WINONA, Minn. – Following a pair of road games to begin the 2019-20 campaign, Winona State University opens the home portion of its schedule this week with the first of two games in a stretch of four straight inside McCown Gymnasium.
WSU hosts Clarke University (NAIA) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and concludes the week against Michigan Tech on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Warriors went 7-6 on their home court a year ago and are 19-10 in McCown over the last two seasons.
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SCOUTING CLARKE: The Pride (2-2) are coming off a .500 season (16-16) a year ago. Clarke was picked to finish sixth in the 13-team Heart of American Conference out of the NAIA. The Pride's returning leaders from 2018-19 include: senior Darius Lasley (9.3 ppg/5.5 rpg), junior Josh Meier (9.4 ppg/4.1 rpg) and sophomore Keith Johnson (10.8 ppg/3.8 rpg). Lasley is leading the team through four games this season with 18 ppg, followed by Johnson (14), Nick Marshall (12.5) and Jordan Lake (12.25). Lasley is shooting 42 percent (8-19) from beyond the arc and 55 percent from the field. The Pride are averaging 81.5 ppg while allowing 82 ppg.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN TECH: The Huskies (2-0) opened their season with a pair of wins over the weekend against McKendree and Lewis. Michigan Tech went 11-16 (6-14 GLIAC) last year. The teams have split their last two meetings with The Huskies defeating WSU last season, 69-50, and the Warriors winning a 98-66 tilt in 2017. Tech is averaging 70.5 ppg and allowing 63.5 ppg through two games this year. The Huskies are shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 37 percent from downtown. Senior Kyle Monroe is averaging 26 ppg and 9.5 rpg. Dawson Bilski (14 ppg), Tommy Lucca (11.5) and Owen White (10.5) round out the scoring leaders.
PRESEASON PICK: Winona State was voted to finish third in the NSIC South, and sixth overall, in the 2019-20 Preseason Coaches' Poll. Minnesota State and Augie were picked ahead of the Warriors in the South with Mankato slated to top the overall standings. Minnesota Duluth was tabbed to finish first in the NSIC North.
ABOUT LAST YEAR: The Warriors were seconds away from reaching the NSIC Tournament Championship Game last season before suffering a heartbreaking, 77-76, loss to Northern State at the buzzer in the semifinals. Winona State went 14-17 (9-13 NSIC) a year ago and looks to bounce back this year from just its third season below .500 dating back to 1997-98. The Warriors averaged 74.8 ppg in 2018-19 while ranking second in the NSIC in scoring defense (70.7). WSU shot 44.3 percent and owned a 46.5 percent clip from beyond the arc. Kevion Taylor led the way in scoring average (16.6 ppg) followed by Caleb Wagner (13.9).
FROM THE ROAD: It was a slow start offensively for the Warriors to begin the year last weekend in a pair of losses at the Central Region Challenge. Winona State faced two of the top teams in the MIAA, and was limited to 52 ppg while shooting just 30.4 percent from the field and 24.6 percent from downtown. Sophomore Alec Rosner led the way with 10.5 ppg.
VETERAN TRIO: Winona State graduated three core players from the 2018-19 roster in Mason Domask, Tommy Gathje and Charlie Koontz. That trio combined to miss just six games last season while accounting for over 30 percent of the Warriors' scoring. This season, WSU is led by its lone senior, Caleb Wagner, and juniors, Kevion Taylor and Devin Whitelow. Taylor earned All-NSIC Second Team honors last season and Wagner was a Second Teamer in 2017-18. Whitelow set a new NCAA record across all three divisions in 2018-19 with a 5.96 assist/turnover ratio.
NEW KIDS ON THE COURT: This year's Warrior roster is flush with five new faces. Keiron Goodwin, Andrea Lo Biondo and Alier Riak are each junior college transfers, while junior Brandon Goebel joins the team as a walk-on and Joel Rogers is the lone freshman.
