MARSHALL, Minn. – Riley Bambenek's chance at a game-winner was stolen away with one second left as the Winona State men's basketball team fell to Southwest Minnesota State 61-60 at the R/A Facility in Marshall.
The 100th matchup in series history was a typical matchup between the two teams, a physical battle throughout. The score was tied on six different occasions and the lead switched hands 10 times.
Bambenek hit a jumper with 16:52 to play in the first half to give the Warriors an early 11-2 lead, but the Warriors struggled from the field for much of the remainder of the half. A Travis Meinders 3-pointer for SMSU cut the lead to 17-15 with 11:46 to play, but the Warriors held onto the lead for much of the half until another Meinders 3-pointer put the Mustangs up 26-24. Tim Wagner quickly answered for WSU to make it 27-26 to start a back-and-forth string leading up to a 31-31 score at halftime.
Normally known for their strong bench play this season, the Warriors had just two points from the reserves in the first half while SMSU had 15 from their bench. WSU shot just 39 percent in the first half while the Mustangs shot 45 percent.
Bambenek and Mark Blacklock each had nine points in the first half, but neither were able to score for the Warriors in the second period. After a Conrad Masberg layup with 12:23 to play brought a WSU deficit to just one at 44-43, the Mustangs went on a 9-2 run to open up a 53-45 advantage with 7:38 to play. The Warriors had another answer though, and a Wagner 3-pointer capped off an ensuing 6-0 run to ring it to 53-51 with 6:23 to play. After a 3-pointer by Nick Arenz and a layup by Kyle Bauman, the teams were tied at 56-56 with 3:58 to play. The teams were tied again at 58-58 before a free throw put the Mustangs up one with 1:27 to play. Masberg answered with a mid-range jumper to take the lead, but so did SMSU's Mitch Weg on a layup with 18 seconds left that proved to be the game winner.
In a game of balanced scoring from both teams, Masberg and Bauman led all scorers with 11 points each. Masberg finished just shy of a double-double, adding nine rebounds to go with two blocks and two steals. Bambenek, held scoreless in the second half, finished with nine points and seven rebounds with three assists. Isaiah Gray also added nine points, while Wagner added eight points with a pair of 3-pointers.
The Warriors shot 43 percent (23-for-54) for the game while the Mustangs shot 44 percent (23-for-52). WSU held a 36-30 advantage on rebounds, while SMSU edged the Warriors in the turnover battle, 13-10.
Winona State (4-2, 1-1 NSIC) looks to rebound Saturday with a 6 p.m. matchup at Sioux Falls in the Stewart Center.
