KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The 2021-22 Winona State men's basketball season kicks off in earnest this weekend, as the Warriors take part in the Central Region Challenge. This year's WSU team brings balance, experience and excitement to the floor, as head coach Todd Eisner and his team look to return to the 2021-22 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball postseason.
Read on for a rundown of the upcoming season-opening contests, and always, Go Warriors!
Who: The Winona State Warriors open the 2021-21 regular season with two road games at the always-tough Central Region Challenge, held in Kansas City, Mo. at the Municipal Auditorium. The Warriors will take on Pittsburg State (Kan.) University a member of the Mid America Athletic Association (MIAA) and Henderson State University, a Great America Conference (GAC) program, on back-to-back days.
What: The Central Region Showcase welcomes sixteen NCAA Division II teams to the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium, including six Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) programs.
When: Winona State is scheduled to play Pittsburg State on Friday, Nov. 12 at 4:15pm CST and Henderson State at 2:30pm on Saturday, Nov. 13.
Where: Both Warrior contests will occur in the Municipal Arena, a venue that seats 10,700 spectators and has served as host to the NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and over 80 NCAA Division I games, including nine NCAA Final Fours.
Warrior notables: The Warrior faithful got their first look at the 2021-22 Winona State team in a 77-61 exhibition win over Saint Mary's (Minn.) University on Sunday night. Some familiar faces featured prominently in the WSU lineup, including dynamic point guard Devin Whitelow who ran the Warrior show for nearly 25 minutes and local standout Owen King who heads into his first full season at Winona State.
Two key performances in the Warrior win came from freshman; Connor Drew led all scorers with 17 points on the night and seven rebounds while fellow first-year Drew Adams had 12 points and matched Connor Drew with seven boards. Eleven different Warriors saw the floor in a game in which Winona State led from the opening tip. WSU was up 45-22 at halftime and cruised to their fourth straight crosstown win over Saint Mary's since 2010 and third straight in the Todd Eisner era.
Luke Martens had a quietly productive outing against Saint Mary's, scoring 11 points, racking up two steals and blocking a shot. Martens hauled in seven rebounds and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. His 26 minutes on the floor was second only to teammate Alec Rosner who played 33 minutes in the game.
This weekend, head coach Todd Eisner and his staff will look to even up their recent record in the Central Region Challenge, as WSU dropped both contests at the CRC in 2019. That year, Winona State faced two nationally ranked teams in #10 Missouri Southern and (RV) Washburn. MSSU dealt WSU a 71-50 setback in the season opener, while Washburn downed the Warriors 67-54. However, Winona State went on to finish 2019-20 with a 18-12 overall record and played their way to the second round of the NSIC postseason tournament.
Tip In: The contests against Pittsburg State and Henderson State marks the first time Winona State has played either of the two schools in men's basketball.
Tip In, too: Both the Gorillas and the Reddies faced NCAA Division I foes in exhibition action already this season. PSU lost to Kansas State 78-59, while HSU fell to Southern Illinois – Carbondale, 66-52. Pittsburg State also notched an exhibition win over Avila, 82-75.
Around the corner: After the excursion to Kansas City, Winona State will host Viterbo University at home on Wednesday, Nov. 17. The game against the V-Hawks will pit Coach Eisner, who earned his 500th win last season, against the team in which he started his head coaching career. Eisner's first head coaching stop was at Viterbo, where he went 79-55 between 1995 and 1999. Tip-off between the Warriors and V-Hawks in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court, is set for 7pm.
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.
