It was a tale of two halves for the Winona State Warriors Friday night as they led by 19 at one point in the first half but went cold from the field in the second half to fall to Upper Iowa 80-65. Senior Andrea Lo Biondo led the way for the Warriors with a season high 18 points.

With the win the Peacocks move to 10-5 overall (8-3 NSIC South) while the Warriors fall to 6-6 overall (4-5 NSIC South).

The Warriors opened the game strong, holding UIU to just 2-11 shooting over the first eight minutes and jumping out to an 18-8 lead. After holding a 10-point lead for a few minutes Owen King hit a three to give the Warriors a 34-15 lead, their largest of the night. Upper Iowa then caught fire to close the half on a 20-9 run. Heading into the locker room Winona State led by just eight, 43-35.

The second half was one to forget for the Warriors, as they were outscored 45-22 in the frame and shot just 27% from the field, including 1-13 from behind the arc. Andrea Lo Biondo would tie it up at 57 with 8:49 left in the game, but that was as close as the Warriors would get for the rest of the game. The Peacock's Jareese Williams caught fire from three in the final eight minutes and Upper Iowa coasted to the 15-point victory.

For the game, the Warriors shot 26-73 (.356) from the field and just 6-27 (.222) from three. Upper Iowa shot 25-54 (.463) from the field and 14-33 (.424) from behind the arc.

Winona State was led in points by Lo Biondo with 18, followed by Kevion Taylor (12), Luke Martens (11), and Owen King (10). Lo Biondo also tied a career high with 16 rebounds in the contest, while Taylor led the team with four assists.

Winona State will be back in action tomorrow as they return to McCown to face the Peacocks in the final home game of the season. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.

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