the first that saw seniors Zech Hans (Hartland, Wis.) and Freeman Jackson (Green Bay, Wis.) both drill triples. The momentum culminated in a layup by senior Gabe Pruss (North Fon du Lac, Wis.) on a pass from senior Samuel Meerstein (Green Bay, Wis.). 

CUW kept up their great shooting in the first half as junior Jonah Jurss (Sheboygan, Wis.) and Zech Hans nailed triples on back-to-back possession to widen the gap to 33-15.

Later in the half, sophomore Mekhi Sutton (San Diego, Calif.) found freshman Matt Merlo (Random Lake, Wis.) on a backdoor cut for an emphatic two-hand dunk as CUW continued to enjoy their sizable lead. 

Junior Adam Bruins (Oak Creek, Wis.) made an immediate impact off the bench, hitting a pair of three-pointers to push the Falcons ahead 49-32 with 2:19 left. 

Despite a 17-point deficit, the Stars made a late push, narrowing the gap to single digits by halftime at 51-42. 

The Stars carried the momentum into the second half, reducing CUW's lead to just two points with 17:38 remaining.

However, the Falcons would respond, mounting a 13-5 run to secure the 62-54 lead courtesy of two threes from Zech Hans, a fast break score from Freeman Jackson, a Jonah Jurss three, and two free throws from Gabe Pruss. 

The Blue and White continued to add their lead as in the next two possessions, Freeman Jackson broke his defender down and got to the hoop, and Samuel Meerstein completed the three-point play to go up 72-56 with 12:17 left in the game.

With 6:16 left, Matt Merlo made another highlight reel-worthy play after throwing down a reverse dunk to give the Falcons a 21-point lead. 

The following Falcon possession would see Jack Fritz (Colombus, Wis.) get the offensive rebound and convert two second-chance points for the Falcons, while the possession after that saw Adam Bruins complete the old-fashioned three-point play with a strong finish around the hoop to give the Falcons the 90-66 lead. 

The scoring barrage for the Falcons would continue even until the last minutes of the game, as Mekhi Sutton hit freshman Owen Smith (Wauwatosa, Wis.) with a dime after the pick-and-roll to give Smith two points on the night. 

Freshman Isaac Seidel (Wausa, Wis.) joined the Falcon scoring frenzy, hitting a quick three to give the Falcons 96 points. 

Then, in the next possession, freshman Severin Hilt (West Bend, Wis.) hit the midrange pull-up for CUW's 97th and 98th points of the night. 

Senior Austin Thur (Bloomer, Wis.) also hit a deep two-pointer to push the Falcons into triple digits. Meanwhile, Tevin Dillon (Prattville, Ala.) put the finishing touches on the game, throwing down a dunk with the seconds winding down to score his first points as a Falcon. 

As a team, the Falcons were 11-of-22 from beyond the arc and shot an impressive 65.6% from the field. 

Individually, Freeman Jackson led the Falcons with 19 points, while Zech Hans added 17, Gabe Pruss and Matt Merlo chipped in 13, and Adam Bruins scored 11. In total, 14 different Falcons recorded a point. 

Defensively, Gabe Pruss had one block and three steals.

The Falcon will continue NACC play and hit the hardwood again on January 10th at Benedictine, with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m.