MANKATO, MInn. – Winona State University completed a weekend road sweep Saturday by upending (RV) Minnesota State University Mankato, 90-78. Tommy Gathje scored a season-high 24 points as the Warriors have won five straight road games.

Winona State improves to 18-8 (13-7 NSIC) and has won 14 of its last 18 games overall, including 10 of its last 12 since the calendar flipped to 2018.   

Gathje scored 22 of his 24 points in the second half as WSU exploded for 52 points over the final 20 minutes on 63 percent shooting in the last half of play. The Warriors went 8-for-14 from beyond the arc in the second half, including a 4-for-6 effort from Caleb Wagner.

The Warrior victory was made possible by erasing an 11-point Mankato lead in the first half. Winona closed the half on a 10-4 run which Kevion Taylor capped on a three-pointer to send the Warriors into the locker room facing just a 41-38 deficit.

Winona pulled ahead for good on a layup by Gathje at the 14:51 mark of the second half. Midway through the half, the Mavericks cut the Warrior advantage to 64-61, but Wagner connected from downtown on the following possession to pad the WSU lead back to six points.

Wagner's made three-pointer marked a stretch where the Warriors went 4-for-7 from long range for the remainder of the contest.

The Warriors out-rebounded the Mavericks, 35-23 on the night, with perhaps the biggest board coming from Gathje as the clock ticked under five minutes. Mankato had scored four unanswered points to make it a 77-70 affair. Both teams missed on their ensuing possessions, but with 4:42 left to play, Wanger missed a three-point attempt and Gathje tip-topped the end line to keep an offensive rebound alive. The junior proceeded to convert on a short jumper, assisted by Wagner, to push the Winona lead back to nine points.

That bucket opened a 13-8 WSU run to the finish line with the Warriors knocking down 4-of-5 free throws to seal the win.

Gathje's offensive success has ignited the Warriors of late as the Winona big man is averaging over 17 points per contest on 64 shooting over the last seven games.

Wagner chipped in his sixth 20-point effort of the year on 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc. Taylor led the way with eight rebounds and 18 points.

The Warriors' 11 offensive rebounds led to 20 second-chance points against Mankato.

The Mavericks fall to 20-6 (16-4 NSIC) with the loss.

Winona State concludes the regular season at home next weekend with games against Augustana and Wayne State.