Box Score Fayette, Iowa - Warrior freshman
Connor Dillon - playing in just his second college basketball game - paced Winona State to a 81-79 non-conference victory over Upper Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 16.
The first in a pair of contests added on Friday, the WSU-UIU matchup was the result of a series of COVID related cancellations across the NSIC South, in a week where Winona State was originally scheduled to host the University of Sioux Falls and UIU was set to see Southwest Minnesota State. When both series were canceled, officials from UIU and WSU worked Friday to get the games scheduled and staffed. Both contests will count as non-conference games and affect the season records for the schools. With the win, Winona State moves to 1-1 overall and 0-0 in the NSIC South and Upper Iowa falls to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the NSIC South.
Head coach
Todd Eisner noted, "I was really pleased with the way our guys competed against a very good UIU team. Our defensive efficiency in the second half was really important as we struggled against the Upper Iowa zone defense."
In his first collegiate action against Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 02, Dillon, a 6'1" freshman guard from Peoria, Ill., saw just five minutes of action but went 2-for-2 from three-point land in the brief mop-up stint.
Head coach
Todd Eisner must of liked what he saw, as Dillon parlayed his effort into a start against the Peacocks and did not disappoint. Dillon went 5-for-6 from behind the arc and was 7-for-11 overall in 26 minutes of work. He was 3-for-4 from the foul line en route to 22 points for the Warriors.
"It was great to see
Connor Dillon have an outstanding game and his contributions on offense were really important in the win", Eisner said.
In complement to Dillon's contributions, the Warriors brought a well-balanced effort across the board with
Kevion Taylor adding 11 points, five rebounds and a pair of assists in 36 minutes, while
Andrea Lo Biondo led WSU in rebounding with eight boards, 11 points and a blocked shot.
Devin Whitelow was one of four Warriors to hit double digits on the day with 10 points - and most importantly - only one turnover while spending 30 minutes on the floor running the Warrior offense.
Owen King added seven points and
Luke Martens eight.
Winona State had to withstand a late Upper Iowa effort, as the Peacocks drew to within two when Jareese Williams hit a 3-pointer with just over two minutes to play. However, the two teams would trade turnovers and missed shots in the final 90 seconds of action, with King clutching a key defensive rebound in the final minute. UIU had a shot to win it at the buzzer, but both Williams and Dylan Jones missed late attempts to complete the comeback.
After the exciting affair, the two teams return to action tomorrow, Sunday, Jan. 17, at Upper Iowa University. Tip-off is set for 2pm.
For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.
About Winona State University Athletics:
The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words: Graduate Champions.
Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.
Media Contact: Pete Watkins, Director of Athletic Communications | Ph: 507.457.5577 | Email: pwatkins@winona.edu
