WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University men's basketball team was looking to go 3-for-3 in terms of beating nationally-ranked teams at home this season, but the #5 University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs had other ideas on Friday, as UMD dropped the Warriors, 86-71.
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Devin Whitelow long-range 3-pointer as halftime expired drew Winona State to within 11 points as the two teams headed to the locker room but it was the closest the Warriors would get on the night, as Minnesota-Duluth used a strong second half to pull away in the NSIC affair. The Warriors did not have an answer for the Bulldogs' Austin Andrews who scored 29 points in the game while also hauling in 14 rebounds. Andrews was 14-of-18 from the floor.
The Warriors suffered through a tough first half from behind the arc, going 3-of-13 (23.0%) from 3-point territory in the opening 20 minutes. The second half saw improvement and WSU finished the game 9-of-24 from deep and were 28-of-61 overall from the floor. However, the Bulldogs built a decided advantage over the Warriors on the boards, with UMD hauling in 35 rebounds compared to 24 for WSU. As a team, Winona State was 6-of-10 from the free throw line as well.
Individually, Winona State was paced by
Luke Martens with 11 points, going 5-of-10 from the field; Martens also picked up a pair of steals in the contest.
Alec Rosner also reached double-digits with 10 points while also grabbing four rebounds. Carsen Arenz tied a season-high effort on the boards with five to lead the Warriors.
In addition to Andrew's 29-point outburst, three other Bulldogs reached double-digits, with Charlie Katona (18), Joshua Brown (13) and Drew Blair (12) all contributing to the UMD total; Brown also hauled in 10 boards on the evening.
With the loss, Winona State falls to 9-5 overall, 5-4 in NSIC play. The Warriors will look to rebound tomorrow, Saturday, January 15 when they host St. Cloud State University. Tip-off between the Warriors and Huskies is set for 3:30pm in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.
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.
