Winona, Minn. -- The Winona State University men's basketball team is set to host Wayne State College in a two-game series on Friday and Saturday, January 29-30.  Friday's game will tipoff at 6pm, while Saturday's contest will start at 2pm. 

The Warriors (3-2 overall / 1-1 NSIC) will head into the key contests with the focus of picking up two wins in the NSIC South. The games this weekend also allow for the Winona State men's team to compete for the first time in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court. 

For the Wildcats (4-4 overall / 4-2 NSIC), the series will be their first road games since January 8-9, when they swept Concordia-St. Paul by 88-76 and 82-60 scores.  Most recently, WSC split with Upper Iowa, beating the Peacocks 99-71 on Friday Jan. 21 but losing the next night to UIU, 82-74. 

Winona State head coach Todd Eisner and his team also split last weekend, downing Augustana 87-82 on Saturday, January 23 but falling to the Vikings on Sunday, January 24, 73-63.   

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Preseason Player of the Year honoree Kevion Taylor had a season-high 28 points in the opening game against the Vikings, while Andrea Lo Biondo and Devin Whitelow were the top producers in last Sunday's contest, scoring 15 and 14 points, respectively.  As a team, Winona State had their second-best season effort shooting the basketball in their win at Augustana, going 27-for-51 from the field en route to the victory. 
 
This weekend, Winona State fans will watch talented NCAA Division I transfer Owen King in his first action on campus in a Warrior uniform, and get a look at Luke Martens, who is third on the team in minutes played (160) and rebounds (23).  Dalante Peyton was 3-for-4 from behind the arc against Augustana last Sunday and was 4-for-6 overall in triples in the series. 

Read on for the tale of the tape between Wayne State and Winona State, who will compete on Friday, January 29 and Saturday, January 30 in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court. 

To view the Winona State Fan Guide for following Warrior Basketball, please click here.
  Successful Six… With no COVID cancelations on their schedule, Wayne State has played all six NSIC South games so far this year and eight contests overall. The Warriors have won three of their last four games after working through a COVID-related pause and rescheduled games in the middle of January.
 
We Were This Close… The Wildcats came within a whisker of hitting the century mark this season, defeating Upper Iowa 99-71 on January 22.  Winona State's highest point tally to date is 92, achieved in a 92-90 win over the same UIU team.
 
Split Decision… While Winona State split with Augustana for their only 1-1 weekend so far, WSC has gone .500 for the series twice, splitting with Minnesota State-Mankato and Upper Iowa. 

Triple Overtime Thriller … The Warriors and the Wildcats had an epic, three-overtime affair the last time out, won by WSC 102-97 (3OT) on Friday, January 29, 2020.

Mohr Over… Wayne State guard Nate Mohr has hit 15 triples this season, while the Warriors are led by Kevion Taylor, who has 14 three-points on the season.  

All J's, All the Time… Jordan Janssen, a junior, is the top Wildcat in both rebounding and scoring. He hauls in 10.3 boards a game and scores 18.3 points per contest.  Janssen stood out similarly as a sophomore, chalking up 17 double-doubles on the season.  Janssen is the reigning NSIC South Player-of-the-Week. 
 
Clipboard Comments… Winona State's Todd Eisner is just three victories away from the 500-win club, currently at 497-236 for his career.  That mark includes some impressive stints in the NAIA ranks, with stops at Viterbo, Bellevue, Benedictine College and Midland University. 

Clipboard Comments, Continued…... Like Eisner, Wildcat head coach Jeff Kaminsky accrued significant success in the NAIA ranks and was a head coach in Wisconsin, with 11 years at Valley City State and 11 years at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.  He has led the Wildcats for five seasons and earned his 500th win last year in the 2019-20 campaign with a win over Central Missouri on November 22. 

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 


For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.

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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