WINONA, Minn. – Winona State University men's basketball hosts the Waldorf University Warriors on Tuesday night in McCown Gymnasium at 7 p.m.
The non-conference matchup will serve as an exhibition for Waldorf.
Winona State is in the midst of a season-long five-game homestand which concludes a week from today in another non-conference contest with Michigan Tech. WSU hosts Upper Iowa this Saturday in NSIC action.
Tuesday's game will be aired live on HBC25.
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SCOUTING WALDORF: The Waldorf Warriors (6-7) enter play on Tuesday riding a modest three-game winning streak – their longest to date this season. Waldorf is one of the top rebounding teams in the NAIA, ranking 12th in total rebound defense (31.3). Waldorf is also averaging 11.9 offensive boards per game. Kaden Verdin is the Warriors' leading scorer (16.1 ppg) and rebounder (7.8). Brady Kuchinka is averaging 13.6 ppg on 45% shooting from three-point range. Over its first eight games of the year, Waldorf surrendered an average of 85.6 ppg (2-6), but has since cut their opponents down to 67.8 ppg (4-1). Waldorf dropped an 89-62 exhibition at Sioux Falls last month.
LAST WEEKEND: Winona State battled back from a 12-point deficit to Mankato in the second half of last Friday's game only to see the Mavericks prevail with an 83-72 win. The Warriors successfully put an end to their three-game skid the following night, defeating Concordia-St. Paul by a final score of 77-59. WSU shot a season-worst 39% against Mankato and knocked down less than 40% of its three-point attempts for only the third time this year (all three have been loses).
DOWNTOWN: The Warriors enter the weekend ranked third in the NSIC in three-point shooting (41.8%). WSU has knocked down at least nine three-pointers in six of its last seven games, and seven of nine overall this year. WSU has made at least one three-point field goal in 511 consecutive games, dating back to Nov. 29, 2000 in a 79-57 win over Saint Mary's. That game, more than 17 years ago, was the last time the Warriors went scoreless from beyond the arc.
SCORING OUTBURTS: Junior Charlie Koontz (17 points vs. MSU) and Caleb Wagner (22 points vs. CSP) each tallied career-highs in the scoring column last week. Koontz has scored in double digits in three of five games since returning from injury to begin the year. Wagner, who also recorded a career-best eight assists vs. CSP in his first career start, is averaging 16.3 ppg over the last three contests. Junior Mason Domask also netted a career-high 20 points at Sioux Falls earlier this month. As a team, Winona State ranks eighth in the NSIC in scoring (79.3 ppg), which is up from last year's average of 72 ppg which ranked 14th in the league.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE: Winona's lone senior, Corey Jeffs, leads the Warriors in scoring this season at 13.3 ppg. The Melbourne, Australia native also leads the team with 5.2 rebounds per contest. Jeffs poured in a season-high 27 points last month again Saint Mary's.
