WINONA, Minn. - After a pair of wins to start the season in which they led by 20 points or more in the first half, Winona State men's basketball was bound to have a somewhat slower start at some point in the season. On Wednesday, that happened. Sort of.
Viterbo University hung around longer than any WSU opponent so far this season, as WSU suffered from a cold shooting start to the Warriors' 84-56 win, but once Winona State was sighted in, the game opened up quickly for head coach
Todd Eisner and his team on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at home in McCown Gymnasium.
In the first half, Winona State was an uncharacteristic 5-of-19 from three-point land against the V-Hawks but the good news was, WSU held Viterbo to an even-worse 1-of-10 three-point shooting ledger in the opening 20 minutes. In a first frame with plenty of rebounds, the two teams were almost even with Viterbo having a slight edge, 19-18. At the break,
Drew Adams paced Winona State with eight points, while teammate
Alec Rosner had six heading into the locker room with their team up 34-25.
No doubt during halftime, Eisner advised the Warriors to find a gear like their recent outings in Kansas City, where they routed Pittsburg State 79-68 and Henderson State 79-62. When they returned to the floor on Wednesday, WSU went on a 13-4 run to start the second half and never looked back as they pulled away from the V-Hawks.
Drew Adams maintained his momentum throughout the game, scoring 17 total points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor and a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc.
Connor Dillon was also 5-of-7 for 14 points, while
Connor Drew and
Carson Arenz both hit double-digit with ten apiece. Adams was just one board short of a double-double with nine rebounds as well, and he notched a blocked shot in his 23 minutes of action.
Alec Rosner chipped in nine points, while
Owen King,
Devin Whitelow and
Connor Dillon took turns quarterbacking the offense, as each notched four assists. Six different Warriors claimed steals in the game and WSU forced the V-Hawks into 13 turnovers.
Winona State recovered from a tough first half shooting clip of 37.5% to finish the game at 46.2%, including making 12-of-35 triples. Unlike the Central Region Challenge where their opponents made up ground on the scoreboard in the final minutes, the Warriors kept their foot on the gas against Viterbo, as evidenced by the fact that their largest lead of the game of 28 points also served as the final margin of victory at 84-56.
Viterbo was led by Robert Cunitz with 13 points, followed closely by Noah Fredrickson with 12. Brady Polk led the V-Hawks with nine rebounds.
For Winona State, their 3-0 start matches the 2016-17 Warrior squad which also began their year with a trio of wins. The Warriors will look to keep it moving when they find their way to Fayette, Iowa to take on Upper Iowa University on Tuesday, Nov. 23. The NSIC opener for both teams is scheduled for 7:30pm in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium.
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.
