HANCOCK, Mich. – The UW-Superior men's basketball team placed four players in double figures, getting a career-high 15 points from junior Enrique Sanchez (Madrid, Spain/IES María Guerrero), in a 103-77 victory over Finlandia at the Paavo Nurmi Center on Wednesday.
 
The Yellowjackets started slow, going down by as many as seven points seven minutes into action before rebounding for the resounding win, its fifth consecutive against the Lions. 
 
Superior's backcourt duo of junior Xavier Patterson (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) and sophomore J'Vaun Walker (Rosharon, Texas/Manvel) combined for 41 points on 16-of-26 shooting with five rebounds and five assists, spearheading the attack, Patterson led all players with 21 points with four 3-pointers and three assists, while Walker added 20, four rebounds and three steals. 
 
Sophomore Joey Barker (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) was the final UWS player in double digits with 10 points to go with four boards and two assists in 16 minutes off the bench.
 
UWS (8-13), which stopped a two-game losing streak with the win, shot 56.5 percent for the game, connecting on 39-of-69 attempts. The 'Jackets were 57.6 percent (19-for-33) from the floor in the second half, and tied a season high with 11 treys.
 
Finlandia (3-19) built an 18-11 advantage on a B.J. Williams triple at the 7:06 mark, prior to a UWS rally that knotted the game at 20 as Sanchez completed a three-point play, following a feed from Patterson.
 
The 'Jackets took the lead for good on a pair of Patterson free throws for a 26-24 edge with 8:27 to play in the first half. Those two from the line touched off a 20-3 run over the next five minutes that gave UWS a 44-27 cushion with 3:27 remaining in the half. Sophomore Josh Reinertsen (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) punctuated the stretch with a 3-pointer, assisted by Sanchez.
 
Superior led, 51-36, at intermission.
 
UWS wasn't threatened in the second half, ballooning the lead to 39 at 82-43 with 11:28 on the clock when Patterson hit a 3-pointer, assisted by Mason Ackley (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior).  
 
Finlandia got 17 points, five rebounds and four assists from Danny Zuchak. The Lions won the glass, collecting 35 rebounds to 33 for UWS.
 
UWS returns to UMAC play Friday, hosting North Central at 5:30 p.m.