WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State men's basketball team turned in a strong, balanced offensive performance as six Warriors reached double figures in a 92-69 victory over Wisconsin-Superior Tuesday night in McCown Gym.
The Warriors had their best shooting performance thus far, shooting 60 percent for the game – 65 percent in the second half – in its final tune up before the conference schedule begins Saturday.
Riley Bambenek scored a season-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting while dishing out seven assists – just one off his career high. The sophomore also recorded four rebounds with a block and a steal.
Four other Warriors – Tim Wagner, Conrad Masberg, Kyle Bauman and Mark Blacklock – each finished with 11 points while Mohamed Ali Ben Ammar added 10.
The Warriors and Yellowjackets played a tight game for the first seven minutes, with neither team gaining more than a two possession lead, but the Warriors went on a 7-0 run in under a minute to open up a 24-15 advantage with 11:59 to play in the half. An ensuing 10-4 UWS run brought it to 28-25 with 8:25 to play and the Yellowjackets would get it to a one-possession game on multiple occasions, but could never pull even with the Warriors and a Wagner three ball pushed the WSU lead back to eight right before halftime.
Wisconsin-Superior hit a 3-pointer to open the half, but WSU answered with another 12-2 run and the hot-shooting Warriors found themselves with a 55-40 lead with 14:39 to play. The Yellowjackets would make one strong run midway through the second half and cut the WSU lead to as little as seven at 69-62 with 9:29 to play, but the Warriors countered with its most substantial run of the game, a 23-7 spurt over the final 8:19 to run away with the 92-69 victory.
WSU committed just eight turnovers for the game – and only two in the first half – while forcing 18 UWS miscues. The Warriors held a 31-26 advantage in rebounding and had 11 steals and seven blocks while the Yellowjackets failed to record one of either variety. Bauman led the WSU defensive effort with eight rebounds and five of the Warriors' seven swats.
Winona State (3-1) opens its NSIC slate Saturday when it faces Upper Iowa at 6 p.m. in McCown Gym.
