The UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team looked to secure its third home win of the season and continue its strong start by moving to 6-1. Standing in the way was undefeated Elmhurst University, which entered the night at 6-0 and hoped to hand the Warhawks their first home loss. Whitewater’s only defeat had come against a strong St. Thomas (Texas) squad in a tournament, but the rest of the schedule had produced decisive victories.
In the end, the Warhawks pulled away from the Blue Jays, taking an 88-72 win. Yet, inside the Kachel Family Gymnasium, the Warhawks faced what would become one of their toughest tests yet. Senior guard Luke Bara wasted no time making his mark, scoring eight of Whitewater’s first 10 points.
“We had a game plan to just come out and attack,” Bara said. “Got a couple good looks and saw some fall early.”
Despite Bara’s early surge, the matchup was tight throughout the first half. Neither team led by more than seven, but Whitewater held the advantage for more than 15 minutes of the opening period. Elmhurst placed heavy defensive attention on junior guard and leading scorer Collin Madson, frequently sending double teams off ball screens and drives. That pressure opened perimeter opportunities for teammates like Bara, who continued to capitalize.
“The double teams coming didn’t really shock me,” Madson said. “I’m always looking to score, but if I can get an open shot for a teammate rather than a contested shot for myself, I’m always going to look for that.”
Madson finished the first half with just five points but led the team in assists with three, a number that didn’t fully reflect his impact as a facilitator.
Both teams shot efficiently before halftime. Elmhurst hit 55% of their shots from the field, while Whitewater shot over 60%, finishing 16-for-25. The Warhawks also made all 10 of their free-throw attempts and took a 46-40 lead into the locker room.
Still, Whitewater head coach Jarod Wichser was unhappy with the defense, particularly the team’s response to Elmhurst’s off-ball action.
“All three phases weren’t good,” Wichser said. “We didn’t have good ball pressure, we weren’t communicating and helping on the screen, and we weren’t jumping over the ball and getting over it.”
Madson echoed the concern, noting that Elmhurst’s constant cutting and screening created early confusion.
“We haven’t really played many teams that have a synchronized offense where it’s always cutting off the ball and back screens,” Madson said.
Elmhurst opened the second half with a backdoor cut for a quick score, trimming the deficit to four. But Whitewater soon caught onto the action, anticipating those cuts and turning them into defensive stops.
“Once we cleaned that up, and guys were a lot more physical and pressuring the ball, we were a lot more disruptive,” Wichser said. “That really negated that option for them.”
As the Warhawks tightened up defensively, turnovers turned into opportunities. Madson opened the half by drilling a tough step-back three, then repeatedly attacked the rim. His scoring burst helped Whitewater stretch the lead to 16 with just a few minutes remaining.
Bara credited the rotation for helping ignite the push.
“Some of the guys that checked in during the second half really contributed,” Bara said. “They really bought in defensively and pushed the lead to about 14, and our second half came from that.”
Whitewater outscored Elmhurst 23-12 in points off turnovers, a statistic that drastically swung momentum and ultimately helped seal the victory.
“It’s huge. It’s something we’re trying to work on defensively, being more physical on the ball,” Wichser said.
Bara finished with 24 points on an efficient 6-for-8 from three. Madson scored 16, including 11 in the second half. Two other Warhawks scored in double figures, and another added nine, underscoring the team’s balanced attack, something Madson believes is crucial moving forward.
“It just makes us harder to guard,” Madson said. “When we have four or five guys in double digits, it doesn’t allow them to just focus on one guy.”
The Warhawks will look to continue their early-season momentum when they travel to Lawrence University Dec. 10.
