ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College men's basketball team led for most of the game, then held off a late charge to earn its first win of the season, 74-70 over UW-River Falls on a Non-conference game Wednesday night in the Leonard Center. The Scots are now 1-2, while the Falcons open their season 0-1.

Hungry for its first win of the new season, Macalester started strong with a 13-2 run that included three-pointers by senior guard Tom Andreae (Newton, Mass./Newton North), first year guard JP Kerrigan (Atherton, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) and junior guard Eric Wentz (Minot, N.D./Minot). UW-River Falls responded by scoring the next 10 points to spark a 12-2 run and tie the score at 15-15. Bookend threes by junior forward Ryan Brush (Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue) and sophomore guard Kaden Holdbrook (Palo Alto, Calif./Gunn) started and ended a 15-4 spree that put the Scots on top, 30-19 with 4:37 left in the half. Wentz and Holdbrook hit from deep again to extend the lead to 15, 36-21. After the Falcons scored back-to-back baskets, Wentz made a jumper and another three to make the score 41-24. The Scots would take a 43-27 advantage at the break, with Wentz scoring 18 points in the first half.

Early in the second half, UW-River Falls used a 10-5 run to pull to within 11, 48-37. A conventional three-point play by Wentz brought the lead back to 14 with 15:32 on the clock. Every time the Falcons tried to get back in the game, the Scots had an answer, eventually pushing the advantage up to 61-44 with seven minutes remaining. Threes by Gavin Ralph and Jeremy Wanguhu started a 12-3 run by the visitors that was broken up by Holdbrook's sixth three-pointer of the night for a 67-56 lead at the 2:41 mark.

UW-River Falls refused to give up, rallying to within five points, 71-66 following a three from Regan Merritt with a minute left. After a Kerrigan free throw, Zac Johnson's layup made it a four-point game, 72-68 with 25 seconds left. Wentz was fouled on the next play but he missed the free throw. On the following possession, junior forward Noah Shannon (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) blocked a layup attempt, Holdbrook grabbed the rebound drew a foul. He hit both free throws, and a basket by Jack Leifker just before time expired was not enough to deny the Scots their first win.

Holdbrook finished with a career-high 25 points, including 6-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc. He also had five rebounds and two steals. Wentz was 4-of-6 from three-point range en route to 21 points. Shannon and senior forward Armando Akapo-Nwagbo (Owerri, Nigeria/Pomona) each snared seven boards, with Shannon adding six points and four assists. Kerrigan contributed eight points, six rebounds and three assists in his best game as a Scot. Leifker led the Falcons with 21 points and seven rebounds.

Macalester hits the road for a non-conference game at UW-Superior on Saturday, Nov. 16. Game time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Superior, Wis.