KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Winona State University men's basketball team traveled South away from the Minnesota cold to begin the 2019-20 season on Friday afternoon, but experienced a frigid shooting performance in a 71-50 loss to No. 10 Missouri Southern State University.
The Warriors, who shot better than 44 percent from the field and beyond the arc last season, were held to a 25.8 percent clip from the field on Friday and shot just 23 percent (9-39) from downtown. The Lions also had their way with the Warriors on the glass, out-rebounding WSU, 56-33.
Defensively, the Warriors kept the Lions in check in the first half before Missouri Southern, who led the MIAA with 86.7 point per game a year ago, found its offensive rhythm with 44 points in the second half. The Lions were limited to 33 percent effort from the field in the opening frame before shooting 50 percent in the second to put the Warriors away.
Senior Caleb Wagner was the lone Winona State player to reach double figures in the scoring column, registering 10 points to go along with a team-high six rebounds.
With the sluggish first half nearing its conclusion, Missouri Southern used a 10-4 run to carry a 27-16 advantage into the break. Wagner knocked down a last-second three-pointer to trim the Warrior deficit back to single digits and somewhat salvage an otherwise dormant shooting performance from downtown in the first half (3-20).
Winona State doubled its three-point production in the second half (7-22), but it wasn't nearly enough to keep up with the Lions over the final 20 minutes of action. Andrea Lo Biondo connected from three-point land to break the scoring seal on the second frame before Missouri Southern went on a 15-3 run over the next four minutes to pad its lead back to double digits where it remained until the final whistle.
Kevion Taylor, Alec Rosner and Keiron Goodwin chipped in eight points apiece in the setback.
The Warriors wrap up play at the Central Region Challenge on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. against (RV) Washburn University. Following this road trip Winona State will play its next four games at home inside McCown Gymnasium.
