Winona, Minn. -- The Winona State University men's basketball program returns to their home court later this week as they host Concordia-St. Paul in a two-game series set for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12-13.  The Bears and Warriors will tipoff at 6pm Friday and 2pm Saturday in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.  Justin Barrientos and HBC Sports 25 will have the call for both contests, available on the NSIC Network. 

Winona State (4-5 overall / 2-4 NSIC) earned a split last weekend in a pair of contests against Minnesota State.  Taking on the Mavericks in Mankato, the Warriors put together one of their best performances of the season in an 86-71 win on Friday, Feb. 5.  The following night, WSU fell by an 89-64 scoreline.   This weekend, two victories against the Bears (1-9 / 0-6 NSIC) are key to keeping Winona State post-season hopes alive. 

Kevion Taylor put together a tremendous weekend for the Warriors against the Mavericks, scoring a season-high 30 points in Friday's contest and 25 on Saturday afternoon.  Taylor received significant support on Friday from Luke Martens, who did not miss from the field or the foul line, going 6-for-6 from the floor and 6-for-6 on free throws, scoring 19 points in 35 minutes of work. Connor Dillon contributed 12 points to the win as well.  Saturday's loss to the Mavericks had less scoring balance for the Warriors, as Dillon was the only other WSU player beyond Taylor to reach double-digits, scoring 10 points. 

Heading into the games this weekend, Winona State head coach Todd Eisner is within two victories of the 500-win mark. According to the NCAA statistics portal,  Eisner has earned 498 wins across his 23 year career, including 82 wins with the Warriors.  Recent history also favors the Warriors, as Winona State has won six of the last seven meetings against CSP.

Read on for the tale of the tape between Warriors and the Golden Bears, who are set to suit up on Friday, Feb. 12 and Saturday Feb. 13 in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court. Game times are 6pm and 2pm, respectively. 

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Trending Upwards… The CSP two-game set against Upper Iowa last weekend were the first contests that occurred as scheduled for their team in several weeks. The Golden Bears had games against Southwest Minnesota State and the University of Sioux Falls affected by Covid-19 considerations to close out January.  Both the Warriors and CSP have navigated a handful of cancelations and alternate opponents but played their most recent games as they were planned on the schedule.

Double-Up… The Golden Bears have seen Carlos Barela reach double-digits in scoring in nine of his 11 outings, including a season-best 28 points against St. Cloud State on Jan. 30.   His Warrior counterpart is Kevion Taylor, who has reached double-digits in every WSU game but one, including his 30-point outburst last weekend vs. Minnesota State and 28 points in a 87-82 Warrior win over Augustana on Jan. 23. 

On the Marc... Concordia-St. Paul has had Marcu Skeete grab 10-or-more rebounds this season multiple times this season; Skeete has hauled in 13 rebounds twice this year (vs. UIU 2/06 and SCSU 01/31), and had ten boards on another occasion (UIU, 02/05). 

Can't-Miss Martens... Luke Martens had a perfect night shooting the basketball on Friday, Feb. 5 vs. the Mavericks, going 6-for-6 from both the floor and the free throw line in the 86-71 win.  He also had seven rebounds on the day. Overall, on the season, Martens is 29-for-56 from the field, good for a .518 shooting percentage.  The closest Concordia-St. Paul comparison is Marcus Skeete, who went 10-for-13 for CSP on 01/03. 

Fantastic Free Throws… CSP has seen four Golden Bears perfect at the foul line this year; Carlos Barela, and Caden Hoffman have both carded 6-for-6 days at the line, while Matt Johns (5-for-5) and Jacob Shields (4-for-4) have also not missed in games. For Winona State, Kevin Taylor has notched three perfect days: 8-for-8 vs. MSU-Mankato (02/05), as well as 7-for-7 against Wayne State (01/29) and 6-for-6 vs. Wayne State (01/30).  Andrea Lo Biondo went 6-for-6 against Augustana on 1/23 as well, matching Martens' aforementioned 6-for-6 day vs. the Mavs.  

Fantastic Free Throws 2.0... Winona State men's basketball is seventh in the nation in NCAA Division II in free throw percentage at 80.7% from the foul line. 

I'm a Helper, it's What I Do ... Devin Whitelow leads Winona State in assists with 36 so far; Concordia has two players tied for the team lead in assists with 27 apiece, Carlos Barela and Caden Hoffman. 

Two Hundred on the Horizon… Winona State's Kevion Taylor has scored 188 points so far this season, just 12 away from the 200 mark. The next closest Warrior in total points scored is Lo Biondo, with 89. 

It's a Team Thing... Concordia-St. Paul and Winona State are currently ranked 10th and 11th in team offense in the NSIC; with WSU averaging 74.1 points per game and the Golden Bears at 71.7

It's a Team Thing, Two… Defensively speaking, Winona State is currently 12th in the NSIC in team defense, holding opponents to 78.6 points per game, while CSP is 15th at 86.0 points-per-game conceded on average.  

Game of the Century… Neither team has cracked the 100-point mark in a contest yet this year; Winona State's highest scoring output was 92 points in a two-point win over Upper Iowa on Jan. 17, while Concordia-St. Paul scored 85 in a loss to St. Cloud State on Jan. 30. 

Let's Do that Again... Last year, Winona State swept the Golden Bears, winning 74-60 in St. Paul on Feb. 21, and 79-77 in Winona on Dec. 14.  A sweep this weekend would give head coach Todd Eisner his 500th collegiate career victory. 

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