WINONA, Minn. – Senior Mark Blacklock scored a season-high 18 points to lead the Winona State men's basketball team to an 84-63 win over Wayne State Saturday night in front of 1,386 fans in McCown Gymnasium.

The Warriors used their best shooting performance of the NSIC season, hitting 33-of-58 shots (57 percent). WSU was especially effective in the second half, shooting a blistering 65 percent (17-of-26).

Blacklock turned in his best effort of the season, going 9-of-13 from the floor for a game-high 18 points with three rebounds and two steals.

Blacklock was just one of four starters to finish in double figures, joined by Conrad Masberg's 15 points, Corey Jeffs' 12 points and Kyle Bauman's 10 points and nine rebounds.

After a 6-6 start to the game, the Warriors quickly jumped in front with a 20-0 run helped by back-to-back 3-pointers from Nick Arenz and Riley Bambenek and capped off with a pretty turnaround jumper from Bauman to push the lead to 26-6 with 8:30 to play.

The Wildcats directly answered with a 21-8 run of their own to cut the lead to just seven at 34-27 with 1:30 to go in the half. Masberg hit a 3-pointer to give him 11 first half points with under a minute to play, but WSC answered with one of its own and the score was 39-32 at the break.

The Warriors methodically built the lead back up early in the second half, as a 19-6 spurt – led by a strong inside game with every basket coming in the paint – put the Warriors back up by 20 points, 58-38, at the 13:01 mark.

Wayne State again answered with an ensuing 8-0 run to cut it to 12 but that's as close as they'd get as WSU pushed the lead back to 20 as part of another 8-0 run and WSU comfortably pulled away for the 84-63 win.

WSU claimed a decisive 41-27 edge in rebounding and dished out 13 assists compared to Wayne State's six.

Winona State (8-10, 7-7 NSIC) heads back on the road next weekend, traveling to Bemidji State for a 6 p.m. tap Friday night before heading to Minnesota Crookston to face the Golden Eagles at 6 p.m. Saturday.