WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State University Warriors opened the game red-hot as the snow began to fall outside McCown Gymnasium on Tuesday night in a wire-to-wire 75-66 win that the Viterbo University V-Hawks made the home team earn down the stretch.
Winona State owned an 11-point lead before Viterbo finally got onto the scoreboard, and the Warriors opened a 23-3 advantage at the 12:34 mark of the first half. WSU led by double digits for a majority of the opening frame, padding its lead to 22 points, before the V-Hawks closed the period on a five-point run to cut into the Warrior lead halftime, 48-31.
Alec Rosner and Caleb Wagner combined for 15 points over the first six minutes of action, knocking down five of seven three-point attempts to begin the game.
The second half was another fast start for the Warriors as Devin Whitelow forced a Viterbo turnover and took it the length of the court for an and-one as Winona State's lead swelled back to 20 points. However, the V-Hawks answered with a seven-point run as they showed plenty of fight over the final 20 minutes of play.
Following Whitelow's early bucket, Winona State was held to just one field goal over the next nine minutes, after shooting 55 percent in the first half. A three-pointer by Dalante Peyton at the 10:53 mark halted a 17-3 V-Hawk outburst, slowing the bleeding down as the WSU lead had shrunk to 57-48. Viterbo once again poured in seven unanswered points over the next minute and suddenly the Warrior lead was down to 57-56 with 9:27 remaining in the half.
Andrea Lo Biondo converted on a pair of free throws during Winona State's next possession and the Warriors never relinquished the lead.
Rosner and Wagner each finished the game with 18 points – a career-high for Rosner. Lo Biondo recorded his first double-double of the season with 10 points and a season-best 15 boards while dishing out five assists. Whitelow also chipped in five assists for WSU.
The Warriors forced 17 V-Hawk turnovers which the home team converted into 28 points, including 17 fast-break points.
Winona State evens its record at 3-3 with its third straight victory ahead of conference play.
The Warriors open NSIC competition on Saturday, November 30 at Upper Iowa with tipoff slated for 4 p.m.
