DULUTH, Minn. – For the second straight game, Winona State University has knocked off an opponent ranked in the Top 10 of the NCAA Division II Central Region. On Wednesday night, it came in the form of a first round upset on the road in the NSIC Men's Basketball Tournament as the Warriors toppled the University of Minnesota Duluth, 62-56.
Despite its up-and-down record this season, Winona State has played solid fundamental basketball all year with strong defense, excellent ball control and the ability to knock down shots at the free throw line. All three of those played big factors in the opening round win of the conference tournament for WSU.
Duluth committed nine turnovers which Winona State converted into 12 points offensively, and the Warriors went 12-for-15 from the charity stripe.
The Bulldogs' 56 points was their third-lowest scoring output of the season, and worst since the Warriors held them to just 53 points on their home court in a regular season loss on February 1st. The most astounding difference in the two ballgames was that UMD's Brandon Myer, the fifth-leading scorer in the NSIC, played Wednesday night after missing the team's last meeting earlier this month.
Not only did the Warriors complete a season sweep of the NSIC North's third-seeded team, but they successfully avenged last year's postseason matchup when the Bulldogs came into Winona for a first round upset.
With the game tied at 22-apiece in the final minutes of the first half, the Bulldogs went on a seven-point run and looked to separate themselves from the Warriors heading into the break. Following a WSU timeout to halt Duluth's momentum, Dalante Peyton's layup made it a five-point game and a steal on the ensuing possession set up a three-pointer by Caleb Wagner to close the half.
Suddenly trailing at halftime by just a 29-27 margin, Wanger and the Warriors were poised for a big second half.
Wagner, who scored 13 of his team-high 18 points in the second half, converted the old-fashioned three-point play to tie the game at 32-32 with 15:40 on the second half clock. Two possessions later, following a turnover by Myer, Kevion Taylor sank a jumper that gave Winona State a 34-32 edge at the 14:40 mark – a lead the Warriors would never relinquish.
With 11:45 left on the clock, senior Mason Domask drained a three to spark a 10-2 run to give WSU its largest lead of the night at 46-37. The Warriors would then endure a nearly five-minute scoring drought late in the half as Duluth chipped away at its deficit to make it a 50-48 contest with 4:48 remaining. Senior Charlie Koontz broke the dry spell and padded the Warrior lead with a clutch three-pointer at the 2:54 mark.
Over the final two minutes, Wagner sealed the Winona State victory at the free throw line. The junior guard knocked down five consecutive shots from the stripe, but the finale wasn't without drama. After a pair of made free throws by Wagner, Myer quickly pushed the ball up court and sank a three to make it a 57-56 affair with 10 ticks left on the clock.
Wagner returned to the line and made his first shot, but missed the second before hauling in his own offensive rebound. After a pair of uncharacteristic misses on Wagner's return trip to the stripe, Myer raced down the court once again facing just a two-point deficit, but was whistled with an offensive foul which effectively ended the ballgame.
Wagner, Taylor and Tommy Gathje all reached double digits in the scoring column for WSU. Wagner dished out a team-high five assists while Taylor pulled down eight boards.
Winona State improves to 13-16 with the triumph while more than likely ending the season of Minnesota Duluth at 18-9.
Next up for the Warriors is a trip to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. for a quarterfinal matchup with Minnesota Crookston, who also advanced with an upset on Wednesday over Augustana. The Warriors and Golden Eagles are scheduled to tip on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
