The Winona State men's basketball team closes out its four-game nonconference slate with an 8 p.m. matchup Tuesday night against Wisconsin-Superior in McCown Gym. The Warriors then get set for their conference opener, a 6 p.m. tipoff against Upper Iowa at home.
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This Week's Storylines:BACK ON TRACK: The Warriors got the performance they were looking for Saturday against a tough Cardinal Stritch squad, coming away with an 87-58 win over the Wolves.
IT'S BEEN AWHILE: The Warriors and Wisconsin-Superior will be meeting for the first time in over 40 years. WSU and UWS are tied 2-2 in series history, with the Warriors claiming a 94-92 victory in the teams' last meeting on Dec. 16, 1973.
SCOUTING THE YELLOWJACKETS: UW-Superior comes into McCown Gym with a 2-2 record on the season. The Yellowjackets have faced familiar competition already this year, losing to NSIC foe Minnesota Duluth 80-70 on Nov. 18 and beating Minnesota Crookston 69-65 in an exhibition matchup on Nov. 8. UWS has three players averaging more than 15 points per game, led by Ty Ketz (18.5).
CONFERENCE TIME: WSU begins conference play Saturday, welcoming in travel partner Upper Iowa to McCown Gym. The Warriors have won the last three meetings with the Peacocks, including a sweep last season thanks to a 93-86 win in Fayette and a 78-68 victory in Winona.
SCOUTING THE PEACOCKS: Upper Iowa holds a 3-1 record, and will play Iowa Wesleyan College before squaring off against WSU. The Peacocks have played tough competition early on, facing three teams from the MIAA. UIU beat Fort Hays State and Missouri Western State and lost to Northwest Missouri State. The Peacocks have five guys averaging 10 or more points per game, led by Grant Lang (14.5).
GRAY DAY: Sophomore Isaiah Gray had a career day against Cardinal Stritch Saturday. The quick guard provided a spark off the bench, scoring a career-high 24 points to go with a career-high nine rebounds, while also contributing four assists and two steals in just 24 minutes. Gray's previous career high of 19 points was set last year against the same Cardinal Stritch team.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY: Sophomore Riley Bambenek has put together two 19 point games and one 18 point game through the first three contests, giving him in average of 18.7 points per game, good for fourth among NSIC players. Bambenek also ranks in the top 10 in 3-pointers made (2.7 per game) and 3-point percentage (.571).
DEFENSE WINS: Through the first three games of the season, WSU has allowed the fewest points per game of any team in the Northern Sun at just 54 points per game. The Warriors are second among NSIC teams in field goal percentage defense, allowing their nonconference opponents to shoot just 35 percent from the floor. WSU is also the league's leader in blocked shots, averaging a whopping 5.7 per game (17 total), while Mohamed Ali Ben Ammar ranks third in blocked shots with six (two per game).
CLEANING THE GLASS: Big man Kyle Bauman has been a rebounding presence early on. The sophomore ranks fifth among NSIC players with 5.7 rebounds per game.
