WINONA, Minn. – Winona State University wraps up its longest homestand for the remainder of the season when Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State travel to McCown Gymnasium for cross-division play. Tipoff against the Golden Eagles is set for Friday at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday's contest against the Beavers slated for 5:30 p.m.
The Warriors have won five of their last seven overall and own a 7-2 mark on their home court this season. WSU has just four home contests remaining on its 2019-20 schedule after this weekend. Prior to Saturday's tilt, Winona State will welcome back former Warriors for its annual alumni game.
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SCOUTING CROOKSTON: Similar to the Warriors, the Golden Eagles enter the weekend with an overall .500 record (8-8, 4-6 NSIC). The Golden Eagles won last season's regular season meeting in Crookston, 80-66, before a rematch in the NSIC Quarterfinals saw WSU prevail with an 80-67 triumph. As it has in each of the past three years, the UMC offense runs through senior Harrison Cleary who leads the NSIC and ranks second nationally with 28.4 ppg. Collectively, the Golden Eagles are 10th in the league in scoring offense (73.8) and rank 14th in scoring defense (76.9). UMC is 2-4 over its last six games, having scored at least 90 points in both victories while averaging 64.25 ppg in the losses. Crookston is last in the NSIC in shooting (41.6%) despite Cleary's 42.3% effort. The senior is also shooting 39.3% from downtown and is the top free throw shooter in the league (92.3%). Along with keeping Cleary in check, the rebounding advantage will go a long way in determining Friday's winner as WSU (-4.6) and UMC (-5.7) own the two worst rebounding margins in the NSIC.
SCOUTING BEMIDJI STATE: The Beavers (8-6, 5-5 NSIC) travel to Upper Iowa on Friday prior to Saturday's finale in Winona. Bemidji State was swept at home last weekend by MSU Morohead and Northern State by a combined nine points. The Beavers rank second in the NSIC in scoring offense (82.4 ppg) with a scoring defense that ranks ninth (73.1). BSU owns the top field goal (49.5%) and three-point (42.7%) marks in the league. The Beavers are also the top defensive rebounding team in the conference. Nick Wagner (17.4 ppg) is one of six Beavers averaging double digits in the scoring column. Logan Bader, who averages 11.3 ppg, is Bemidji's top rebounder (7.6 rpg). Wagner, Max Bjorklund and Ja Morgan are all shooting better than 40% from beyond the arc.
HEAVY LIFTING: In 13 of the Warriors' 16 games this season, either Kevion Taylor or Caleb Wagner have been the leading scorer. Both are averaging career highs in the scoring column as Taylor ranks seventh in the NSIC (19.1 ppg) just ahead of Wagner (18.1). The duo also eclipsed the 1,000-career point milestone earlier this season, doing so in consecutive games. Taylor has recorded a double-double four times this year, including three of the last four games. The junior's 7.5 rebounds/game rank 10th in the league. Wagner exploded for a career-best 35 points earlier this season vs. Bethany Lutheran and leads the team in steals (20) while ranking second in assists (50).
SUPPORTING CAST: With Taylor and Wagner carrying the offensive load, Winona State has seen the emergence of several key role players over the last few weeks. Alec Rosner and Andrea Lo Biondo have each started in all 16 contests this season and are averaging nearly nine points/game while shooting better than 44%. Lo Biondo averaged 21 points over two affairs last weekend while shooting 6-12 from beyond the arc. Rosner scored a career-high 18 points earlier this season and has scored in double figures seven times. Off the bench, Luke Martens has been a valuable sixth-man, averaging 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds while appearing in all 16 games.
PURPLE REIGN: Winona State enters the weekend ranked sixth in the NCAA in total three-pointers attempted (509). The Warriors are still well behind last season's mark for accuracy (39.6%) while currently shooting 35%, but that number has been much improved after the first week of the season. WSU has cashed in at least 10 three-point field goals in 15 of 16 contests this year while sinking a season-best 14 vs. Upper Iowa on Dec. 21st. Kevion Taylor has converted and attempted the most triples (55-144) while he and Alec Rosner are both shooting better than 38% from downtown. One thing is certain – the Warriors will continue to make it rain three-pointers throughout the second half of the season.
BALL SECURITY: The Warriors are rarely going to beat themselves. WSU enters the weekend ranked second in the nation in team turnovers/game (9.5) and ranks 15th in the country in fewest turnovers (152). That is the best mark in the NSIC. After setting a new NCAA record across all three Divisions in 2018-19 (5.96), Devin Whitelow again leads the NSIC and all Division II players with a 5.0 assist-to-turnover ratio.
