Fayette, Iowa -- The Winona State men's basketball team defeated Upper Iowa, 92-90 on Sunday, Jan. 17, the second game to go down to the wire in as many days for head coach
Todd Eisner and the Warriors.
Coming on the heels of a two-point win night before (81-78) and a 22-point effort from freshman
Connor Dillon on Saturday, Winona State saw senior
Kevion Taylor rise to the occasion Sunday to also score 22, leading the Warriors to the sweep over UIU.
Head coach
Todd Eisner said, "I am really pleased to come out of this weekend with two road wins. Our players showed a lot of mental toughness to battle back from a 10-point deficit with less than eight minutes to go in the game."
Winona State eclipsed 90 points for the first time in the 2020-21 campaign, with a balanced team effort on the offensive end. In addition to the 22 from Taylor,
Andrea Lo Biondo had 18 points and seven boards for WSU, while
Devin Whitelow scored 17, dished eight assists and hauled in six rebounds.
Owen King and
Luke Martens both hit double-digits in the points column, with 14 and 11, respectively.
Martens led the Warriors in minutes played with 36 and King's 4-of-5 shooting performance from behind the arc was another in a long list of Winona State bright spots.
"Our starters carried a heavy burden today and all five produced at a high level. Each guy made big time plays late in the game to help us win." Eisner stated.
Taylor, the NSIC South Preseason Player of the Year, earned 12 trips to the foul line, going 11-for-12 and just missed out on the double-double with nine boards. His 11 makes from the charity stripe and nine rebounds are both career high marks.
Upper Iowa held the advantage most of the game, including a 47-38 lead at the half, but when Winona State's Martens hit a three-pointer with 3:26 to go in the contest, WSU would work with the lead the rest of the way and hold off the Peacocks for the win.
Winona State improves to 2-1 on the year, 0-0 in the NSIC South, and will prepare to travel to
Augustana University (4-2 / 2-2 NSIC South) on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 22-23, for a two-game series.
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
