WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State University men's basketball team hits the road this weekend for an important NSIC South trip with the NSIC Tournament looming in two weeks. The Warriors travel to Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State, two teams ahead of them in the divisional standings, but two teams that WSU has already defeated this season.
The Warriors and Cougars tip at 7:30 p.m. on Friday with the final road game of the regular season set for 6 p.m. on Saturday with the Mustangs.
Winona State (11-13, 8-10 NSIC) is coming off a weekend split at home with Minot and UMary. The Warriors have won six of their last nine outings.
Over the second half of the season, the Warriors have warmed up from three-point land and enter the weekend shooting 38.7% for the season. WSU is shooting 41.4% from beyond the arc since the calendar flipped to 2019. The Warriors are 7-0 when sinking at least 13 three-pointers in a game and 9-2 when connecting on at least 11.
Senior Mason Domask is shooting 46% from downtown followed by Tommy Gathje (41.2%) and Kevion Taylor (40.9%). Taylor leads the Warriors in scoring (16.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.4) this season. Caleb Wagner (12.5) and Devin Whitelow (9.0) round out the scoring leaders.
Whitelow's 5.89 assist/turnover ratio this season is currently on pace to set an NCAA record across all three divisions. He has dished out a career-best 106 assists while committing just 18 turnovers. The sophomore guard ranks fifth in the NSIC in assists/game (4.4).
As a team, the Warriors rank second in the league in turnover margin (+3.67) and have committed the fewest turnovers in the NSIC (188). The WSU defense ranks fifth in the conference (71.1 ppg).
Following the weekend road trip, the Warriors return home to conclude the regular season with games against Concordia, St. Paul and Minnesota State Mankato on February 22-23. The NSIC Tournament is set to begin on Wednesday, Feb. 27 with an opponent and location yet to be determined.
Scouting Sioux Falls
The Cougars (15-9, 10-8 NSIC) have lost two straight and four of their last five overall heading into Friday's matchup. Winona State outlasted USF last month in McCown Gymnasium, 80-77. The Warriors shot 56.7% (17-30) from downtown in the win. Taylor scored 27 points, including eight straight for WSU to end the game.
Winona State leads the all-time series, 8-6.
Sioux Falls ranks seventh in the league in scoring offense (79.1 ppg) and sixth in scoring defense (71.9). Both the Cougars (45.4%) and Warriors (44.3%) rank near the bottom of the league in field goal percentage.
Sioux Falls has the league's best rebounding offense (41.4) and pulls down 12.8 offensive rebounds/game. The Cougars owned a 39-25 rebounding advantage in last month's meeting with WSU, including 12 on the offensive glass. Sioux Falls dominated the lane in that game with a 46-14 scoring edge in the paint.
Trevon Evans (23.3 ppg) and Drew Guebert (19.4) rank third and sixth, respectively, in the NSIC in scoring. They combined for 37 points in the last meeting. Guebert (5.8) and Pal Teathloach (5.2) lead the team in rebounding.
Scouting SMSU
The Mustangs (13-11, 8-10 NSIC) have dropped two straight and are 3-3 since losing at Winona State last month, 85-67. Despite the best efforts of Ryan Bruggeman, who scored 22 of his 29 points in the first half against the Warriors, WSU cruised to victory in the second half of that game. Taylor posted 23 points in the win on 4-of-8 shooting from downtown and a 7-for-7 effort from the free throw line.
Winona State leads the all-time series, 70-38.
Bruggeman leads the conference in scoring (25.0 ppg) and ranks fourth in assists (5.4). Taylor Schafer (13.5) and Kenny Byers (10.3) round out the scoring leaders. Braedan Hanson (4.5) leads the Mustangs in rebounding.
Behind Bruggeman, SMSU ranks fourth in the NSIC in scoring (80.6 ppg) but is 14th in scoring defense (80.7). The Mustangs are fifth in shooting (48%) and fourth from beyond the arc (40.9%).
