Winona, Minn. – The Winona State men's basketball team found themselves facing an unfamiliar scoring threat in the first half of their matchup with Wayne State on Saturday.
Alex Millender had 17 points by halftime for the Wildcats (6-4 / 6-2 NSIC) and was the main force in the 14-point deficit the WSU faced heading into the lockerroom. The Warriors (3-4 / 1-3 NSIC) found a way to hold Millender to just four points in the second half, but were unable to claw completely back, falling to Wayne State, 84-78.
Freshman
Connor Dillon had his second head-turning performance of the year, notching 21 total points including a terrific 6-of-7 performance from behind the arc. The Peoria, Ill. product was 7-for-10 from the floor, coming off the bench to spark WSU.
Kevion Taylor once again had a strong outing for Winona State with 21 points and seven boards.
Luke Martens scored 9 and grabbed four rebounds on the day for head coach
Todd Eisner and his team.
Winona State found it tough to score down low, where WSC racked up four blocked shots and almost doubled the Winona State post play with a 32-18 points in the paint advantage. The rebounding advantage for Wayne State loomed less large, but the Wildcats held a 33-26 lead in total rebounds.
The Warriors closed to within four with under 30 seconds to play in the game, as
Andrea Lo Biondo hit a 3-pointer late. However, it was the last points for Winona State in the game as the Wildcats' Nate Mohr closed out the scoring with a pair of free throws.
For Winona State, they will look to regroup this week as they prepare for road trip to MSU-Mankato later this week. The Mavericks are 6-2 overall on the year and 5-1 in the NSIC South with a weekend series against Sioux Falls to be played Jan. 30-31.
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
