OWENSBORO, Ky. - Winona State (3-1) used 19 points from both Kyle Bauman and Riley Bambenek on Saturday afternoon to defeat Carson-Newman 73-69 in the third place game at the 2016 Hampton Inn Thanksgiving Tournament. The Warriors shot 45.3% from the field and dished out 16 assists on the day. 

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team holding a lead larger than five points. The Warriors led for a majority of the first twenty minutes, falling behind on just two occasions. Carson-Newman (4-2) grabbed their second lead of the game at 12-11 after a nearly three and half minute dry spell for the Warriors. Despite not finding the net, the defense allowed just three points. A three by Bambenek would tie the game at 14 just after the ten minute mark.

Isaiah Gray would hit a layup to give WSU the lead back at 16-14. Carson-Newman would tie the score up on three occasions but never grabbed the lead. Winona State headed to the locker room up 28-25, thanks to a quick 5-0 run near the end of the half.

The Warriors had eight fast break points in the first half. Six different Warriors scored in the half, led by Bambenek's eight points. Both teams shot under 36% in the first half.

The Eagles would quickly tie the game in the second half, hitting a three on their first possession. The lead changed hands eight times in the first five minutes of the second half. The Warriors scored four straight to go up 43-39 but Carson-Newman was able to grab the lead back a few minutes later.

With the score knotted at 46, Bambenek hit back-to-back three's giving the Warriors a 52-46 lead with 10:55 left. The Eagles would pull within one but again Bambenek was there for the Warriors, scoring five straight to lift up the offense. The Warriors were the first team to have a lead over two possessions after Corey Jeffs hit a free throw with 4:48 left, giving WSU a 64-57 lead.

The Eagles found a way to cut their deficit to three and had a chance to tie the game with under a minute to play but could not get any closer than two. Bauman hit a pair of free throws with seven second left to seal the four-point win for the Warriors. 

Winona State shot 54.5% in the second half, finishing 18-33 from the field. A 12-5 advantage for the Warriors in points off turnovers in the second half played a big role in the victory. Carson-Newman got 11 points from their bench in the second half to keep them in the game.

QUICK SHOTS:
Connor Flack was the third Warrior to score in double figures, finishing 5-9 from the field for ten points. 
Bauman was one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with nine. 
Bambenek had seven rebounds and five assists. 
Jeffs finished with seven points off the bench.
The Warriors had a season low nine turnovers.