WINONA, Minn. – Winona State University welcomes Upper Iowa University to McCown Gymnasium on Saturday evening and looks to sweep the season series from the Peacocks. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
The Warriors opened NSIC play last month with a 90-80 road win at Upper Iowa. WSU owns a 6-3 record against UIU over the past five years, and seeks its first season sweep since 2013-14.
The Warriors conclude their season-long five-game homestand on Tuesday in non-conference play vs. Michigan Tech.
Saturday's game will be aired live on HBC25.
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SCOUTING UPPER IOWA: The Peacocks (7-6, 1-4 NSIC) enter the weekend having lost four of their last five games, a stretch that began with the home loss to Winona on November 25th. The Warriors will look to exploit an UIU defense which ranks 14th in the league in scoring (79.8 ppg). The Peacocks' rebound defense ranks last in the NSIC (37.9). Offensively, the Peacocks' 162 turnovers are the most in the conference. Carson Parker ranks eighth in the NSIC with 17.8 ppg for an offense that ranks ninth overall in scoring (79.2 ppg). WSU used a balanced scoring attack of five players hitting double digits at Upper Iowa. Devin Whitelow led the way with 17 points, but will miss Saturday's tilt due to an injury.
COMING IN HOT: The Warriors are coming off their most complete statistical game of the year in Tuesday's non-conference win over Waldorf. WSU knocked down a season-best 15 three-pointers while shooting 56% from downtown. Overall, the Warriors 53% effort from the field was their second highest of the year. Winona's 17 offensive boards were a season high, and 40 total rebounds were second-most this year. The Warriors also combined to dish out a season-best 21 assists.
POINT OF EMPHASIS: Winona State's current two-game winning streak has been led in large part by the play of guards Mason Domask and Caleb Wagner. Wagner was thrust into the starting point guard role (for the first time in his career) against CSP last Saturday, and proceeded to score a career best 22 points. The sophomore followed that up with a career-best 11 assists vs. Waldorf on Tuesday. Wagner has hit double digits in points in four straight, and is averaging 19 ppg and 9.5 assists/game in those two starts. Since the Upper Iowa game, Domask is averaging 17.8 ppg over his last five, including a career-best 20 points at USF.
DOWNTOWN: The Warriors enter the weekend ranked second in the NSIC in three-point shooting (43.5%). WSU has knocked down at least nine three-pointers in seven of its last eight games, and eight of 10 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.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE: Winona's lone senior, Corey Jeffs, ranks second on the team in scoring this season at 12.4 points per game. The Melbourne, Australia native is also second on with 4.9 rebounds per contest. Jeffs poured in a season-high 27 points last month again Saint Mary's.
CENTER OF ATTENTION: The Warriors' big man, Tommy Gathje, is putting together a solid junior campaign after averaging 10.3 ppg a year ago. The 6-foot-8 forward enters Saturday's game averaging 11.9 ppg and 4.1 rebounds while shooting a crisp 49% from beyond the arc.
