Box Score WHITEWATER, Wis.- Opening conference play on the road Saturday (Jan. 3), UW-Oshkosh men's basketball defeated UW-Whitewater in the Warhawks' Kachel Gymnasium at Williams Center by a score of 90-78.
 
The Titans (10-2, 1-0 WIAC), receiving votes in the D3hoops.com national poll, started their WIAC slate with a victory after a string of five consecutive 3-pointers midway through the first half on their way to shooting 57.7 percent (15-of-26) from beyond the arc, the best mark so far this season.
 
Whitewater (9-3, 0-1 WIAC) fought back to a one-point deficit early in the second half but could not find a way to reclaim the lead. The Warhawks were held to less than 26 field goals for the third time this season and recorded a season-best 41 rebounds to the Titans' 31.
 
Leading Oshkosh's trio of double-digit scorers was Michael Metcalf-Grassman (Shawano/Waukesha/Shawano Community). He made 7-of-12 field goals, including two 3-pointers, and 5-of-7 free throws for a season- and game-high 21 points while stealing a team-best two possessions.
 
Brandon Beck (Rockton, Ill./Hillcrest Prep (Ariz.)) followed with 17 points on 6-of-9 from the field, 3-of-5 from 3, and 2-of-4 from the line. Along with Joey LaChapell (Appleton/Appleton East) and Matt Imig (Ashwaubenon/Ashwaubenon), he recorded three assists in the contest.
 
The Titans' third-highest scorer was Carter Thomas (Neenah/Neenah), who matched career highs in free throws made (eight) and attempted (10), added a pair of 3-point shots for 14 points.
 
LaChapell and Imig both finished the game one point shot of 10.
 
UW-Oshkosh shot 50 percent (26-of-52) from the field as a team and 74.2 percent (23-of-31) from the line to go with the spectacular 3-point clip. The Titans attacked the lane for 22 points in the paint, used 11 Warhawk turnovers, including six steals, to tally 17 points, and got 26 points from bench players.
 
Collin Madson and Richie Warren paced Whitewater's offense with 17 points apiece and two more reached double-digit scoring. The Warhawks shot 37.9 percent (25-of-66) from the field, 30 percent (6-of-20) from three, and 73.3 percent (22-of-30) from the line. Nearly half of their points (36) came in the paint, and they recorded 21 points off the Titans' 15 turnovers.
 
Whitewater scored the first points of the game on a layup before Beck swapped the lead for the first time with a 3-pointer in the following possession. After a shot from the charity stripe knotted the score at 3-3 just over a minute into play, Oskar Kangas (Iron Mountain, Mich./Iron Mountain) sank a shot from beyond the arc.
 
The Warhawks went on a 7-0 run to lead, 10-6, with 15:06 on the clock. Then the Titans got 15 points on the board in two-and-a-half minutes on five 3-pointers (two from Imig, one from Beck, one from Logan Rindfleisch (Milwaukee/Wisconsin Lutheran), one from Thomas), while holding Whitewater scoreless with an Aiden Hawkinson (Waupun/Waupun) block, a pair of unforced turnovers, and two missed shots. Kangas got the run started by blocking a Warhawk layup.
 
Oshkosh's lead decreased from 21-10 at 11:29 to as low as four points three different times before, however it fended off Whitewater each time. Following Metcalf-Grassman's second 3-pointer of the half, the Warhawks closed out the period on a 4-0 run to send the teams to the locker room with the score at 37-34 in Oshkosh's favor.
 
Whitewater scored first in the second half on a layup but never got back within a point of the lead for the rest of the night.
 
The Titans used three 5-0 runs and a later 4-point spurt to lead by 12 points at 5:23 and 3:47. The Warhawks climbed back within seven points just before the clock passed the 3-minute mark on a layup and three free throws and reached the mark again with the clock at 1:00, but Oshkosh dominated the final minute of play with all five points from the line against a trio of missed 3-pointers attempted by the hosts.
 
The Titans host No. 3 nationally ranked UW-La Crosse at Kolf Sports Center at 7 p.m. Wednesday (Jan. 7). While the teams are an even 5-5 in the last 10 contests, Oshkosh looks to snap a four-game skid to the Eagles.